LOVE YOUR ENEMY

When your enemy falls, do not be glad, and when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice; lest Yahweh see it and it be evil in His eyes, and turn His anger away from him. Proverbs 24:17-18

In 1569, an Anabaptist named Dirk Willems was fleeing from a man who was seeking to arrest him. The authorities were after him in order to try him for the ‘crimes’ of being rebaptized, holding secret meetings in his home and overseeing baptisms of others. As Dirk was running away, he crossed a small pond that had a thin layer of ice. He was able to make it safely across, but his pursuer was not. That man fell into the ice and was crying for help. It would seem that Dirk was rescued by the thin ice; he was able to escape. But instead of continuing to run, he turned back and helped the drowning man out of the freezing water. Because of that decision he was arrested, unjustly tried, and burned to death at the stake. 

Dirk had a firm grasp on Proverbs 24:17 and Luke 6:35, “but love your enemies, and do good…” Our natural sinful response is to rejoice when our enemies fall, and be glad when they suffer defeat. But the heart that has been transformed by the Lord, doesn’t hate his enemy, even though his enemy hates him. Instead, he has compassion on his enemy, he loves his enemy; because he knows that but for the grace of God, he would be just like his enemy. I’ve wondered if the man Dirk rescued from the icy water, later repented. That detail is lost to history, but it seems very possible. May the Lord strengthen us to love our enemies, even when it doesn’t make logical sense. 

Joshua Steiner