Kindness to an Enemy

21 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, 22 for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.

So this proverb is specifically giving importance for how we treat our enemies!

I get the importance of how we treat

Widows/ orphans, sick/ disabled, poor, hungry

parents, spouse, children

Definitely the lost!!!!

But now even OUR ENEMIES?!!!!

We represent a holy a merciful God and we are called to share that mercy in some pretty remarkable situations.

Important Questions:

Who is my enemy?

(OT usage)

Enemy - Think NEW King of Egypt over Joseph

HATED (most common usage)

Deeply felt, hostile, adversary.

The is both a REALITY CHECK but also a CHALLENGE.

Reality Check: we can incorrectly give ourself credit here when its really just people we don’t care for (NOT as enemy)

Challenge: is an instruction for how to treat people who are TRULY our enemies.

What action triggers our response?

They have a need.

Doesn’t rally say that they asked for help.

Could be implied. ( I guess)

So it seems that it is OUR RESPONSIBILITY to have this kind of heart.

It has been pointed out...

This command is for offering to meet the basic needs of your enemy.

So not telling us to do these big GRANDIOSE expression of kindness

It does just mention basic needs.

Power Shift

Their basic needs are not being met

YOU now having something they need.

WHAT WILL YOU DO in that situation?!!!!

This is a challenging heart issue.

Some of you are opportunists....

“I would love to see their face when they realize they need MY help.”

Further Biblical Teaching on this principle...

Matthew 5:43–44 ESV

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

Matthew 5:45 ESV

45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

...”so that” (verse 45)

so that you may BE SONS of your heavenly father.

So that you may RESEMBLE your heavenly father!

Two reason are given for this type of behaviour

Common grace to good and evil people

Not a great accomplishment to only love those who love you back.

even evil people do that (tax collectors)

Summary so far:

Care for our enemy who is in need.

This makes us like our heavenly father.

Just being “Good Enough” is not that life that is expected.

We are called to be more righteous than the world.

+1 more...

Vengeance is not our job!

Romans 12:19 ESV

19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

Leave it to the wrath of God

Are you interested in Justice?

God is just … we are not

Can you wrath like God?

Romans 12:20 ESV

20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”

“To the contrary”

What should it look like when we cary out this command to love our enemies?

Like the OPPOSITE of our vengeance!!!!

Quoted in Romans as well.

What does this mean”

Seems kind if vengeful, doesn’t it.

I’ve read a few different explanations

Offering warm coals to someone in the cold

sort of a peace offering

Coal representative of the purifying power of God… bring on salvation in a person.

Thanks for Paul clarification, we know it can’t mean anything having to do with our vengeance.

When coupled with words like

Pray

Love

give food and drink

Be willing to set yourself aside in rode to introduce your enemy to the mercy, love, peace that is offered to them by a holy and loving God. Especially when they don’t deserved it.

In other words, treat them just like our savior Jesus Christ treated you when you were an enemy of our Holy God.

If your enemy is hungry feed him, if he is thirsty give him something to drink.

No less was done for you and no less is required of you!!!!

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