Luke 19:37-44

As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, saying,
‘Blessed is the king
who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven,
and glory in the highest heaven!’
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, order your disciples to stop.’ He answered, ‘I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.’

As he came near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, ‘If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. Indeed, the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up ramparts around you and surround you, and hem you in on every side. They will crush you to the ground, you and your children within you, and they will not leave within you one stone upon another; because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.’

So how does this reading encourage us to give up our enemies as this week’s theme suggests? It was well-known throughout the region that Jesus didn’t get along with the Pharisees and religious leaders. And it wasn’t because Jesus attacked the Pharisees and religious leaders. No, Jesus simply brought a new understanding of who God is and it threatened their understanding of who God is. The Pharisees and religious leaders believed God was a God of vengeance and wrath and justice. The idea of a peaceful, loving God clashed with their idea and so Jesus became their enemy. Ironic how a peaceful, loving person would ever become an enemy of anyone but because of their religious fervor, the Pharisees and religious leaders just couldn’t accept Jesus’ teaching. And it was a teaching that had grown quite popular with the mass population, thus threatening to upend the temple’s teachings. Jesus was quite a threat despite his peaceful, loving ways.

Because they were so threatened by such a non-threat and focused on getting Jesus’ silenced, the Pharisees and religious leaders inadvertently made themselves vulnerable to real enemies. And not just supporters of Jesus but also those who despised and hated the temple and its religious order. All Jesus had to do was stand back and predict the temple’s inevitable destruction. The Pharisees and religious leaders had weakened their order by attacking Jesus and his teachings. Jesus simply allowed forces beyond his control to deal with his enemies. So, in a sense, Jesus gave up his enemies to their inevitable fates.

As followers of Christ, we are encouraged to do likewise. There will always be enemies of Christ and his teachings. Satan has a stronghold in this world and doesn’t want us to believe and trust in Christ. He’ll do anything to get our belief and trust, but Christ’s teachings and healings and sacrifice are worthy of our belief and trust. Christ loves us and wants nothing but the best for us. Satan couldn’t care less for us. Satan wants to destroy us. He’d prefer to get us to serve him as a means of mockery towards God and then destroy us but if he can’t get that, then he’ll simply destroy us. Friends, Satan is not our friend! He’s our enemy and what did Jesus teach us to do with our enemies? Give them up to their inevitable fates. If Satan can’t destroy us, then he’ll destroy himself. Enemies of Christ will destroy themselves, plain and simple. We ought to have faith in this and trust that Christ will carry us through to the good life. The good life is found in Christ and Christ alone. Believe it, trust in it, rejoice in it!

It’s no wonder Jesus also taught us to pray for our enemies. Their fates are death and destruction and for many these are frightening fates. We know death isn’t the end but rather a beginning, but the enemies of Christ don’t know this. They have a dismal future set for them. We are called to pray for them and ask for God’s mercy upon them. Perhaps He’ll show mercy on them, perhaps not, but we can be assured that we at least tried on their behalf. Our God is good God, one never knows…

Few people want enemies but sometimes they’re inevitable, especially if we’re to follow Christ in this world. Let us not be intimidated nor disheartened by them but rather give them up to their fates and to God’s grace. They are just as equally deserving of his grace as we are! So let us give thanks for his abundant grace. Thanks be to God!

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.