But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. Luke 6:27-28
I continue my study looking at the life of Paul using John Piper's 30 Reasons Why I Love the Apostle Paul. Today, I move to chapter four- Unwavering Love for Those Who Scourged Him. Here, John Piper describes the horrific nature of the beatings he was subjected to by the Jews (as he started evangelizing towards them) as shared by Paul in 2 Corinthians 11:24. He also shares the historical context of how these beatings were meted out per the Old Testament not as a death penalty but as the maximum extent to which the law allowed for punishment (Deuteronomy 25:2-3). We are encouraged by Piper to imagine the sense of not just the physical agony experienced by Paul, but also to imagine if in Paul's place "a sense of what you might feel toward God and your adversaries, the Jewish people*." Piper describes as amazing that Paul never feels anger towards or curses God, nor does he towards the Jews. Paul is simply fulfilling his mission given him to preach first to the Jews then the Gentiles (Romans 1:16). Piper then goes on to describe Paul's love for his kinsmen fellow Jews as chronicled in Romans 9:2-3, 10:1. Piper wraps the chapter by pointing out how we are carry Jesus's death in our body so that we also manifest his life in our body (2 Corinthians 4:8-10). Paul epitomized Jesus's words from Luke 6:27-28.
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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are good and You suffered for me - this is love. I must suffer for others so that in me others see You. Help me Lord Jesus! I am not deserving of how You are so full of grace for me. My sin is great and it continues...daily. Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength. Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior. Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin. Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.
