The Difference Between the Who and the What

 

[Jesus said] “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:43-48 ESV).

 

Jesus said, “Love your enemies.” These words of Jesus can surprise and even shock us. And who, exactly, are our enemies? The answer is found in understanding the difference between “who” and “what”. In the book of Psalms, David spoke often of his enemies. David’s enemies wanted him physically dead. They wanted to destroy his kingdom—which was intended to represent the kingdom of God. Those enemies were people who opposed the rule of God in the world.

 

If we follow Christ today, we might not encounter people who want us physically dead, but we certainly can encounter people who would celebrate the end of the church and the end of the Christian faith. We might also think of politicians as enemies if they are working to replace some of our nation’s laws with measures that are openly against God’s Word. While we know that our citizenship is in heaven, we still live as residents of an earthly nation. Further, people who want to destroy our country may also be considered our enemies.

 

The apostle Paul says, “Hate what is evil; cling to what is good” (Romans 12:9). He does not say, “Hate who is evil,” but what is evil. This means that while we may hate laws and policies and actions that are evil, we are still called to love people who promote and do such things. And we are not to slander or curse them but to pray for them.

 

Be careful in the difference between the “who” and the “what”. Defend the faith without attacking the faithless!