What Would Jesus Do?

Love your enemies

Jesus says:

You have heard it said, "Love your friends, hate your enemies." But now I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may become the sons of your Father In heaven. For he makes his sun to shine on those who do good and to those who do evil. Why should God reward you if you love only the people who love you? Even the tax collectors do that! And if you speak only to your friends, have you done any" thing out of the ordinary? Even the pagans do that! You must be perfect—just as your Father in heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5:43-48).

Paul says:

If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head. (Romans 12:20)

Revenge

Jesus says:

You have heard that It was said, "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth." But now I tell you: do not take revenge on someone who wrongs you. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, let him slap your left cheek too. (Matthew 5:38-39)

Paul says:

Never take revenge, my friends, but instead let God’s anger do it. For the scripture says: "I will take revenge, I will pay back, says the Lord." (Romans 12:19)

If we do not love our enemies and give them food and drink and other necessities when they need it we are disobeying the commands of Christ Jesus.

If we take revenge on those who oppose us we are not only disobeying the commands of Christ Jesus, but we are also saying that God is not powerful enough to pay back those who deserve it as He said He would, or that God is not a good enough judge to determine who should receive punishment, and that we are better judges than He, so we should do it ourselves in direct disobedience and insult to Him.

War

What did Jesus say about War? Did he say, “Blessed are those who make war?” No, he said, “Blessed are the peacemakers for they are God’s children” (Matthew 5:9)

Does this fly in the face of what common sense would tell us? Absolutely! It is perfectly natural to want to take vengeance on someone who has wronged you or others you care about. It is natural to be angry, and for that anger to drive you to a violent response. But Jesus did not want his followers to behave as natural men. A term that Paul used to describe someone before they have become Christians, and therefore new creations. Jesus told his followers to “ be perfect—just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” It is very difficult to be a True Christian. That is a True Follower of the Teachings of Jesus Christ. Few people who call themselves Christians even come close to following His teachings especially on these matters. How do the Moral Majority who support George W. Bush’s rush to war with Iraq in response to 9/11 even though President Bush himself and others in his administration admit that we have no evidence whatsoever that Saddam Hussein was behind the September 11 attacks or had anything to do with them square their support for W with the Teachings of JC? I guess they decided to go with the newer guy on that one. Jesus said that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. It appears that the rich are not the only one who have difficulties following Christ’s path to Heaven.