What's your first reaction when someone cuts
you off in traffic?
Probably that initial reaction is to lay a heavy
hand on the horn or maybe to yell out in anger at your
dashboard or even out the window.
Maybe someone even go to the extent
of shouting an expletive or even making a hand gesture.
We want everyone to know when we have been wronged
and we can be filled with so much rage
and anger as a result. Well,
have you ever considered praying in such a time?
Praying even for the person that cut you off?
You might be thinking right now: no, of course not, Pastor.
I would never do that because that person
wronged me. That person hurt me. However,
Jesus tells us in his Sermon on the Mountain, Matthew,
Chapter five. He tells us this,
He doesn't suggest to do these things,
but he commands us to do these things,
to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us.
That's a pretty tall order, isn't it?
How difficult it is to love those who hate
you or love those who hurt you and to pray for them. Right?
Because we only feel the anger and resentment
over how we have been wronged.
Note again what Jesus said.
Love your enemies and pray for those
who persecute us that we may be children
of our father in heaven.
If that's the only way for us to be children
of our father in heaven,
by loving our enemies and praying for those
who persecute us,
we certainly have no hope to be a part of God's family.
Because who of us responds that way to our
enemies and those that hurt us by our own nature?
Instead we look to Jesus
to think about Jesus
and what he did even
after he had been so wronged
by his enemies.
Those enemies who wrongfully accused him.
Placed an innocent man to be executed on a cross.
Yet what were the very first words from his mouth?
“Father forgive them,
for they do not know what they are doing.”
As Jesus spoke words of forgiveness and love to those
that didn't deserve it.
And he's really done to the same to you and me.
Who by our nature,
can claim to be part of God's family?
Aren’t we all born enemies of God?
Opposed to his will,
not wanting to follow his commands,
the least of which is love your enemy and pray for those
who persecute you.
Yet God has shown that love to us in Christ hasn’t he.
The Apostle Paul writes in Galatians Chapter three.
He says the real way that we can be children of God,
that we are children of God,
is through faith in Jesus Christ.
He tells us of the treasure we receive,
even in holy baptism, not only the gift of faith,
but we are clothed with Christ's holiness,
His righteousness,
Christ's perfect love that He showed toward
His enemies is ours through faith in Christ.
So that God views us not in our sin,
he views us covered in Christ's holiness and righteousness.
And he declares that we are part of his family.
As a result of God's love that He has shown
toward his enemies.
Love that He has shown towards us.
We desire to live as children,
to live like our Heavenly Father lives and exists.
To love even our enemies who don't deserve it.
So the next time someone cuts you off in traffic,
I encourage you to pray for that person.
Pray not that they get into an accident,
but pray for them. Pray for their souls.
Do it,
not because they've been so kind to you,
but pray for them because of God's kindness
that He has shown you in Christ. Amen.