Do not consider it strange if you find yourself fighting major battles the more obedient you become to the Master. God desires each of us to become a feared enemy of hell in order to affect satan's domain.

Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

1 Kings 21:17-29

Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 11+16

M atthew 5:43-48 "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, (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. (46) For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? (47) And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? (48) You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Meditation by Susan Tinley

On a cold snowy night this last winter, a friend and I had dinner together after work. It was a pleasant evening of visiting about things at work and our families.  After dinner we went back out in the snow for the main event of our evening together.  We went to Countryside Community Church, United Church of Christ, which was quickly filling up with people of all faiths and of all ages from teens to the elderly.  We found a couple of seats together and waited as the few remaining seats filled up. There was animated chatter among those present as we sat in wait.  Finally the reason for all of us to be out that night appeared, an elderly Jewish woman of slight stature who had to stand on a stool at the podium.  Gerda Weissmann Klein was in Omaha on this cold snowy night to talk with us about her experiences in a German death camp during World War II. She is one of the few remaining Holocaust survivors.  Her story was riveting.

As she talked, I became aware of a sense of personal shame because my paternal lineage is German. My grandparents were both born in the states so it was not that I knew anyone who was involved in the attempts to annihilate the Jewish people, but the idea of sharing a heritage with those who were involved made me squirm.  However, Gerda was not there to make anyone squirm with misguided shame.  She was not there to share what would be a very understandable personal hatred and blame.  Her sole reason for sharing her story was to plead with all of us to remember her story and the stories of her friends and relatives who did not survive and to make sure it did not happen again, not just to Jewish people again but to any group of people.  She talked of ethnic cleansing in Bosnia , Kosovo, Darfur , Rwanda and most recently in Myanmar . What is it that leads one group not just to go to war with another group but to be intent on eliminating the other group? Why is it that the rest of the world can be aware of the atrocities and not put an end to them?

What was most amazing about Gerda was her lack of hatred and bitterness.  I do not know what was in her heart for those who had persecuted her, her family and friends, but her talk could have gone in many different negative directions. Yet, Gerda has been an inspiration for many in relating her story and working tirelessly for tolerance and love among all peoples, the kind of love that Jesus teaches us about in today’s gospel, a love not just for those who are easy to love but for our enemies. This woman is an example for all of us when we find it difficult to forgive others as God would do.

Supplementary Reading

Are You a Threat to the Kingdom of Darkness ?

One day the evil spirit answered them, ‘Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?’ ~ Acts 19:15

A re you a threat to the kingdom of darkness? If satan and his demons had a board meeting and your name came before the board, what would they say? Would they say that you are one of their most feared enemies and they needed to keep many demons harassing and opposing you? Or would they say, "Gentlemen, this person poses no threat to our activities. Leave him alone. He needs no help from us." There are millions of church-going believers sitting in pews Sunday after Sunday who pose little threat to the kingdom of darkness.

If we truly believe that we war against rulers and principalities that cannot be seen, then we must realize that their mandate is to hinder any believer who is seeking to walk in the fullness of God. However, "greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world" (1 Jn. 4:4b KJV).

If you are seeking to fully follow the Lord, you can expect harassment from the enemy. God permits temptation because it drives us deeper into the soil of God. These times reveal God's power to keep us and walk us through the temptations. Our message becomes fruitful when it is born out of obedience and suffering for His name. Do not consider it strange if you find yourself fighting major battles the more obedient you become to the Master. God desires each of us to become a feared enemy of hell in order to affect satan's domain. When you begin to feel harassed, chances are you are beginning to affect the kingdom of darkness, and satan doesn't like this. So, how many demons do you think are assigned to you? – OS Hillman)

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GOD BLESS US ALL!

O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.