Blessed are the Peacemakers(1917) by George Bellows

“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.   For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?   And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” -Matthew 5:43-48

As we submit or lives to God, we must be willing to submit our ways to His ways and that will ultimately lead to some tests of love.

The great test of how deeply our hearts are submitted to His will may come when we are called upon to love our enemies.

It defies our sense of justice. It flaunts our instincts for fairness and equity, and it is emotionally draining if we attempt to love in the flesh.

But it is God’s way.

It mimics man’s wisdom about the order of the universe to pray for one’s persecutors, but it is that act that best illustrates true holiness. To be holy is to be absolutely different when holiness faces its fieriest trials.

To be holy is to be completely and unreservedly submitted to God.

Love is the test: loving God, loving our brothers and sister, and loving our enemies.