Di “Gift” wey Dey Inside Persecution

June 15, 2021
Tuesday for di Eleventh Week for Ordinary Time
Readings for Today

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Jesus tell His disciples: “Una don hear wetin dem talk, Make you love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I dey tell una, make una love una enemies and pray for people wey dey persecute una, so that una go be children of una Father for heaven, because He dey make His sun shine on both bad people and good people, and He dey make rain fall on both righteous people and people wey no dey righteous.” Matthew 5:43–45

Jesus continue to dey explain more deeply and clearly how He dey call us to follow His new command to love other people. Di love wey He dey call us to get na love wey reach our root, wey involve our whole self, and wey fit hard well-well at first. He command us to love everybody, including people wey dey persecute us. With this command, He dey call us to go far beyond how dem understand justice for di Old Testament. This call to love no be something wey we fit choose whether we wan do or not; na command. Na wetin every Christian must do.

As Jesus dey teach us how to carry out this command, He no just give us di command; He still give us practical advice on how we fit reach this kind deep love. He talk say make we no only love our enemies, but make we pray for dem when dem dey persecute us. First of all, an “enemy” na person wey dey try to do us some kind harm and, generally, dey sin against us. Wetin people normally dey do when this kind thing happen na to defend themselves and fight back. So di first step na to reject any temptation like that. As Jesus talk for di Gospel passage before this one, “no resist person wey dey do evil.”

Di Gospel passage for today carry us go even further. Di practical advice wey our Lord give us na to “pray for people wey dey persecute una.” This command no just require say make you reject di temptation to “pay person back” or even just to “resist” wetin dem dey do us. Now, you must pray for dem. To pray for person wey sin against you na act of very great love and generosity. And na very practical way to imitate di abundant mercy of God. Because of this, to pray for people wey dey persecute you dey change you deep inside and make you holy. For one sense, di evil wey another person do you fit turn to gift wey you receive, because e give you chance to answer di harm wey dem do you with prayer. And na real, practical gift wey we must accept as we dey follow this new command of our Lord.

Today, think deeply about di people wey this new command dey call you to pray for. Whose sin don cause you or your family pain or harm? Who you dey bear grudge for? Anybody wey come your mind, make you commit yourself to deep prayer for that person, and no stop. Dey pray for dem often, and continue to pray as long as di persecution continue. If you do so, every attempt wey anybody make to harm you with bad intention go turn to grace for dem and holiness for you.

My Lord wey get abundant mercy, na You first live out Your command to pray for people wey dey persecute us, and You do am perfectly. You pray for people wey crucify You as You hang for di Cross. Give me di grace wey I need, no be only to forgive, but also to pray for people wey don try and still dey try to do me harm. Give me heart wey full with mercy so much that every sin wey anybody commit against me go turn to love and holiness for my own life. Jesus, na You I trust.