EP118: Love Your Enemies

In today’s episode of The Wooden Cricket Podcast, we look at one of the hardest teachings Jesus ever gave us: Love your enemies.

What does that actually look like? Why did Jesus command it? And how does loving the difficult people in our lives point others to Him?

We dig into Matthew 5:38-45 and Luke 6:27-36

Share with someone who needs encouragement and let’s be a bright light in a dark place!

Episode Transcript

(00:04):
The wooden cricket. What's up family?
Happy Wednesday. We've made it halfway through
the week again on Lawrence and this is the Wooden Cricket
podcast. We're rolling strong through the

(00:25):
tunes of Jesus, and today this one hits deep because Jesus
doesn't only challenge the world, he challenges the church.
He challenges me, He challenges you, and today's challenge is
big. Love your enemies.
And yes, I already know we all have someone popping into our

(00:48):
minds right now. That person who tests your
patience, who hurt you, who talked behind your back, who
betrayed your trust. Maybe someone who still does.
But Jesus, the King of love, invites us to a love that is
stronger than hate, brighter than darkness, and Wilder than

(01:13):
what the world can understand. So if you've ever struggled with
forgiveness, if you've ever carried A wound from someone
else, today, Jesus has a word for you.
And this is episode 118. Love your enemies.
Let's dive into the Word of God.We'll be reading from Matthew

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chapter 5, verse 38 to 45. You've heard the law that says
the punishment must match the injury.
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
But I say 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

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and you're sure is taken from you, give your coat too.
If his soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry
it 2 miles. Give to those who ask and don't
turn away from those who want toborrow.
You've heard the law that says love your neighbor and hate your

(02:17):
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. Jesus isn't asking us to be
weak, He's asking us to be different.

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The world says get even, pay them back, guard your heart.
Jesus says no, give me your heart and love like I love.
Because love isn't approval of behavior.
Love is obedience to Jesus. Love is power, a supernatural

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Kingdom, power that destroys hate in its roots.
But Jesus doesn't just say deal with those you dislike.
No, he goes deeper. He moves right to the heart.
Let's look at how Luke records this teaching.
So this is Luke chapter 6 verse 27 to 36.

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But to you who are willing to listen, I say love your enemies.
Do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you.
Pray for those who hurt you. If someone slaps you on one
cheek, offer the other cheek also.

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If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt.
Also, give to anyone who asks, and when things are taken from
you, don't try to get them back due to others as you would like
them to do to you. If you love only those who love
you, why should you get credit for that?
Even sinners love those who lovethem.

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You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.
Anybody can love those who treatthem well.
Anybody can love when the vibe is feeling good, but only people
transformed by Jesus can love those who lie, who disrespect,

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who leave, who judge, who reject, who wound.
This isn't about pretending thatnothing hurts you, it's about
choosing not to let her rule you.
Does that make sense? Forgiveness doesn't say what
they did was OK. No forgiveness says I'm giving

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this room to Jesus and I'm not letting it own me anymore.
When we pray for those who hurt us, God begins to heal us.
And Jesus didn't just teach this.
He lived it on the cross. As nails held love to the wood,

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Jesus prayed Father forgive them.
He loved his enemies to his final breath.
So when he asks us to love our enemies, He isn't asking us to
do anything that he hasn't already done himself.
So now here's the question. Who do you need to love today?

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Who do you need to pray for? Who do you need to release?
Who do you need to forgive? Not because they deserve it, but
because Jesus deserves your obedience.
Let Jesus's love flow through you, especially to those who
didn't earn it, because neither did we.

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Family. When we love like Jesus, we
shine bright. We confuse the world.
We break cycles, we heal wounds.We showed Jesus without even
having to say his name, but we see it anyway.
Jesus. So today, go love the difficult

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people. Go forgive the unforgivable.
Go show kindness to the unkind. Go pray for the ones who hurt
you. Go flip the script for the
Kingdom of God, because hate is loud, but love is louder in
Jesus. His love.

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Be that bright light in that dark place.
Shine for Jesus wherever you go,and if you don't have a church
family of your own, please come check out Calvary Temple Online
this Sunday where the message isalways strong, powerful, and
pointing back to Jesus. Thank you so much for spending
this time with me and the Word. Today it's been Lawrence with

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the Wooden Cricket Podcast, and until tomorrow, I'm out.
Peace.