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Today we continued study of the Statutes relating to the 6th Commandment, "Thou shalt not kill".
We studied Statutes 428 - 438 which talk about love for our enemies...
Here are a few highlights from class today:
The key to preventing Bitterness and Loving our Enemies is Love - which is demonstrated in Going the Second Mile...
· Matthew 5:38-48 "…Do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the
right cheek, offer the other cheek also. If you are sued in court and your
shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too. If a soldier demands
that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles. Give to
those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow. “You
have heard the law (Talmudic law, not Torah) that says, ‘Love your neighbor’
and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray
for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as
true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the
evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If
you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt
tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how
are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be
perfect, even as your Father in Heaven is perfect."
How do we
go the Second Mile? This means that we are to voluntarily invest
something of our time, talents, or resources into the life of our offender, for
where our treasure is, there will our hearts be also (Matthew 6:21).
In Christ’s
day, the Roman soldiers (whom the Jews considered to be their enemies, since
they were an occupying power) could command a male twelve years old or older to
carry his military pack for one mile in any direction. Many Jews resented this.
To them, it was just one more way the dictatorial Roman empire dominated them. But
Christ taught that rather than just going the required one mile, His followers
were to go two (Matthew 5:38-40). This command goes dipolar opposite to our
natural response to injustice! But the Bible warns that our natural responses
are usually wrong (Proverbs 14:12).
In going the
extra mile, we reclaim our joy in Yahweh, and truly overcome the last vestiges
of bitterness! It is also not until we go the “second mile” so-to-speak, that
we have opportunities to witness to our offenders. Thus, we should pray and
seek the Father’s insights as to how we can invest some voluntary “treasure” in
the lives of our offenders. And as we do
so, we find a window of Heaven opens flooding us with divine grace to triumph
amid the suffering.
If you would like more information on how LOVE is a Spiritual Warfare Weapon (as mentioned in class, along with the other Fruits of the Spirit), check out my old blog posts in the Heaven's Arsenal Series. These blog postings from this series were first posted in 2016:
Heaven's Arsenal - Part 1: "The Sword of the Word"
Heaven's Arsenal - Part 2: "Praise" (as a Weapon)
Heaven's Arsenal - Part 3: The Power of Confession
Heaven's Arsenal - Part 4: The Power of Love
Heaven's Arsenal - Part 5: The Power of Love - my Story...
Heaven's Arsenal - Part 6: The Power of Love - Love your Enemies (my story continued)...
Heaven's Arsenal - Part 7: The Power of Love - Love your Enemies continued (my story continued)...
Heaven's Arsenal - Part 8: The Power of Love Defeating Bitterness
Heaven's Arsenal - Part 9: The Power of Love Defeating Bitterness (continued)...
Heaven's Arsenal - Part 10: The Power of Love - a G.R.E.A.T. Response to Trials
- December 23 - No Classes
- December 25 - No Classes
- December 30 - No Classes
- January 1 - No Classes
