"Be they Friends or Be They Foes"
By Rev. Dr. Jack R. Miller
 
Verse thirty-eight in our gospel reading reminds me of the chorus of a favorite hymn titled “Bread Upon The Waters.” The song was written by Michael Been in 1988 and was inspired by the passage in Ecclesiastes (11:1), which says, “Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again.” The lyrics highlight the importance of reaching out to those in need, emphasizing that our actions can bring joy and comfort to those going through difficult times, be they friends or foes.
 
Paul writes in Romans 12:20-21: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.”
 
This week's scripture is a continuation of Luke’s Sermon on the Plain. Here, Jesus flips another accepted standard of Jewish morality. The principle of “do to no one what you dislike” (Tobit 4:15) was not enough for those seeking to be God's holy people. Jesus demands that his disciples “love your enemies.”
 
Jesus is saying that despite the violence done to us, regardless of the injustice we have suffered at the hands of our enemies, we should take that first and difficult step toward forgiveness. As Jesus’ followers, our first concern must be God’s work of reconciliation: to love the unlovable, reach out to the alienated, dismantle whatever walls divide and isolate people, and help build bridges that bring people together.
 
The real challenge for you and me is not in loving some designated political, sociological, or economic group or by loving some remote sinner we will never meet or have anything to do with. Today’s Gospel asks you and me to love the people we live with, work with, and go to school with, the people we struggle with, and the people who annoy us.  The very folks Fr. Phil Bloom calls the "human toothaches" in our lives.  We must remind ourselves that Jesus came to serve those who needed him the most and gave his life to everyone, friend or foe, saint and sinner alike.  How can we, as his followers, love any less or restrict our love in any way?
 
To truly "love our enemies,” in the sense of today's gospel, is to create and maintain an atmosphere where reconciliation is always possible and actively sought. Jesus is trying to instill in us a vision that sees beyond stereotypes, politics, and appearances and recognizes and honors the inherent goodness possessed by every human being. The love that Jesus asks us to show means that no matter how much our "enemies" hurt us, we will never let bitterness close our hearts to that person or seek anything but good for their lives. That is the challenge of discipleship: to lift up and show our love for the humanity we all share as brothers and sisters, as children of the one true God.
 
Love is a powerful word and an even more powerful emotion. God's love unites all men and women, regardless of their differences. Martin Luther King, Jr. perhaps said it best, "Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it."
 
That is Jesus’ point in today’s Gospel: love, authentic love, is hard work. But love endures the messes and complexities of everyday life; love dares to hope and sacrifice despite disappointments and hurts. May we dare to love as God loves us, regardless of the cost and sacrifice, without limit or condition, totally and completely, in the eternal hope that such love will be transformative. Let us release our love today. Let us be in harmony with all of God's creation. Let us cast our bread upon the turbulent waters of life and become a source of hope and love for everyone in need. Let us bring joy and comfort to all those going through difficult times … be they friends or be they foes.
 
Amen?  Amen!