The love does not irritate (continued)

"You have heard that it has been said : 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy'. But I say to you : Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you, so that you may be the sons of your heavenly Father. Indeed, he makes his sun rise on the wicked and on the good, and it rains on the just and the unjust. If you love those who love you, what reward do you deserve ? Do not tax collectors do the same ? And if you only greet your brothers, what are you doing extraordinary ? Do not the members of other peoples act the same? Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5: 43-48).

God is good with the wicked. He shows kindness and grace to them. It was this grace that allowed Jesus to say : "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do" (Luke 23:34), while his executioners shared his clothes by drawing lots. .

Imagine the scene a little. It reminds me of a persecution scene that I saw on video. I try to avoid this kind of videos, but I chose to watch this one. While kicking a Christian with iron bars, people were filming the scene with a modern camera. It was terribly shocking and it made you want to throw up. Jesus was crucified, and while he was dying with terrible suffering, soldiers shared his tunic by drawing lots, to return quietly to their homes and to their wife and children, eating around a hot meal. It's a real madness. And yet the grace and the love of God makes rain on these people.

God is ready in this time of grace to forgive and love them. He loved them when they were not friendly. God loved Pilate, loved Herod, loved the wicked Pharisees who were ready to kill the adulteress, and loved the adulterous woman. God loved Saul of Tarsus who ravaged the Church and imprisoned and killed Christians. God has loved us, then, do not annoy us against the wicked, but love our enemies and pray for their salvation.

Jeremy Sourdril