ENEMIES
THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS
Remembrance Day is held every year for all those soldiers who lost their lives in wars. On Remembrance Day soldiers who fought in those wars and survived march the streets in every capital city, and people gather at cenotaphs to lay wreaths and pray for their sons and daughters who died in battle. They hold a two minutes silence to show their respect and love for them. And, in addition to this, when prime ministers or kings and queens visit a country they lay wreaths at the site where the names of the dead soldiers are recorded. They do this because they recognise that the greatest sacrifice anyone can make is to lay down their lives for their country.
Remembrance Day is held every year for all those soldiers who lost their lives in wars. On Remembrance Day soldiers who fought in those wars and survived march the streets in every capital city, and people gather at cenotaphs to lay wreaths and pray for their sons and daughters who died in battle. They hold a two minutes silence to show their respect and love for them. And, in addition to this, when prime ministers or kings and queens visit a country they lay wreaths at the site where the names of the dead soldiers are recorded. They do this because they recognise that the greatest sacrifice anyone can make is to lay down their lives for their country.
Poppies remind us of those who lost their lives fighting for their country
A GREATER SACRIFICE
But there is a greater love and sacrifice than even this and one that would make the world a better place to live in. It is the love that Jesus spoke about to his disciples. He taught them this: ‘You have heard it said, “Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you so that you may be the children of your Father in heaven; for he makes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. (Matthew 5: 43-44)
But there is a greater love and sacrifice than even this and one that would make the world a better place to live in. It is the love that Jesus spoke about to his disciples. He taught them this: ‘You have heard it said, “Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you so that you may be the children of your Father in heaven; for he makes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. (Matthew 5: 43-44)
THE PANOPLY (POMP) OF WAR
God hates fighting and war. He does not want anyone to kill for any reason whatsoever. There is no real honour in fighting enemies. He commands that every person should love every other person just as they love themselves, whether they live in Israel or Palestine, America or Iran. (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 5:43) In heaven there is no war, no death and no remembrance days for true freedom and victory comes not from fighting but from loving and caring for each other. Jesus wants you to see and believe that love for your enemies as well as your friends is the way of life that leads to heaven, your home in the sky.
TAKE OFF TIME
You were born on earth but your future home is in heaven. This is what Jesus, God’s Son, wants you to know. He came from heaven to tell you the good news that you are loved by his Father, God, who does not want anyone to go into orbit around the earth when it is take off time. That would be even worse than living on earth, (Matthew 8:12) with no hope of leaving for heaven.
God created you and you are his child. He has appointed his angels to watch over you for he loves you dearly.
TAKE OFF TIME
You were born on earth but your future home is in heaven. This is what Jesus, God’s Son, wants you to know. He came from heaven to tell you the good news that you are loved by his Father, God, who does not want anyone to go into orbit around the earth when it is take off time. That would be even worse than living on earth, (Matthew 8:12) with no hope of leaving for heaven.
God created you and you are his child. He has appointed his angels to watch over you for he loves you dearly.
Take off time when we leave earth for heaven
WHY DOES JESUS TEACH US TO LOVE OUR ENEMIES?
Why does Jesus tell you to love your enemies? First, because he wants you to be his son or daughter, not a son or daughter of the evil one. Secondly, Jesus knows that to fight evil with evil will do nothing but increase it, increase the violence and multiply the injuries and suffering violence causes. If one country fights another does it lessen the violence from guns and bombs? No. So if we fight back we are not diminishing the evil but increasing it! Jesus set us an example to follow.
JESUS IS OUR SAVIOUR
Evil men nailed Jesus to a cross and although Jesus might have called legions of angels to guard and protect him, he didn’t. Roman soldiers nailed his hands and his feet to a wooden cross. They were obeying the orders of their government. Jesus did not curse them but instead he prayed for them. He said, ‘Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.’
Jesus died on the cross. He was taken down by one of his followers and buried in a tomb. The soldiers were ordered to guard the tomb. The government wanted no one to come near the tomb to steal the body of Jesus. So the soldiers guarded the tomb day and night for three days. No one was allowed to roll away the stone placed at the entrance to the tomb. But a frightening thing happened. An angel came down from heaven and rolled the stone away. The soldiers were petrified and lay down on the ground like dead men. (Matthew 28:4-6) It was Sunday morning three days after Jesus died. Some women came to see the tomb with spices hoping the soldiers would let them embalm the body of Jesus. But as they reached the tomb they saw the angel and the guards shaking with fear. The angel addressed them. He said unto the women, ‘Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.’ Matthew 28:5-7)
JESUS IS OUR SAVIOUR
Evil men nailed Jesus to a cross and although Jesus might have called legions of angels to guard and protect him, he didn’t. Roman soldiers nailed his hands and his feet to a wooden cross. They were obeying the orders of their government. Jesus did not curse them but instead he prayed for them. He said, ‘Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.’
Jesus died on the cross. He was taken down by one of his followers and buried in a tomb. The soldiers were ordered to guard the tomb. The government wanted no one to come near the tomb to steal the body of Jesus. So the soldiers guarded the tomb day and night for three days. No one was allowed to roll away the stone placed at the entrance to the tomb. But a frightening thing happened. An angel came down from heaven and rolled the stone away. The soldiers were petrified and lay down on the ground like dead men. (Matthew 28:4-6) It was Sunday morning three days after Jesus died. Some women came to see the tomb with spices hoping the soldiers would let them embalm the body of Jesus. But as they reached the tomb they saw the angel and the guards shaking with fear. The angel addressed them. He said unto the women, ‘Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.’ Matthew 28:5-7)
Jesus rose from the grave