January 10, 2024
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I once had a friend whose name was Mike. He stood about 6’3” and weighed a solid 225 pounds. He had a great heart, but a short fuse. We met at work and became close friends. We built and opened two restaurants together. I was the manager and he was the construction superintendent. He had gone on to build and open a third restaurant for our company in a town close to where I lived.
One Saturday afternoon the staffs (waiters, waitresses, bartenders, cooks, hostesses and busboys) from our two restaurants got together for a game of touch football and a picnic. Mike and I played on opposing teams. About a half hour into the game, for no apparent reason, Mike started yelling at me. Each play he got a little louder and eventually, he hauled off and punched me in the face. There I was, twenty-five years old, strong and full of fire, and everyone was watching – all of the employees, their wives, husbands, girlfriends, boyfriends, everybody. What was I going to do? And while I was considering my response, Mike hit me again! I was more shocked than hurt. I backed down, called the game off and a good day was ruined. Our boss fired Mike and we never spoke again. And I never found out why he hit me.
A few years later, I heard that Mike was at a concert, pulled out a pistol and shot a guy point blank in the head. He went to prison and died there. Someone a little bigger and a little badder killed him.
I’ll never know why Mike hit me. Was it something I said or something I did? Did he hold some gripe we’d never discussed? Was he carrying some unexpressed anger that had nothing to do with me? Mike may not have been able to tell me why he hit me. For a long while the big question I asked myself is should I have hit him back? Such a situation brings out the ‘man’ in us and can cause us to doubt how we acted or should have acted in the moment.
Even though it hurt my “pride,” I think I did the right thing by not striking back. But I probably should have tried to talk with him and find out what was wrong. I don’t think it had anything to do with the game, and it may not have had anything to do with me.
Some said I was a coward for not fighting back. Others said I was a fool for not pressing assault charges. I did neither. But maybe if I’d filed charges against Mike, he would have gotten some help. Maybe he wouldn’t have killed some innocent guy who just wanted to watch a concert. And maybe Mike would still be alive today.
Mike was a friend and by hitting me I guess the world would classify us as enemies. Jesus commands us to love our enemies. That can be hard. Sometimes old friends can become enemies, but sometimes old enemies can become friends. Sometimes it’s hard to tell which is which in the moment. Maybe that’s one of the reasons Jesus tells us to love our enemies. We never know what the Lord’s ultimate plans might be for a particular relationship.
It’s too late now, but perhaps filing charges against Mike would have been the greatest act of love I could have done for him. Who knows what might have happened to Mike had I done so. But because I didn’t do so, Mike took the life of an innocent man and lost his life before it could be redeemed.
Do you have any enemies? Name them. Pray for them. Love them.
REMEMBER & BELIEVE
Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.
In the meantime, “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:44 (NIV)
QUESTION
Who are your enemies? Do you love them? Are you loving them now?
PRAYER
Lord, help us to remember that even our enemies are Your children and You love them. Help us to love them too.
Our Father Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil and the evil one. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and ever.
Amen
“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 (NRSV)
God bless you!
Richard
Christ Worshipper | Disciple Maker | Hope Giver
Welcome to In the Meantime. I'm glad you're here! We are living in the time between Christ's ascension into heaven and His promised return to earth. In the Meantime is a collection of stories about God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and His presence, love, mercy and grace in my life. In the Meantime, Jesus is Lord! Hallelujah!
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