The Bad Samaritan

GodWords Newsletter #75

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Would you eat pineapple on a pizza? Are you a Five Guys fan or an In-and-Out aficianado? Do you like Kirk or do you like Picard? Left Twix? Right Twix? Coke? Pepsi? Is Die Hard a Christmas movie? *

We can divide ourselves over anything, can’t we?

These divisions are nothing new. The ancient Jews and Samaritans weren’t exactly on the same page, were they? One particular town in Samaria didn’t welcome Jesus, so James and John suggested raining down fire on them. Fortunately for the Samaritans, Jesus rebuked James and John and they just stayed somewhere else.

These days I see a lot of Jameses and Johns out there… a whole bunch of people who claim to follow Jesus and would like nothing more than to rain down fire on those who oppose them… their enemies.

Enemies (noun): people that are hostile to one another

I seem to remember reading something, somewhere, about enemies. Was it Twitter? Maybe it was Facebook. Oh, yeah. It was the Bible:

• If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. Proverbs 25:21

• You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:43-45

• Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Luke 6:27-28

• So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 7:12

• But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Luke 6:35-36

Believe me: I could keep going. There are tons more, and they’re undeniably clear. That last one is especially powerful: God is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked, so do good to your enemies.

Let’s make sure we clearly understand what Jesus was saying:

• “Enemy” is the Greek ECHTHROS: hated, odious, hateful, hostile, hating, and opposing another.

• “Hate” is the Greek MISEO: to hate, pursue with hatred, detest.

What can we conclude? How should we treat people who disagree with us? How should we respond when someone pursues us with hatred?

The New Testament never tells us to hate anyone, including those who hate God. Keep in mind that the New Testament never tells us to agree with them, to do what they do, to vote like they vote, or go along with them while they openly commit acts of evil. It’s okay to oppose someone you love… God does, and we should as well.

God tells us to love the ungrateful and the wicked, and do good to them. You know, like the Good Samaritan did. We can either obey or disobey.

While it’s clear that a follower of Jesus might HAVE an enemy, it’s also clear that a follower of Jesus should never BE one.

I love you all.
❤️

* Die Hard is obviously a Christmas movie… but you already knew that.

Why Christians Won’t Stop Singing
We have good reasons to sing. As a lover of awesome Christian music, I recognize all three of the reasons listed here in my own life. I owe a great debt to those who taught me about Jesus through song, from Wesley to Camp to Petra and Undercover.

Exercising an Idle Mind
As the old saying goes, my mind is too small to be running around on its own, unaccompanied. There are times for doing literally nothing… but when my mind starts running in circles, I need to take steps to straighten it out.

The Scars of Hope
Many of us live in societies where everything is disposable. As a result, we don’t consider many things to be of great value. The Japanese art of kintsugi takes broken things and transforms them into objects more beautiful than before… just like God does with us.

What was David’s Sin in Ordering a Census?
The Bible tells us that David sinned by ordering a census, but doesn’t directly say how he sinned. Because God had already given instructions on how to take a census, this has been confusing for some. Here’s a possible resolution to the question.

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What Does “Simon” Mean?

This is far more interesting - and instructive - than I thought it would be. I love these kind of videos, and need to review them from time to time… otherwise I forget some of the good stuff.

Read It Now →

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God uses broken things. It takes broken soil to produce a crop, broken clouds to give rain, broken grain to give bread, broken bread to give strength. It is the broken alabaster box that gives forth perfume... it is Peter, weeping bitterly, who returns to greater power than ever.
– Vance Havner

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It was a beautiful letdown
When I crashed and burned
When I found myself alone unknown and hurt

It was a beautiful letdown
The day I knew
That all the riches this world had to offer me would never do

The Beautiful Letdown: Switchfoot

These guys have produced a ton of great music. The ones I like best talk about our inadequacy, our need, and how gracious God is.

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