One Thing

Devotion by: Mitchell Kiffe

Matthew 5:43-48

‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.” 44But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. 46For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same? 47And if you greet only your brothers and sisters,* what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

The basic message of this passage is to love your neighbors and your enemies. Jesus reminds us that we live in a world with both friends and foes. The sun shines on both, and the rain falls on both. God gives every person the ability to choose between good and evil, and we are instructed to be instruments of good, while we are here on earth.

While the passage is simple, living our lives in conformance with this principle is incredibly hard. I’m sure we’ve all suffered by placing our trust in people we thought were our friends, but who ultimately behaved like an “enemy.” It’s hard enough to love friends and neighbors, as we all have our human weaknesses and imperfections. Showing concern, empathy and love toward our adversaries and enemies may well be the most difficult thing Jesus commands us to do. It’s the “One Thing” that could make our community, country and world a much better place. We just need to follow this command.

Can we do this “One Thing” perfectly everyday? Of course not. But we must be mindful of this directive and try to follow it, day by day. Any progress that any of us makes in following this command puts a smile on God’s face and makes the world a better place to live. Let’s try to keep the One Thing front and center as we journey through Lent.

PRAYER: God of all humankind, please give us the gift of being appreciative of the world’s diverse people and cultures and beliefs. Give us the strength to love our friends and our foes. Help us to extend trust in a cynical world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.