Love your enemies, is it worth it?
Fr. Anthony Le

Love your enemies, as I ponder this commandment from our lord, I am chastised because I failed miserably. I remember looking back; I think I could name two big enemies. As a child I considered a man who called me worthless my enemy. Seven years old walking on a street, and he says "this little boy won't be and won't do anything good in life" so I harbor hatred and anger toward him for a long time, until I heard about him being hospitalized. I came to visit him in the hospital and we had a good talk. Only then, I dropped him from the list of being my enemies. the second big enemy had to do with God. The biggest, biggest loss of my life has to do with my mother. At the age of nine, I didn't know much more than this tremendous sense of loss, and God was the one responsible for it. he took my mom away as Mike had told me so. So, I hated him for that. I was mad at him for that for a long time, until I became a priest. I dropped him off the list, otherwise I wouldn't stand here and tell you about God.

I’m sharing with you so that we could once again take a look at this commandment: how is it possible truly to love our enemies. The word love and the word enemy don't normally come together. but for Jesus, they belong to the same sentence. Love your enemies.

Let’s understand once again what Jesus means by love. 'Love' according to Greek philosophy, tradition, and also in the context of the gospel. The author used the word 'love' here, very uniquely. different from how you and I understand it.

'Eros' is a Greek word describing the love, a romantic and passionate love between a man and a woman. In this context this is not that kind of love. Jesus did not ask that we develop a romantic kind of love with our enemies. No, no

Second - filial love, not here either. Filial love has to do with the love between a mother and a child, or father and a child, or among friends, close friends, that kind of love. We are not asked to develop without enemies either.

The word being used in this context is the word agape (20220130 sermon), sacrificial love. It’s no longer an emotional response to a romantic partner; it's no longer an emotional response to somebody that we call friend, or father, mother, child, daughter, and son. No, there's a decision of the will. That I make a decision to respect you, your human dignity made in god's image, I make a decision to look at you as somebody who is capable of being better, capable of being saved. And that is how God looks at you and me.

We are called God's enemies according to Saint Paul not because of our nature as human beings, no, due to the sins committed that hurt God, hurt one another, hurt ourselves. According to Saint Paul, we made ourselves enemies of God because what we do, not what we are as his children. So, he makes a distinction between the person and the acts carried out by that human person, for whatever reason known to God alone. So, our lord decided to be part of our human race so that he could demonstrate how God loves us in such a way. According to the psalmist today, God is so merciful and kind, that while we were sinners, he died for us on the cross. Just like the sun rises both for the good, and the bad, and ugly alike. Just like rain comes down from heaven for all. the mercy of God being showered upon you and I. all equally the same. Because in his eyes, your dignity, and my dignity, we are sharing the same thing - his beloved, created children.

But he did not like how we do things, he did not like how we hurt one another, by our thoughts, by our actions, by the way in which we'll live our life. That's why we are asked once again - love your enemies, those we consider opposing us, those who hurt us, those who make our life miserable.

An example in the first reading today. Saul made David’s life very, very, difficult, very difficult. but how did David repeat or treat the king who wanted to kill him. He had a perfect opportunity, he did not kill king Saul, because he realized that vengeance returns vengeance. only makes the matter worse. And plus, this guy being anointed by God. so, he spared his life only then king Saul acknowledged what he had done wrong. The goodness, generosity, and mercy of David allows king Saul to see the truth, and therefore open up for salvation. David saves Saul by being kind and merciful in exactly the same way our lord saves you and I by demonstrating on the cross that he loves us, his goodness, his love and mercy, allows you and I, like saint peter would say "the patience and mercy of God is our salvation, our opportunity to come back to him".

Now we may ask if we put on a modern mindset. Cost benefits analysis of some kind. What do we gain when we show love, mercy toward our enemies? According to Jesus, there are three things that we're going to gain.

First, we're going to be just like our heavenly father. Sometimes we are afraid of hearing this word - "be perfect like our heavenly father is perfect". The word 'perfect' in this context is not perfection like God. You and I won't ever be perfect like God. The word here means 'complete'. 'complete', we have been made in the image of God from the beginning. Adam ruins the plan, makes us susceptible to temptation and sin and therefore we suffer and struggle in our life. our weakness, we could feel it daily. Yet, we also are made in the image of God. Image of Christ as he invited you and I to be part of his family, accepting with the love that we demonstrated. we're going to be completed. Your joy shall be completed as I go away, and I send you the Holy Spirit. Did he not tell us before he returned to the heavenly father? That kind of completion. This is one more step that makes everything complete, this is an extra step that makes you and I finish the race. Amazing race that's the first benefit

Second, we're going to gain our brothers and sisters, those we consider perhaps husband, wife, children, friends, who betrayed us. I’m not talking about continuing to allow them to hurt us. no, I’m talking about treating them with respect and honor even though we are hurt by their behaviors, and yet don't put up with the kind of behaviors that hurt us. We better stop them; allow them to see the truth of their behaviors so that they have an opportunity to return. Truth will set us free. If we do so with love and mercy, we stand to gain another human soul for God.

And the last, the last, we, yourself will receive a great reward in heaven. As our lord says, the more we give, the more we shall receive. The way we measure out mercy, and love, the way we're going to receive. Because only the heart is empty so that it could be filled, only then, can we share continually. Otherwise, if the heart is filled with hatred and anger, we don't have peace, we don't have life either. Why spend energy on hatred and anger and resentment? why don't we spend it on love, mercy and kindness and imitation of Christ our lord. Those are three beautiful gifts we shall receive.

How about the cost? Well, just look at Jesus. Pain is accepted, suffering is guaranteed, going to be a while hanging, on the cross and dying. So, my brothers and sisters, now we have to make a decision - whether this painful experience of loving somebody, is it worth it? And so, for God, is it worth it? To have eternal life, is it worth it to really live out this way? I dare to say, it's worth it. My brothers and sisters, it's worth it. Because our lord has shown us that we are with it. our lord has shown us you and I, regardless of what we have done, how evil things that we contemplate in our mind, how things that we have done in our life, our lord is still saying, you are my beloved son and daughter, I wanted to be with you forever, you are my beloved children, you are worth it. Amazing, isn't it?

so, my dear brothers and sisters, love is no longer cliché, it's real, and tangible, and we could do it today. Let’s begin with a kind thought, let's begin with a kind prayer that begins with respect. and the good lord will lead us.

爱你的仇人，值得吗？

爱你的仇人，当我想到这条诫命时，我感觉非常的惭愧。因为我在这条诫命上，失败得很惨。我以前有两个仇人。我七岁的时候在街上行走，有一个人对我说“这个小男孩这一辈子都不会做出任何好事来”从那天起，这一位说我是个毫无价值的人，就成了我的头号仇敌。我对他怀有长时间的仇恨和愤怒，直到有一天，我听说他生病了。到医院去看他，我们聊得很开心。从此，他就从我仇人的名单上删除了。

我的第二个仇人与天主有关。在我九岁的时候，我的母亲逝世了。这是我生命中最大的损失。这个巨大的失落感是由天主造成的，他带走了我的妈妈。为此，我对天主生了很长一段时间的气，直到我成为神父为止。现在，我已经把他从我仇人的名单上删除了。不然，我不会站在这里跟你谈论天主。

让我们来讨论这“爱你的仇人”的诫命。到底是如何来爱我们的仇人呢？爱和仇这两个字，通常不会放在一起的。但对于耶稣来说，爱和仇是可以并存在一个句子中。

让我们先来理解耶稣的爱是什么。希腊哲学家、传统，以及福音作者所说的“爱”是不一样的。福音的“爱”，不同于一般的爱，非常独特。

第一种爱是希腊字 eros。祂描述了男人和女人之间浪漫而充满激情的爱情。耶稣并没有要求我们与仇人有浪漫的关系。这不是耶稣的爱。

第二种爱是filial - 孝爱及友情的情怀。这也不是耶稣所说的爱。孝爱，友情就是母子之爱，父子之爱，朋友之爱，亲朋之爱。这种爱，通常没有爱仇的挣扎。

第三种爱是 Agape (基督的爱 20220130 sermon) ，牺牲的爱。它不是一种对伴侣的浪漫情感，也不是对朋友或父亲、母亲、孩子、儿女的亲怀。不，它是一个自由意志的选择。我决定尊重你，因为你是以天主形象塑造的人，是一个能够变得更好、能够被拯救的人。这正是天主看待你和我的方式。

圣保禄说，并不是人类的本性使我们变成了天主的敌人，而是因为我们犯罪伤害了天主，伤害了彼此，也伤害了自己。他将人和他的行为分开来。我们变成了天主的敌人是因为我们的行为，并不是因为我们是人。那么为什么一个人会有某种行为，那只有天主知道了。所以主决定要成为人类，来证明祂是如何爱了我们。今天的圣咏说，天主是如此的仁慈，善良，当我们还是罪人时，他就为我们死在十字架上。太阳升起，照耀了好人，也照耀了坏人，和丑陋的人。雨从天降下也是一样滋润了每一个人。天主以同样的仁慈倾注在每一个人的身上。在祂心中，你的尊严，我的尊严，我们的身份都是一样的，都是他所心爱的，都是祂的爱子。但他不喜欢我们的行径，我们的互相伤害，我们的邪思，恶行，和生活方式。这就是为什么我们再次被要求 - “爱你的仇人”。他要我们爱那些反对我们的人，爱那些伤害我们的人，爱那些让我们的生活悲惨的人。

读经一给了我们一个很好的例子。撒乌耳王追杀达味，使达味难以生存、非常的困难。直到有一天，达味有一个绝好的机会去杀死追杀他的国王。但是他意识到，有仇必报，只会让事情变得更糟，并且他了解撒乌耳也是被天主傅油派遣的君王。所以，达味没有对撒乌耳下手。撒乌耳看到了真理而道歉。达味的善良和仁慈开启了救恩的大道，就像主耶稣在十字架上以祂的爱来拯救我们一样。主的善良、爱和怜悯，让我们回到祂的身边，正如圣彼得所说的“天主的耐心和仁慈就是我们的救赎，给了我们回到祂身边的机会”。

现在让我们用这时代的思维来做成本效益分析。让我问：当我们对仇人表现爱和怜悯时，我们会得到什么？耶稣告诉我们，我们将会获得三样东西。

第一，我们将更相似我们的天父。有时我们很害怕听到“像我们的天父一样的完美”。在这里“完美”并不是所谓“天主的完美”。我们永远不会有天主般的完美。这里“完美”的意思是“完成”。从起初，我们就是按照天主的肖像受造的。可是亚当破坏了这个计划，他使我们很容易就受到诱惑和罪恶的影响。所以我们生活中充满了痛苦和挣扎。我们每天都受到这个弱点的攻击。然而，我们也是按照天主的肖像受造的。基督邀请我们成为祂家庭的一员。当我们接受基督的爱并表现出所接受的爱，我们的受造就完成了。基督复活升天前告诉了我们：当我离开时，我会赐给你们另一位护慰者，你的喜乐就会圆满无缺。这个圆满的完成，是一切圆满完成的又一步。这个额外的步骤使我们能够完成我们的比赛。这个惊人的比赛，

其次，我们将重新赢回了些背离我们的丈夫、妻子、孩子、朋友们。但是我并不是说让他们继续伤害我们。不，我是说即使我们因他们的行为受到伤害，也要以尊重和关心对待他们，但不要掩饰伤害我们的行为，我们要阻止他们，让他们看到自己的恶行，让他们有机会回头。真理将使我们自由。如果我们坚持真理并且带着爱和怜悯去做，我们就能为天主赢得另一个人的灵魂。

最后，我们自己将在天堂得到丰厚的回报。主说：给予的越多，获得就更多。你们用什么升斗衡量怜悯和慈爱，也用什么升斗衡量给你们。空虚你的心灵，才可将你的心充满了爱，来不断地分享。如果心中充满仇恨和愤怒，没有平安，也就没有生命。为什么要把精力花在仇恨、愤怒和怨恨上？为什么不用爱，怜悯，仁慈来学习我们的主基督呢？这就是我们将收到的第三份精美礼物。

那么我们要付出什么代价呢？看看主耶稣，接受了痛苦，煎熬是保证的，还要忍受被钉在十字架的痛苦，然后在十字架上死去。兄弟姐妹们，现在我们必须做出决定-这种爱人的痛苦经历，是否是一个值得的代价呢？从天主的例子来说，是值得的吗？以基督的爱来生活，去换取永生，值得吗？我敢说，这是值得的。兄弟姐妹们，这是值得的。因为我们的主已经向我们表明了，为了我们的得救，他的牺牲是值得的。祂与我们同在。祂告诉我们，无论我们做了什么，有这么多的邪念，做了许多的恶行，主仍然说：“你是我的爱子，我要永远和你在一起，你是值得的”。真是令人惊奇的伟大，不是吗？

亲爱的兄弟姐妹们，爱不再是陈腔滥调，它是真实的，具体的。今天我们就可以做到这基督的爱。让我们以善意，以尊重开始做一个慈爱的祈祷。天主会告诉我们下一步怎么走，我们信靠天主。