Message: God Has No Enemies / Luke 6:27-38 & Genesis 45:3-11, 15

“But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you. 

 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. 

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.” 

Luke 6:27-38

One of the most misunderstood ideas about the Christian faith is the belief that it is a dualistic religion. Dualism divides everything into opposites, like black and white, right and wrong, light and darkness. It often makes the world seem like a never-ending battle between good and evil. This way of thinking appears in some ancient myths, where good and bad gods are shown in conflict or war. In this view, the focus is always on finding allies and battling enemies.

However, the Christian faith is not based on dualism. Augustine, one of the most influential theologians in Christian history, converted to Christianity from Manichaeism, a belief system built on a strong dualistic view. He was drawn to the Christian teaching that there is only one God who created the world out of love. Because of this, Augustine rejected the idea of an evil deity opposing God. Instead of seeing good and evil as equal and opposing powers, he understood evil as the absence of good. Just as darkness is not a separate thing but the absence of light, evil exists where God's love is absent. In this sense, we can understand the following verse from Isaiah: “I am the LORD, and there is no other; besides me there is no god” (45:5). This emphasizes that there is no opposing force or enemy to God.

This understanding of God and the Christian faith is clearly shown in today's Gospel reading. Jesus teaches that just as God is merciful, we need to be merciful. Only those who love can be called children of the Most High. Without love, we cannot truly believe in God as our Creator. 

In the Hebrew Scriptures, several words express God’s love. Among them, the words for God’s mercy and compassion come from the Hebrew root "רחם" (rhm), which can be pronounced "raham." In Psalm 145:9, the psalmist declares, "The LORD is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made."

It’s interesting that “raham” is derived from the word meaning "womb." This suggests that mercy is best understood through the image of a mother carrying a child in her womb. The child is a separate being, yet not apart from the mother; they are physically and emotionally connected. This deep intimacy offers a vision of how all humans are interconnected.

We believe that God is love. God has birthed this world from the divine womb, which means God has created the universe with compassion. God connects all of creation through love. In this regard, God is almighty, the Most High. Because of the divine raham, womb, compassion, God has no enemies. All beings in the world are God's creation.

Because all of humanity is born from God’s mercy, we are one family. Those who recognize God as Father and Mother cannot have enemies. However, among Jesus' followers, many still see the world in a dualistic way. This is why Jesus says, "Love your enemies." If some Christians claim to have enemies, they are not fully living as children of God. Jesus’ teaching invites us to understand that until we realize there are no enemies between God, us, and others, we must continue to love those whom we perceive as enemies.

Above all, Jesus stresses not to “judge” or “condemn” but to forgive and give. In Greek, the words for “judge” and “condemn” both carry the meaning of “declare guilty.” Throughout history, declaring someone guilty has been regarded as a powerful exercise of authority for justice. However, such power is always at risk of misuse and abuse. 

The Book of Genesis presents Cain as the first murderer. He killed his brother, Abel, out of frustration. God accepted only Abel's offering, which made Cain angry. Instead of looking into himself to understand why his offering was rejected, Cain tried to find the reason in his younger brother. He judged Abel, condemned him as his enemy, and executed him by his own hands.

Then, God’s reaction to the murder is interesting. Despite his terrible crime, God did not kill Cain. Instead, God made him a wanderer on the earth. God even marked him so that no one would kill him during his wandering. God gave Cain another chance. God probably hoped that Cain might one day return to Him, like the Prodigal Son. God’s love and compassion extended even to Cain, longing for his repentance and restoration.

Joseph’s story in Genesis beautifully illustrates this hope of God. Joseph’s brothers were angry with their father, Jacob, because of his love for Joseph. So, they sold young Joseph and lied to their father, saying he was dead. In Egypt, Joseph faced immense hardship, even being falsely accused of a crime and imprisoned. But God did not abandon him. He became Pharaoh’s chief advisor by interpreting the king’s dreams.

Today’s first Scripture reading is the climax of the story. Due to a severe famine, Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt to find food. Joseph had become the governor and sold grain to people who came from around the world. Finally, his brothers stood before him. Though Joseph recognized them, they didn’t recognize him. If Joseph had wished for revenge, he could have trapped and killed them. However, Joseph forgave them. He also welcomed his father, brothers, and relatives, who were economic refugees, into his land. Genesis concludes with the story of Joseph, who embraced his brothers, who had treated him like an enemy.

Some may think that our Christian love and compassion are weak or unrealistic, but this is not true. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.” In the midst of brutal racial injustice, he refused to see white people as enemies. During the Civil Rights Movement, some advocated for an independent Black nation through violent means, but King followed Christ’s example, leading a non-violent revolution that reshaped American society. He did not have enemies. All he had was a dream:

“I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave-owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream that one day in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.”

Today, it is difficult to say that King’s dream has been fully realized. However, it is also true that this world is moving closer to that dream, even as it experiences cycles of progress and setbacks. The love of Christ remains the most powerful force for transformation. Even when we are hated and cursed, we do not give up on love. Even when we are insulted, struck on our cheeks, or have our coats taken, we do not abandon God’s dream. The merciful and almighty God walks with us on this journey of love, forgiveness, and generosity toward a world where all are reconciled in divine compassion, where enmity gives way to peace, and where justice is rooted in mercy.