"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'
But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on (your) right cheek, turn the other one to him as well.
If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, 26 go with him for two miles.
Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.
"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.
-Matthew 5:38-44
It's funny, that I've read this so many times, but tonight's class on Prayer showed it to me in a whole new light. When Christ was on the cross, He prayed for those who were killing Him.
Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do." They divided his garments by casting lots.
-Luke 23:34
People say it so hard to pray for their enemies, to pray for those they hate. I've not really had a problem doing it personally, but I've always not had the problem for the wrong reasons. I always thought if they managed to make me angry, then why not pray for them, it would either make them angrier or they would need it to have been bad enough to make me angry.
No, the reason we should pray for those who we see as enemies is that we need it as much as they, and all are equal before God's forgiveness and God's judgment. Christ prayed for those who killed Him, can we not pray for those who anger us?
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