"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.
"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do no condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
Well, having read that, I invite you to read the meditation in today's Forward Day by Day. It tells the story of Corrie ten Boom, a Dutch woman who actually forgave a cruel Nazi prison guard:
During World War II, Corrie ten Boom watched her sister suffer and die in a concentration camp at Ravensbrück, Germany. She herself suffered greatly in that same camp. Years later, Corrie spoke about God's forgiveness to a crowd in Munich. When she finished, a man walked over to her-a man whose face had taunted her by day and haunted her by night; he had been a guard at Ravensbrück. The man told Corrie that he had become a Christian. He had already sought God's forgiveness; now, he sought hers. He stretched out his hand towards Corrie and waited.
Images of her suffering sister rose in Corrie's mind. Forgiveness seemed impossible. But God had said, "Love your enemies." God had commanded, "Forgive." Corrie knew that forgiveness was not a feeling, but an act of the will. She prayed for help, then slowly stretched out her hand. Here is how Corrie describes what happened next: "The current started in my shoulder, raced down my arm, sprang into our joined hands. And then this healing warmth seemed to flood my whole being, bringing tears to my eyes. 'I forgive you, brother!' I cried. 'With all my heart.' "
God not only gives us a command to love our enemies, he also gives us his love with which to do so.
Incredible!
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