²⁷“But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. ²⁹If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. ³⁰Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. ³¹Do to others as you would have them do to you.  Luke 6:27-31

It is hard to love our enemies.  It is difficult to even consider doing nice things for those who hate us or treat us poorly.  Yet, that is precisely what Jesus calls us to do, to love our neighbors (even the ones we do not like).  In this part of Jesus’ great sermon, he gives us the golden rule, do to others as you would have them do to you.

Did you know a form of this rule is in nearly every major world religion?  It is one of those universal “laws” and I believe this is so because God really wants us to follow it.

Imagine how different our world could be if we lived this way.  Imagine our country could be if instead of demonizing our enemies, we instead loved them, prayed for them, and did good things for them.  We might see less violence, less arguing and even less stress in our lives.

The next time someone cuts you off in traffic, or says something bad about you, stop for a moment, utter a prayer of blessing for them and move on.

For a deeper look at the golden rule, see my YouTube video here

Pastor Bill