Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Lesson 10: Love Your Enemies

Brief 4-to-5 Minute Teaching Lesson

Why? and What is the Purpose? in My Life SERIES

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Lesson 10 of the Discipleship Making process.

I left you last time with this question, “What does the word love mean to you?”

In the New Testament portion of Scripture two primary Greek words are used to describe love: agape and phileo. These two words have distinct meanings. It is imperative to know which of the two words is being used in a particular passage of Scripture to develop an understanding of the text.

The word phileo deals with the emotions of love. It’s the feeling of love! The use of this word denotes a fondness for an object. Some examples of fondness for an object are:

• A mother love towards her child.
• A husband love towards his wife.
• Brothers and sisters love towards one another.

The word agape deals with the spirit of love. It’s the service of love! The use of this word denotes doing the right thing and is similar to the word charity. The word agape reveals itself in its character and actions:

• Agape is the character of God, Himself. In the Scripture that says, “God is love” the word used is agape.
• Agape is how love behaves (read 1 Corinthians 13).

Jesus introduces His next subject in the Sermon on Mount: “Loving Your Enemies.”

It is here in both Matthew 5:43-48 & Luke 6:27-36 that we find Jesus’ next commands.

Jesus commands His disciples to love their enemies. The word used is agape. Jesus is stating that His disciples must “do the right thing by their enemies.” Fondness for them is not required, just godly behavior. Then He describes six practical ways to love a person’s enemies.

1. Serve your enemies.
2. Do good things for your enemy, not bad things.
3. Treat your enemy, as you would want to be treated.
4. Bless, speak well of or praise them.
a. The primary sense of the word bless used here seems to concern speaking well of your enemy, who is cursing you.
b. However, the true meaning of the word bless is “to kneel or bow the knee to”.
c. The thought conveyed by the word is that of a camel bowing down on its knees to allow a burden to be put upon it.
5. Pray for them.
6. Loan them what they need, even if they can’t or won’t repay.

Jesus motivates His disciples by challenging them to become like their Father in heaven. He states that God does good towards both the righteous and the wicked alike. He causes the sun to shine and the rain to fall on both. Love does not behave one way for some and another way for others. It is always consistent and does not change. For those called to be His disciples it helps to remember that we were once His enemies. But due to God’s persistent abiding love towards us we are now His friends.

The point of the lesson is, do good to everyone.

With that, allow me to leave you with this question to consider, along with a little homework assignment until my next posting:

“Why are actors so highly regarded in society?”

. . . and the homework assignment . . .

Serve, do good, bless, pray, and sacrificially love your enemies.

Until next time . . . Godspeed!

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