Schadenfreude

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you..." (Matthew 5:43-44)

Have you ever realized that your own thinking is really flawed, really foolish? I have often read the above verses from the Bible and thought "I don't have a problem with that."  And why would that be? Because I have always reasoned that I don't have 'enemies' like the ones that are in Bible stories. I am not David OR Goliath, responding to one another with frightening threats of impending death. I am not a fighter in Israel's army going into battle against an opposing army. I just don't have any enemies.  I'm not fearful that someone will hurt me physically, maybe even take my life. If ever I get a real enemy, then I'll take that particular Scripture more seriously.

WOW. 

So what would be the next level down from 'enemy' be? Someone I don't like or someone who doesn't like me? A really annoying person? Is it a person that I find judgmental or whose views I very much disagree with? Hmmm... maybe I do have a few of those 'types' of people around me. If I need to love my enemies, surely I should have a merciful disposition toward the merely annoying.

I recently read a blog post that helped me to see the ugliness of rejoicing at the misfortune of another. Our friend, Bob Bjerkaas, a PCA minister in California, wrote about the book of Job and something called "schadenfreude." Bob's insights can help all of us to learn the beauty of mourning with those who mourn and rejoicing with those who rejoice. You can read his entire post here.

May the Lord be our help as we seek to be more like Jesus, who died for us when we were still His enemies.