Jesus washed away the 613 laws of the Old Testament, replacing them with clear and concise commands to "love the Lord your God with all your heart" and "love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:37-39)

Along with this teaching comes Jesus' command to love your enemies. This may be the hardest admonition in all of Christianity. It seems instinctive to hate people who are your enemies, and want to retaliate against them, or wish to see them punished. But Jesus teaches a transcendent, holy response: "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." (Matthew 5:44) Jesus adds mischievously, "If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?" (Matthew 5:46)

This teaching is further enshrined in the Lord's Prayer: "Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us." (Luke 11:4) During the Sermon on the Plain, Jesus says, "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you…. Do to others as you would have them do to you…. 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." (Luke 6:27-36)

What creature has sinned against us most? Satan. Who has sinned most against God? Satan. Do we think that God, who is love and mercy (1 John 4:16, James 5:11), exempts himself from this revolutionary teaching? We know this cannot be true from the behavior of Jesus Christ. During the crucifixion, Jesus says, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34) This applies to the Roman soldiers, as well as the Pharisees and chief priests who engineered his execution. But this forgiveness can also apply to Satan, who is the motivating force behind their cruelty. Would the God of love and mercy repudiate the very teaching he brings to humanity when he takes on human form in Jesus Christ? I think that such a view is unreasonable.

© copyright 2008 PDH