Thursday of 4th Week of Lent: reflection
Theme: PRAY FOR YOUR ENEMIES
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Reading: Ex 32:7-14
One of the
practices that have almost become very common in many churches in Nigeria is
offering of prayers for God to kill all perceived enemies. In fact, it has been
observed that when many Christians gather for prayers, they spend more than 80%
of their time throwing spiritual missiles to any direction they feel the houses
of their enemies are located and imploring God to wipe those enemies away.
In one of
the churches I know, a pastor told his members to come to church on a
particular Sunday with knives and canes so that they will kill their enemies.
On that day, as the members of that Church were brandishing their machetes and
canes in the air, they were calling the names of those that hurt them,
including landlords, friends and family members, inviting God to kill them all.
That was happening even though those people and their pastor were aware that
Jesus commanded His followers to love their enemies and pray for those who
persecute them.
Can we
learn anything from Moses' action in today’s first reading? Did you notice that
his action stands in total contrast to the unchristian actions of those Christians
who invite God to kill their enemies? God had wanted to wipe away the
Israelites because of their idolatrousness and, then, to preserve only Moses
and his family and make of them a great nation. Many people would have pleaded
with God to go ahead with such plan, considering it as a unique chance for
their family alone to inherit the Promised Land. But Moses wouldn’t want such thing
to happen; He didn’t want God’s wrath to fall on the people and wipe them away.
Instead, he fell on his knees before God and pleaded for their forgiveness.
Dear
friends, it is true that this world is full of people who treat others
unjustly, people who make others shed tears day and night, and many people who
derive joy seeing others suffer. It is, however, more true that praying for the
death of such people is unchristian and a waste of time, because God wants them
to repent and be saved. Therefore, dear friends, as difficult as it may be for
us, let us use the hours we spend praying for the death of our enemies to
rather pray that God will touch their hearts and change them, as Christ commanded
us to do.
May your
Thursday be blessed.
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