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The Reformation Herald Online Edition

The Pilgrimage of the Remnant

Love Your Enemies
P. D. Lausevic
Love Your Enemies

P acifism is growing in popularity. On February 15, 2003, the largest anti-war rally on record took place in 600 cities worldwide with over 5 million people participating. With various political or social agendas in mind, many groups around the world demand nonviolence and pacifism as solutions to all of society’s ills. In the United States this became common after the anti-Vietnam war protests of the 1960s. Decades earlier, Mahatma Gandhi had introduced the world to the fact that groups can successfully overturn mighty powers through peaceful means.

Yet long before antiwar or pacifist movements became popular or were seen as a way to accomplish revolutionary changes in society, the Man of Galilee introduced a radical principle—not merely for political gain nor to liberate one society from another—but as a fundamental principle instilled in the core of the human being. Jesus said: “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” (Matthew 5:44).

Ancient Roman imperialism was known for such horrifying atrocities that prophecy could only describe that fourth beast as one who was “dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it” (Daniel 7:7). In the midst of the most terrifying system of government that Satan could devise to remove all personal liberties in any form possible, the apostle Paul could state: “Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink” (Romans 12:20). What a radical position for him to have taken as a citizen of that oppressive regime which provoked constant revolts and caused fugitives to seek a place where those despotic hands could not reach. Even the apostle who penned these words met the Roman executioners’ ax for daring to live contrary to its principles of imperialism. How is it possible for peoples to exist in this wicked world with such a radical teaching?

Messianic principles

While the Jewish nation was looking for a temporal Messiah to demolish the power of the despotic Romans, Jesus came in such an unexpected way that the Hebrew people could not tolerate “this” kind of Messiah. Can you imagine the message referred to previously that He gave in the Sermon on the Mount? “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” (Matthew 5:43, 44). What was the reason for such a radical message? “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” (Verses 45, 46). This message is so unnatural that one would think such a characteristic to be more godly than human. This is why Jesus finished the chapter comparing the human with the divine: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Verse 48).

“The manifestation of hatred never breaks down the malice of our enemies. But love and kindness beget love and kindness in return. Although God faithfully rewards virtue and punishes guilt, yet He does not withhold His blessings from the wicked, although they daily dishonor His name. He allows the sunshine and the showers to fall upon the just and the unjust, bringing alike worldly prosperity to both. If a holy God exercises such forbearance and benevolence toward the rebellious and the idolatrous, how necessary it is that erring man should manifest a like spirit toward his fellow men. Instead of cursing those who injure him, it is his duty to seek to win them from their evil ways by a kindness similar to that with which Christ treated them who persecuted Him. . . . The children of God should represent the spirit that rules in Heaven. Their principles of action should not be of the same character with the narrow, selfish spirit of the world. Perfection alone can meet the standard of Heaven.” 1 Instead of talking about the bravery of war, the Lord declared, “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9). Instead of fighting for one’s rights, He said, “Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword” (Matthew 26:52). This was in the context of Peter cutting off the High Priest’s servant’s ear in defense of the beloved Master. Instead of congratulating him for his courage, Jesus approached the enemy and “touched his ear, and healed him” (Luke 22:51). What kind of a Messiah heals those whom you hurt and gives the victory back to the oppressor?

Why did this surreal Messiah act like this? He explains that it is because “My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence” (John 18:36). The way He thinks is different from the way we would normally think. Why? “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8, 9).

This new kingdom is not founded upon the mastery of one nation over another, or of one class over the other, or even the master above the slave. These unique principles of government were shown in the life of this humble Galilean teacher: “Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:25–28). Can you imagine a government designed for service to its citizens rather than for the citizens to serve that government? Can you imagine a religion in which the leaders are real ministers to their congregants rather than having the members to serve their pastors? This is the real essence of genuine Christianity.

If such principles were actually followed, every citizen would respect the rights of all others, because the great principle of love would be the foundation of all society. This very characteristic would identify one as a Christian, unlike remote doctrinal dissertations that seem to have no effect in the personal life. “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35). Is this the guiding principle in our life? Are we Christians?

The Old Testament foundation

The idea of nonviolent actions against oppression by individuals or governments is not just something that was introduced by Jesus in the New Testament. Something is a principle when it crosses all barriers of time and culture. The Messiah we worship, “Jesus Christ,” is “the same yesterday, and today, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8). It is because of His unchanging nature that humanity has not been permitted to annihilate itself or be completely destroyed by a loving God. “For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed” (Malachi 3:6). This characteristic is shown in the fact that while we were His enemies, He devised a way to save humanity. “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life” (Romans 5:10). This eternal love actually recreates itself in us if we are willing to accept it. “We love him, because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Can you imagine a victory through death? A victory through doing good to the enemy? This is exactly what Christ came to show us by His death.

When Moses began his mission of deliverance, he did not understand this principle of divine government, causing him to have to flee from his home and family. But in the school of Christ He learned meekness—to control his passions and exercise a fatherly care over all who needed his help. 2 By submitting to God’s leading in his life, Moses learned the kind of trust and faith in the Lord that made him God’s man even under very trying circumstances. Can you imagine the people of Israel standing before the Red Sea locked in with a steep mountainous ridge on one side and a pursuing Egyptian army on the other? Evaluating that dire situation from a merely human perspective would lead Moses to realize that no engineering feat could devise a way of escape. No experience as a general of the most powerful army in the world was sufficient to prepare a nation of slaves to defend themselves in such a short time against the well-trained, well-disciplined, highly armed forces of Egypt. The only thing humanly possible to save their lives was to negotiate some kind of peace treaty that would likely return the majority into slavery. Such a treaty would likely involve promoting the leaders to be taskmasters over their own people, with limited privileges above the common man or even putting the leaders to death.

Moses learned that if a task is attempted that is humanly possible, then there is no need of God, no need of divine aid. “And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace” (Exodus 14:13, 14). There was no preparation for war. There was only an attempt to prepare the people to trust in God alone without the use of human weapons—and without any human method of crisis management. The entire Egyptian army was destroyed without a single act of war from the Hebrew people. How?

Unique weaponry: Hornets, harmony

God promised the Hebrew nation: “I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee. And I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee” (Exodus 23:27, 28, emphasis supplied). Can you imagine a powerful army marching against an unarmed nation that does not even have any armor ready for such an encounter? As they are ready for sword and shield to meet flesh and bones, a small hornet with a fierce sting somehow manages to come under the helmet of the most powerful of giants and injects him with the natural arrow of the Lord. How many soldiers would remain on the battlefield after being attacked by hornets?

This is why God gave specific commandments to His nation of believers regarding preparation for war. “When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the Lord thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people, and shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them; for the Lord your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you” (Deuteronomy 20:1–4).

This was specifically seen in the experience of Jehoshaphat when the choir led in the front lines to meet the enemy. “And when he had consulted with the people, [the king] appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth for ever” (2 Chronicles 20:21). And what happened when they began to sing instead of throwing spears and arrows? “And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten” (Verse 22). They never lifted a finger in acts of warfare.

So why did the Hebrews fight with physical weapons? Unbelief. (Hebrews 3:19.) “It was not [God’s] purpose that [the Israelites] should gain the land by warfare but by strict obedience to His commands.” 3 Because their protection as a nation depended on their trust in God and not in chariots or human armaments, they were commanded not to have any such weaponry in stock. Deuteronomy 17:16. Because they trusted in the power of the Creator of the universe, they were not even to live in fear for the fierce neighbors they had. “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18).

Can you imagine such a nation on earth today? When all the nations are spending a significant part of their budget for their defense, can you imagine no defense budget? How much good can be done to such a nation that fully trusts in the power of the Almighty to be their defense!

The principle of love

This principle of love to our Creator and to our neighbor manifests itself through respect to all the commandments of our God—and we have to go deeper than just the superficial outward act. “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him” (1 John 3:15). We cannot say we are Christians if we nurture hatred towards anyone that differs with us in belief, creed, views, nationality, tribe, or culture. “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” (1 John 4:20).

“Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law” (Romans 13:10). So what happens when we have enemies? “But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also. Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise” (Luke 6:27–31). And what is the end result of such an attitude? “Love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil” (Verse 35).

This love is contagious, it is reciprocal. When it is received by an individual, it is immediately reciprocated to others. “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another” (1 John 4:11). This is how the true people of God are to be recognized. Jesus explains, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:34, 35).

Does this type of love manifest itself in neglecting reproof? No! “And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth” (Hebrews 12:5, 6).

“While we are required to be Christlike toward those who are our enemies, we must not, in order to have peace, cover up the faults of those we see in error. Jesus, the world’s Redeemer, never purchased peace by covering iniquity, or by anything like compromise. Though His heart was constantly overflowing with love for the whole human race, He was never indulgent to their sins. He was too much their friend to remain silent while they were pursuing a course which would ruin their souls—the souls He had purchased with His own blood.” 4 “If we would represent Christ’s character by obeying [the] requirement [to love one another], there would be a great change in evildoers. Many souls would be convicted of their sinfulness and converted through the impressions made upon them by our refusal to resent the evil actions of those controlled by satanic agencies. . . .

“Let us daily represent Christ’s great love by loving our enemies as Christ loves them. If we would thus represent the grace of Christ, strong feelings of hatred would be broken down and into many hearts genuine love would be brought. Many more conversions than are now seen would follow. True, it will cost us something to do this.” 5

Conclusion

As a Methodist minister in New Zealand, Alex Norman Macdonald purchased from a door-to-door canvasser the book “Thoughts From Daniel and the Revelation” by Uriah Smith. After reading the book, he was convinced about the Sabbath and many of the prophecies. But on one issue he was not about to let his guard down. He had already left the Church of England, because they required all their adherents to support the government in acts of warfare. As a conscientious objector, he could not make such a vow, so that was why he had joined the Methodists. Now he was glad to find that the Seventh-day Adventist believers in New Zealand also agreed with his foundation beliefs.

Soon afterward Alex went to study at the Adventist college in Avondale, New South Wales, in Australia. World War II broke out while Macdonald was at Avondale. During World War II, Australian Adventism faced a great dilemma as it began changing from the conscientious objection position it had always maintained—now to switch to active participation in military service. The leadership of the school announced that they would be active participants in warfare. Their choice profoundly affected Alex’s entire career and his denominational affiliation.

Young Alex was very perplexed as to what he should do. The leaders convinced him that he needed to follow the advice of the church leadership out of respect for religious authority. Reluctantly, he accepted their advice and registered for military service. However, he could not get himself to sign the registration papers. A couple of days later, the college president came to him, showing him that he had not signed the document. When Alex explained his position and said he would not sign, the president abruptly signed in his behalf and hurried off.

While Alex awaited with dread the call to join the war effort, in the college library he came across a book called SDA’s in Time of War by F.M. Wilcox. It gave the history of the Adventist position regarding military service from the beginning of the church’s history during the time of the American Civil War all the way through the changes made during World War I. Alex realized then that his original belief was not only the right biblical position but also the historical position of Seventh-day Adventists. He determined in his heart that if called to military service, he would be faithful to God’s word.

Eventually, the government did indeed give Alex his conscription notice and called him to national service for God and Country. When he refused, he was taken before the high court of Australia. After a long interrogation, the judge began asking him some direct questions:

“Young man, what would you do if three Japanese soldiers were about to attack your mother?”

Alex replied, “I would tell the five policemen to catch them.”

The judge demanded, “What five policemen?”

He replied, “What three Japanese soldiers?”

Finally the judge asked, “What would you do if you saw a Japanese soldier in front of you?”

“It all depends,” said the young man. “If he were hungry, I would give him something to eat. If he were thirsty I would give him something to drink.”

Finally the judge asked the Army General, “Do you want this man in your battalion?”

The General reassured the judge with a definite “NO!”

So, the judge suspended the hearing and let Alex Macdonald alone for the rest of the war.

Soon afterward this young man became more acquainted with a group he was at first fearful of—and later learned to dedicate this entire life to—the Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement.

What about us today?

What principles are guiding you in your life? We are not part of national protests for justice nor do we attend any of the anti-war rallies that influence legislative councils and the direction of nations. Rather, our work is to cooperate with the Holy Spirit as He instills the principles of divine love into human hearts. “The government under which Jesus lived was corrupt and oppressive; on every hand were crying abuses—extortion, intolerance, and grinding cruelty. Yet the Saviour attempted no civil reforms. He attacked no national abuses, nor condemned the national enemies. He did not interfere with the authority or administration of those in power. He who was our example kept aloof from earthly governments. Not because He was indifferent to the woes of men, but because the remedy did not lie in merely human and external measures. To be efficient, the cure must reach men individually and must regenerate the heart.” 6 Before we can be effective in reaching the heart of the ungodly, our own hearts need to be regenerated by the power of the Holy Spirit so that we can truly manifest that godly love for the unlovable, the goodness of divine love for our enemies, and the power of a divine-human Saviour to die for our enemies. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Have you given your life to Jesus so that you can be a real reformer and hasten the coming of our Saviour?

References
1 The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 2, pp. 224, 225.
2 Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 247.
3 Ibid., p. 392.
4 The Upward Look, p. 220.
5 Medical Ministry, p. 254.
6 The Desire of Ages, p. 509.