Even Your Enemies – The Second Great Commandment

Even Your Enemies

The Second Great Commandment

Matthew 22.38, 39

“This is the great and the first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

John 13.12

When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you?”

All their feet – every one.

Jesus washed the feet of all His disciples – including Judas. He knew that Judas was shortly going to betray Him. He knew that this man’s deceitful, treacherous actions would lead to suffering of unprecedented magnitude which He alone would bear. Yet He washed His feet. As tender and careful as He was with John and the others, Jesus was with Judas. In so doing He was simply carrying out His own instruction to love our enemies (Matt. 5.44). This is the way God has always loved us. Even when we were His enemies, He sent Jesus to die for us. Even while we maintained our rebellion against us, He strove with us by His Spirit and wooed us by His glory. Even when we were busy pursuing our own treacherous and sinful agenda, He sent His messenger to proclaim the Good News of forgiveness and eternal life. He loved us while we were His enemies, and He calls us to love our enemies as well. There is no place for holding grudges, spreading malicious gossip, or seeking anything but the blessings of God for those who hate us. Neighbor-love treats as neighbors all who have a need, even if those needy persons wish us only ill.

Will you have to deal with any “enemies” today? How will you show them the neighbor-love of Jesus?

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“In the Gates” is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T.M. Moore

T. M. Moore is editor of the Worldview Church. He serves as dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He is the author or editor of twenty books, and has contributed chapters to four others. His essays, reviews, articles, papers, and poetry have appeared in dozens of national and international journals, and on a wide range of websites. His most recent books are The Ailbe Psalter and The Ground for Christian Ethics (Waxed Tablet).

Scripture quotations in this article are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (c) copyright 2001,2007 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Editor’s note: The use of a translation other than the Authorised Version in an article does not constitute an endorsement in whole or in part by The Christian Observer.