One can say that it isnt in our power but is an attitude that can only be the fruit of grace, given by the holy spirit. It is impossible even to begin the act of loving ones enemies without the prior acceptance of. This may not be something youre dealing with at the moment, but i guarantee, at some point in your life, you will be called to love your enemy, and so i encourage you to read the excerpts of his sermon below. One of the great moral commands of the the bible says that you should love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you matthew 5.
It is a shining example of the philosophy of nonviolence and christian pacifism. King prepared for the birmingham campaign in early 1963, he drafted the final sermons for strength to love, a volume of his most bestknown homilies. You know, god, wed love it to be popular to love enemies. He proclaimed to the crowds listening to his sermon on the mount that they knew they were to love their neighbor because the command to love our neighbor was a law of. It is impossible even to begin the act of loving ones enemies without the prior acceptance of the. Loving your enemies, a sermon by martin luther king, jr. Ye have heard that it hath been said, thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. Each of us has something of a schizophrenic personality. I dont usually share sermons on my blog, but i came across a sermon by dr. Sep, 2005 number two your total love for him will grow. I personally doubt that this is the case as loving your enemies has been published in a book of martin luther kings speeches called strength to love. An element of goodness may be found even in our worst enemy. Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may become the children of your father in heaven. But i say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate.
Teacher, this man said, what must i do to inherit eternal life. Silouan always teaches that this attitude is a gift of the holy spirit. You have heard that it was said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your father in heaven.
What it actually means to love your enemies relevant magazine. Enemies praying for sinners hate haters forgiving others who hurt you loving yourself forgiving yourself persecution loving everyone love and forgiveness beauty and self worth loving abuse persecution, attitudes to. Loving our enemies is not just a cerebral exercise, though we do need to think about what it means to love our enemies and have a plan to affect it. But i tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your father in heaven. We must in strength and humility meet hate with love. Loving your friends and your spouse is just enlightened selfinterest. Over the years men have looked upon this command as an impractical ideal. Hatred is no longer your automatic reflex to a painful memory. Apr 04, 2020 a lmighty father, i thank you earnestly for your great love and the blessings of family and friends. Then, some years ago, in an early hour of the morning, i was awakened from a deep sleep. He says in substance love not only your neighbors and friends, but love even your enemies. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the most high, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Loving your enemies, sermon delivered at dexter avenue.
But i say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you. You just keep loving people and keep loving them, even though theyre mistreating you. Loving our enemies is an ideal for human beings of any spiritual tradition. Doing good to your enemies means seeing beyond your pain and their meanness to their humanity. Guide my heart to love my enemies, even the ones who have hurt and harmed me. I pray that we remain a happy, peaceful and united family, in deep love and understanding for one another. When jesus said we are to love our enemies, he was creating a new standard for relationships. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Aug 10, 2015 praying for your enemy opens you up to the work of the holy spirit in your heart. The classic collection of sixteen sermons preached and compiled by dr. When you will love your enemies, know that a great divine grace will be living in you. These scripture quotes about love are a compilation of bible verses on loving others, love within marriage, loving enemies, and agape love gods love.
Why should god reward you if you only love the people who love you. Therefore, to change the world, love has to be extended to everyoneeven to our enemies. The secret to loving your enemies todays christian woman. Selection from loving your enemies, by martin luther. In the midst of this jesus comes out with a new and revolutionary idea. Furthermore, it is the message upon which he built his lifethat love is creative, and that only love is capable of transforming hate into love. Loving your enemies is a gift of god that helps you experience gods love for you in a deeper and more powerful way. Please contact us if you have any questions or comments, or would just like some encouragement. Step number two is found in verse 39 the second is like it.
Love is the key to the solution of the worlds problem, yes even love for enemies. Sermons from strength to love and other preachings by the reverend dr. The greater context behind this command is to become closer to god. Take a moment and imagine your soul as water and your pessimism as a handful of dust.
Dec 19, 2017 it starts with analyzing ourselves and forgiveness. Heres the person who is a neighbor, and this person is doing something wrong to you and all of that. Third, verse 44 gives one of the deepest meanings of love for your enemies. But i say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and. Jesus was not the first to teach love your enemy a christian wrote. King lays out in loving your enemies echoes through all of his speeches. But i say to you, love your enemies, part 2 desiring god. But jesus says that we are not to just force a smile when we are hated and mistreated. Rating is available when the video has been rented. Delivered at dexter avenue baptist church, montgomery, alabama, on november 17, 1957. It starts with analyzing ourselves and forgiveness. Although it is natural and usual to love those who love us and to do good to those who do good to us, to love our enemies is distasteful to our nature. Feb 14, 2012 loving your wife is a nobrainer unless youre selfdestructive. The bible says that god is love, which makes the word of god the perfect source to know what love means and how we can be loving neighbors.
King continues, this command is an absolute necessity for the survival of our civilization. But i say to you, love your enemies, part 1 desiring god. But i say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and. Wed love the people on the news to provide examples of how to love. Apr 28, 2020 loving your enemy means practical acts of helpfulness in the ordinary things of life. But i say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute. We can heal by actively and intently listening, taking accountability for ourselves, and learning to forgive.
You are commanded to love others god, your neighbors, your enemies. Sep 23, 2015 the interactive transcript could not be loaded. Pity your servants, and turn them to repentance, and then you will perceptibly bear grace in your soul. Your enemy no longer controls your feelings toward him. Wed love our neighbors to respect us for this good deed. Sep 11, 2019 loving our enemies is not just a cerebral exercise, though we do need to think about what it means to love our enemies and have a plan to affect it. What it actually means to love your enemies relevant. That ye may be the children of your father which is in heaven. He proclaimed to the crowds listening to his sermon on the mount that they knew they were to love their neighbor because the command to love our neighbor was a law of god leviticus 19. But then, if loving enemies were easy, jesus wouldnt have told us about the tax collectors and gentiles, who love only their. Its hard enough to love people around us, but its even more difficult to love our enemies, but thats what jesus told us to do, so here are 11 of the best bible verses about loving your enemies. Excerpt from a gift of love penguin random house canada.
But i tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. We can show the strength to love by looking within. The truth is that loving our enemies is costly and must be worked out in the world. Now, drop that dust in your glass of water and tell me what happens. Its fascinating that in luke 6, when jesus said, love your enemies verses 27,35, both times he immediately added, do good to them so we wouldnt miss the point. King preaches on jesus commandment to love our enemies and suggests. Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. Daily devotional love your enemy the living word ministries. Sermon, 1957 we must recognize that the evil deed of the enemyneighbor, the thing that hurts, never quite expresses all that he is. His sermon, loving your enemies, is covered in the middle of the podcast. If they would follow him they must learn the fathers way, the way of longsuffering, the way of love, the way of mercy. My advice is to read them slowly until you find one that offends you and then spend the whole day reflecting on. This most important commandment summarizes in a word the universal discipline of patience, since it does not allow us to do evil even to people who deserve it. You are incapable of loving others in your own strength.
Jesus responded, love the lord your god with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. Your total love for god will then lead to the second, third and fourth step to loving your enemies. But its altogether another thing to love an enemy, someone who has your disgrace or destruction as a goal. May 11, 2006 the person who hurt you has been your enemy in a terribly painful way, but you receive strength to love and pray for that person. One can only love ones enemies through the grace of the holy spirit.
But if you love your enemies, you will discover that at the very root of love is the power of redemption. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Loving your enemies is not a burden but a blessing. What did jesus mean when he instructed us to love our. Then we love our enemies by realizing that they are not totally bad and that. Jesus gives three commands as the elements of this passfail exam. You have heard that it was said, love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. Mahatma gandhi practiced it no less inspiringly than st. Page 47 hate is just as injurious to the person who hates. Loving your enemies interfaith action of central texas. But i say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.
But i say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. My friends, we have followed the socalled practical way for too long a time now, and it has led inexorably to deeper confusion and chaos. Selection from loving your enemies, by martin luther king, jr. Loving your enemies, sermon delivered at dexter avenue baptist. It says, i say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you. King had begun working on the sermons during a fortnight in jail in july 1962. But i tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you matthew 5.
Strength to love mlk loving your enemies the sisu way. Induce your heart to love your enemies, and the lord, seeing your good will, shall help you in all things, and will himself show you experience. What did jesus mean when he instructed us to love our enemies. The need to love god loving yourself love and strength strengh brotherly love health worship, acceptable attitudes loving your mother strength of people heart, and holy spirit being devout false worship living souls intelligence love to christ whole heartedness attitudes, to other people receptive hearts love, nature of mans conduct towards. For with baptism, we are immersed in that inexhaustible source of life that is jesuss death, the greatest act of love in all of history. Do we have the strength to love and forgive a spouse who has selfishly betrayed us and shattered our family.
While it is a daily struggle, know that jesus himself, who readily forgave his executors at the foot of the cross, is always at our side ready and willing to comfort us and heal our deepest wounds. The lord has commanded us to love our enemies, and the holy spirit reveals this love to us. Feb 16, 2018 strength to love by martin luther king jr. Is the loving your enemies speech in the public domain. Remove all hatred and bitterness lord jesus, i earnestly pray that i cast out hatred and love those who have been difficult in my lif e. Jan 16, 2017 here are some of my favorite quotes from strength to love by martin luther king jr. King preaches on jesus commandment to love our enemies and suggests that while this is a very difficult thing to, it is both possible and essential for one to live as a good christian or a good human being. Strength to love is his most esteemed work because, as his widow coretta scott king stated, it explains his belief in a divine, loving presence that binds all life. Sep 26, 2016 its fascinating that in luke 6, when jesus said, love your enemies verses 27,35, both times he immediately added, do good to them so we wouldnt miss the point. Love your enemies a brilliant essay on nonviolence and how to respond to our enemy or enemies by martin luther king, jr. But i say to you, love your enemies and pray for those persecuting you, new american standard bible but i say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, new king james version but i say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and. Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.
What does this call to love mean in the face of isis or the man on the sexual predators list down the street. So when jesus says love your enemies, he is setting forth a profound and ultimately inescapable admonition. Many sites claim this sermon is in the public domain but i have found no reference to confirm this. Loving our enemies allows us to offer up the pains of the past to our lord in order to live in true and authentic freedom today. But whoever thinks evil of his enemies does not have love for god and has not known god. Ask god for the grace to love your enemies, pope francis said sunday in a homily in the italian city of bari. But, as in the case of most sermons on love, something was missing. Anyone can love friends and we must but the test of real love comes with loving enemies.
The law found more than it lost when christ said, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your father who is in heaven matthew 5. It means seeing them as people made in the image of god and. Loving your enemy means practical acts of helpfulness in the ordinary things of life. How to love your enemies keep believing ministries. And if you speak only to your friends, have you done anything out of the ordinary. Throughout the book, king constantly quotes the torah, the psalms, the prophets, the words of jesus and letters from the apostle. Selection from loving your enemies, by martin luther king.
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