Tuesday 19 June

1 Kings 21:17-29, Psalm 51, Matthew 5:43-48

Double healing

To love our neighbour sounds reasonable as long as that neighbour is a friend. But what about an enemy? How can we love that person who raises our blood pressure? Is Jesus making love of an enemy a commandment? Well, yes, he is. He repeats the message in detail to indicate how important it is. What’s more, he is making us responsible for that first step. Our love must be the bridge over a gulf of misunderstanding. The so-called enemy may or may not accept our love, but in offering it, we heal ourselves of the judgemental thoughts that threaten our health.