Love your enemy

As we sat in church Sunday we could hear the kids outside in their SS class.  As often is the case they were quoting a verse from the Bible trying to learn it so they could come in and share it with the church.  They kept repeating  "Love your neighbor and hate your enemy." This went on for about 10 minutes before my husband came over and suggested I go out and see what was going on.  I was hesitant because I didn't want to embarrass the teacher but I went anyway.  As I approached the class we greeted and I just told her I wanted to see what the kids were learning.  She quickly showed me the verse in the Bible they were memorizing.  This made it very easy and not so confrontational for me to suggest they also read the next verses.  She asked me to explain these verses to the children and pray for them.  They still came in and quoted the original verse but then the teacher read the next verse and encouraged the church to love their enemies in 2016.  To be honest, I just couldn't believe that she hadn't thought through what she was teaching them herself, but it just shows how culture can skew sound theology and that there is still much work to be done in Zambia.

Are you loving your enemies?

Here are all the verses: Matthew 5:43-46 

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor^[a] and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶ If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?