Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust -Matthew 5:44-45.
That verse of scripture goes on to say, "For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect" (verses 46-48).
"Be ye perfect just as your Father in heaven is perfect." I believe, to get on the right track to becoming perfect or holy as another verse of scripture puts it (1 Peter 1:16) one should begin by seeking wisdom (Prov. 3 13,14), and to gain wisdom one has to ask for it (James 1:5). The reverntial fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.(Prov. 9:10).
There was a young man who had a remarkable experience which I will partly "liken" to the parable of The Good Samaritan, the only difference in this young man's experience, I think, is that the person aided by him was known to him. Let me relate the experience and I'm sure you'll find it remarkably praiseworthy.
This young man used to be bullied by older boys in his neighborhood mainly because he didn't have an older brother (in this neighborhood, if you had an older brother you wouldn't get picked on by bullies). One day a young man tried to take his money from him, this was his allowance from his mother who was a single parent of four children. He resisted and was chased by the young man. He got away and shouted to his bully, "One day I'll grow up and be able to defend myself, you'll see. Just remember, David killed Goliath." And with that comment the boy ran all the way home.
Not long after that the boy was playing soccer with friends when the same young man (about 18 years old) grabbed the boy (about 15 years old) from behind, placed him in a "chokehold" from behind with his left hand and proceeded to stab the boy several time in the head with an ice-pick. After what seemed like forever, the young man released the boy who instead of falling to the ground ran all the way home while feeling his head for puncture wounds. The skin on the boys head was puntured by that ice pick several times but through the grace of God the boy's skull was not penetrated even once.
The little boy kept his distance from this young man for a long time and then one night the boy was coming home and saw the same young man lying on the ground in a pool of blood, groaning. The young man was involved in gang warfare and was attacked by others with machetes who chopped him to the point of near death. He was unable to walk or move his hands and he could only whisper. As the boy was passing he heard the weak groaning and walked over to see who it was, just lying there helplessly, seeming to be waiting for death. To the boy's surprise it was the same young man who had stabbed him in the head repeatedly. One would imagine the first thought to come to the boy's mind would be, "serve you right, you reap what you sow." But there was an opposite thought that filled that boy's mind that night. His first feeling was mercy. Lets call the young man Jim at this point and the boy Mo. Mo's first words were, "Oh my God! Lord have mercy! Jim! I'll go and get you some help!" Jim looked up in shock. Was he hearing what he was hearing?
Mo ran to Jim's family and shouted for help. His uncle came running and Mo and the uncle got Jim to the hospital in time and Jim was rushed to the operating room and hours later to the ICU for recovery.
Weeks later when Jim was released from the hospital He visited Mo and apologized for all the times he hurt Mo, especially on the soccer field that eventful day. They became such good friends that Jim became like a big brother to Mo and saw to it that Mo wasn't bullied by others when he was around.
God says to us after relating the parable of The Good Samaritan, "Go and do likewise." Mo was not a Christian and didn't know such a story as The Good Samaritan existed or even a command from God to do likewise. He didn't even know there was a good book called The Holy Bible or a God in control of everything in existence. But he had a compassionate heart that far outweighed vengeance. He later learned that there is a God that says, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay." And His word goes on to say, "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he's thirsty give him a drink; for in doing so you will heap coals of fire on his head. Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good." -Rom. 12:19-21.
Prayer: Lord, please help me to continuously defeat evil with kindness. In Jesus' name, amen.
Encouragement: In the midst of adversity, everywhere Jesus went He did good. Go and do likewise.
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