What Would Jesus Do? Part 5: With His Adversaries

The wonder of it all. First Corinthians chapter 15. First Corinthians 15 will be there in just a moment. If you'll find that, we're going to begin reading in fifth verse 55. What would Jesus do with his adversaries?

We all have or have had those we considered or at least for a time as adversaries. Not so much the ones which point a gun at your head or a nuke at your city. But the kind that just don't like you. Those that mistreat you. They they always seem to be working contrary or against you.

They get in your way on purpose. They stab you in the back though, you know, not literally. Those who maybe insult you or discourage you, there was a song when I was a kid called the is is a song I listened to called the Cold Water Committee. The Coldwater. That's it's when you're on fire for God and somebody comes along, they just throw cold water all over you, okay?

And there are some that are just, they just rather than helping you, they just want to seem like discourage you. There are those that clearly are in competition against us and some that are happy when things don't go our way or at least they seem to be. And often we might consider those people adversaries. Christ had many adversaries. From the kind which sought to defeat him in regards to the acceptance of his people.

Those who fought against his teachings. To those who work behind the scenes to bring about his crucifixion and sought to defeat his purpose. Jesus had advocate adversaries from kings like King Herod who tried to kill him before he reached the age of two. To the Pharisees who were the religious leaders of the day who worked against him pretty much his entire ministry. To traitors, like Judas, to powerful demonic beings, like Satan himself.

First, I want us to recognize this. Jesus came to defeat certain enemies which he conquered and which one day, he will destroy altogether. In Genesis three fifteen, after Adam and Eve sinned and Satan thought he had won a great battle and defeated the Lord. The Lord made a promise to Satan. He said, I'm going to send the seed of the woman to crush or bruise the head of the the snake, the serpent, as he's called in Revelation 12, the dragon and that is Satan.

Jesus came to die on the cross and rise again from the dead that he might defeat the plan and altogether defeat his enemy, the devil. In first Corinthians fifteen fifty seven, we see that Christ came to conquer and to defeat death itself. Oh death, where is thy sting? Oh grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin and the sin of strength of sin is the law but thanks be to God which giveth us the victory to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Death is an enemy. An enemy that is a result of sin. Not only the first death but as it calls it in Revelation twenty and twenty one, the second death which is the lake of fire and Christ came to give us victory over death and he defeated it when he died on the cross for our sins and he did what? He rose again from the dead and one day, he will do away with death altogether. He came to conquer sin.

Look, if you would in Colossians chapter two. Colossians chapter two verse 13. Two thirteen He came to defeat sin for us. We are hopelessly lost in sin apart from Jesus Christ. There is no way for us to win.

There is no way for us to get victory. There's no way for us to defeat that enemy. But not so with Jesus and he came and on the cross, he defeated the enemy and the adversary of sin. Verse 13, and you being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened or made alive together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross, and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Through his death on the cross, and his suffering for not his sin but ours, he defeated the plan of his enemy.

He triumphed over the principalities and powers that were against him, defeating even sin itself. There are some adversaries, there are some enemies that need to be defeated and Jesus Christ came to defeat these enemies and praise God he did because if it weren't for Jesus, there would be no defeating any of them. The power does not lie within us. It lies within Jesus Christ who came to defeat those things for us who were enslaved to them. When your cause is just, there's nothing wrong with winning and defeating the enemy.

However, there is a right and a wrong way to do so. There are many ways to defeat an adversary. One of which is making your enemy your friend. Depending on the circumstance defeat may not always be the goal. Sometimes, reconciliation is.

And we must never become that which is wrong in order to to do what we believe that which is right. Never do wrong to do right. Don't become that which you are seeking to defeat. We don't overcome evil with evil. We come overcome evil with what?

Good. With good. Let's look at a few of examples of how Jesus dealt with some who might have been called or considered his adversaries. Though he doesn't always seem to see it that way. Or doesn't seem at least to act that way.

Look if you would in Matthew chapter eight. Matthew chapter eight. If you lived in Jesus' day, you would not have lived in a country like ours. Our government is elected by the people. We are free to determine what course in life we want to take, what career we want to pursue.

We're free to go out and get what job we can get, acquire, and provide for ourselves and our family. We can choose to come and worship the Lord as we wish and we don't have an oppressive government particularly outside of our country telling us what to do. Was that the case in Jesus' day? The answer to that is no. In Jesus' day, Israel was under the dominion of who?

Rome. And Rome by the Jews was very much considered the enemy. Consider for instance, if China decided to come and take over The United States or if Isis decided to come and take over The United States, would we not consider them our enemy? I do believe so. In Matthew chapter eight, we read about a man who was in need.

The man just happened to be a centurion. What is, who is, what is a centurion? It's a Roman soldier. So, here we meet a Roman soldier. This is one of the soldiers who was oppressing the children of Israel, who was enforcing the rule of Rome, a country hundreds and hundreds of miles away over the Jews and the people of Israel.

Matthew chapter eight verse five and when Jesus entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion beseeching him and saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home, sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. Jesus say it unto him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof but speak the word only and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me and I say to this man, go and he goeth into another come and he cometh and to my servant, do this and he doeth it. When Jesus heard it, he marveled and he said to them that followed, verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith.

No, not in Israel and I say unto you that many shall come from the East and West and shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. So, a man comes to him. I actually find out in the book of Luke that the man didn't come in person. He actually sent messengers to Jesus to ask if Jesus would come but Jesus would heal his servant. When Jesus said he would, he told the messengers to tell Jesus he didn't need to bother traveling all that way to his home because he understood that Jesus being the authority that he was, the son of God, had the power to heal his servant from a distance and that's exactly what he did.

Jesus not only healed the centurion servant who was his enemy as a Jew but he also praised him before his fellow Jews because of his what? Because of his faith. And used him as an illustration of the Gentiles that would become the children of God and join the believing Jews one day in God's kingdom. This is how Jesus dealt with what most people would have considered an adversary or an enemy. He had a need and he helped him.

He had the power to help him and he did so and even praised him for his faith before the others that were there. Think for a minute about a man named Judas. Judas, there were actually several Judases in scripture but the one we're most familiar with, the one you think about when I say Judas is Judas Iscariot. He was the one who betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. He was chosen by Jesus as one of the 12 disciples.

Do you think Jesus knew when he chose him? What kind of man he was? He certainly did. He certainly did. For three years, Judas traveled with Jesus.

Jesus cared for him. Jesus taught him. Jesus entrusted him with things. Even the money which Jesus knew he was dipping into for his own personal gain. He included him in his most intimate meetings and in his life.

The same as he did the other 12 disciples knowing all the time that Judas was not a friend. Judas was most definitely an enemy, an adversary. One who in the end would be guided by the devil himself. To betray Jesus that he might be hung on a cross. Jesus knowing this, knowing the man that was with him for three years, that slept beside him, that ate with him.

Was his betrayer, was a phony, was selfish, and self centered, and shortsighted. And was not going to change. But yet he treated him just like he did. The other 11 disciples. Think about that for a moment.

That is amazing But that is our savior Jesus Christ. And that is the way he often dealt with those that might have been considered his adversaries. Consider the Pharisees. The Pharisees, at every turn as a generally as a group, the Pharisees who were regarded very highly by the people. Oppose Jesus at every turn.

They continually sought to turn the people against him. They they said things about him that that weren't true. They they competed with him for the people's favor. They were always trying to trip him up with questions. In the end, they actively sought to have him killed.

How did Jesus treat the Pharisees? Well, when they came to him with questions, what did he do? He answered them. He answered them. He answered them seemingly with a great manner of respect despite the fact that he knew that they were wolves in sheep's clothing.

When they drug a woman in before him as he taught people in the temple courtyard, he very calmly taught not only her but them a lesson. About mercy and forgiveness and about judging others when there's sin in your own life. He taught them He seemed to respectfully answer their questions He sometimes when invited would eat with them would try to help them to open their eyes to see the truth When one came to him by night, named Nicodemus. He took time to teach him the truth and to share with him the way of salvation. Nicodemus became a believer of Jesus Christ.

He never, it would seem plotted evil against them as they did to him. He did rebuke them, frankly, when they were wrong. He was honest with them. He didn't run beat around the bush with them. And sometimes, he just out and out called it like it was.

But not in a mean spirit. That in a matter of telling the truth, warning others of who they really were false teachers. He never sought their harm, only it seems to win them over to the truth, to the truth, and to keep others from their erroneous conclusions and their self righteous ways. That's how Jesus dealt with a group that spent the last year of his ministry trying very hard to find a way to have him killed and yet when they came to him, he answered their questions. He talked to them.

He taught them. He told them the truth. Even though telling them the truth was more likely to get him what? Killed. And crucified.

Yet, he told them what was right. That's how Jesus dealt. With adversaries, we call the Pharisees. Turn if you would to Luke chapter eight. Luke chapter eight.

Excuse my cough. Luke chapter eight verse 27. 26, 26. They arrived to the country of the Gadarenes which is over against Galilee. And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man which had devils long time and wear no clothes, neither a boat in any house but in the tombs.

When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him with a loud voice said, what have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou son of God, most high, I beseech thee, torment me not. Now, this man was violent. This man was vile. This man was mad as in utterly insane. This is the man that met Jesus when he got off the boat.

Certainly, the people that lived in the Gadarenes were people that probably when they went near the area where this man was, they probably tried to avoid him. He was not somebody you wanted to come up and chat and carry on a conversation with. He would probably be considered dangerous and certainly uncontrollable. When he saw Jesus, it was not the man who knew he who he was but it was the where the demons that dwelt inside of him that knew who Jesus was. In verse 29, it says, for he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man for often times it had caught him and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters and he break the bands and was driven of the devil into the wilderness and Jesus asked him saying, what is thy name?

And he said, legion, that is the demons inside of him because many devils were entered into him and he besought and they besought him that he would not command them to go into the deep and there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain and they besought him that he would suffer them or allow them to enter into them and he suffered or allowed them. Then went the devils out of the man and entered into the swine and the herd ran violently down a steep slope into the lake and were choked. When they that fed them saw what was done, they fled and went and told it in the city and in the country. Then, they went out to see what was done and came to Jesus and found the man out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right man, mind, and they were afraid. So, Jesus found this man out of control, out of his mind, something that everybody else avoided because they probably considered him dangerous.

Jesus knew what it was that made him dangerous. The demons that lived inside of him. So, Jesus cast them out and Jesus turned a man who was considered by many a dangerous adversary. In to a grateful follower of Jesus Christ. Because Jesus Christ knew the need that he had and he cared and he turned a would be adversary controlled by a real enemy of Jesus.

Into a friend and a follower and to an incredible testimony of the grace and the power of God. Not only did he change this man's life forever, he even showed compassion on the demons. That's something I just don't understand. But they begged him, don't send us away. And he didn't.

Now, doesn't seem that they're in was all that good. Seeing the swine all ran into the water. Don't know what happened to him after that. But Jesus even seemed to have some mercy upon them. They'll come a day when that mercy will end because they do not have the opportunity that we do.

Praise God for the mercy and grace that Jesus has given to us. That we have the opportunity. They've made their choice, their fate is already sealed. Their doom is sure. But ours can change.

The day we come to Jesus Christ and receive his offer of salvation. Let's think a moment about the rulers. The rulers of the Jews, the the Roman governor, the King Herod of the day. The rulers which subverted justice and contemned, condemned Christ to death. How did he treat them?

He stood before Herod. He stood before Pilate. He stood before Annas and Caiaphas, the high priest, who were corrupt to the core. And yet condemned him. How did he treat them?

He treated them with respect while they beat him, while they plucked out his beard, while they mocked him, while they lied about him. He didn't lash out at them. He certainly could have called ten, zero angels at a moment's notice. To change everything. But that wasn't why he came.

He came to die and he didn't lash out. He told them the truth when the truth only only encouraged their determination to crucify him. He took with amazing grace their abuse and their verdict and allowed men to nail his hands to a cross. These people were certainly by all intents and purposes, his adversaries. Yet, he did not treat them as such.

Though they nailed him to a cross. In Luke chapter 22, turn if you would there. Luke chapter 22 Look at verses fifty and fifty one. Jesus was in the Garden Of Gethsemane at the foot of the Mount Of Olives with his disciples. They had just finished praying or I should say, he had just finished praying and they had just finished sleeping and Judas came with a mob of people to arrest him.

And they came up to arrest him. And one of the disciples, Peter, rashly pulled out his sword. And was going to I guess fight them off. It says in verse 50 of Luke twenty two and one of them, we know from the other gospels that was Peter, smote the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. That was how Peter reacted to the situation.

When the disciples recognized and realized that Jesus would not allow them to fight, then they did what? They all scattered and ran away and hid. Like Jesus told them they would do in the first place but look what Jesus did in verse 51 and Jesus answered and said, suffer you thus far. In other words, let this happen. And he touched his ear and he healed it.

What did he do? Well, the high priest servant that had his ear cut off by Peter, Jesus touched it and immediately did what? He healed it. Now, Jesus is being, these people are coming with a mob to take him unjustly to arrest him, to take him to a trial that is not a real trial at all, not according to the law, with false accusers, false evidence, to condemn him and crucify him. And one of the people that's coming to take him, Peter cuts his ear off.

And what does Jesus stop to do? He stops and he heals his ear. Was that man Jesus's adversary? Oh, we would say certainly so. But yet, Jesus seemed to care more about the man's ear than he did about his own his own life.

Be interesting to hear and maybe when we get to heaven, we will. The story of Malchus, the servant of the high priest who had his ear cut off. You know, maybe maybe we'll see Malchus in heaven. Maybe what Jesus did that day changed his eternal destiny forever. You don't know.

We don't know. But we may do one day. May know about that centurion stood at the feet of Jesus and said, you know, maybe he is. The son of God. Maybe we'll get to talk to him one day.

I don't know. As Jesus hung on that cross and looked at that crowd there, gathered that day as they mocked him and gambled over his clothing. What did he say? Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. This is how Jesus dealt with those who were in many ways considered to be his adversaries.

Turn if you would to Matthew chapter five and let's look at what Jesus had to say concerning those that we might consider to be our adversaries. Matthew five twenty three. We're going to read twenty three and twenty four. We're going to jump down to verse 38. Matthew five twenty three and twenty four.

Therefore, if thy bring, if thou bring thy gift to the altar and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar and go thy way. First, be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift. Jesus said, if you're at odds with your brother, with your brother in Christ, there's something between you that you have become what? Adversaries of sorts. Don't be content for it to stay that way.

You need to go and fix it. Go and fix it. Seek not to win but seek reconciliation and then come back to the altar and take care of things with your God. Look if you would in verse 38. You have heard that it hath been said an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth but I say unto you that you resist not evil but whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other also and if any man will sue thee at law and take thy coat, let him have thy cloak also and whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him too or twain.

Give to him that asketh thee and from him that would borrow of thee, turn not thou away. In in the days in which Jesus lived, a Roman soldier could come up to a Jew and by Roman law, he could demand to take a a coat. Jesus said, give him. Give him your cloak also. Go beyond.

The Roman soldiers could demand for them to carry their armor a mile. Jesus said, carry it. Carry it too. Rather than seeking to get back at somebody who smacks you on the cheek, turn the other cheek. Let him smack that one also.

Getting smacked on the cheek by the way is not going to kill you. Alright? Little embarrassment, little humiliation, maybe a little bit of pain, but Jesus said, rather than getting revenge, rather than getting back, rather than returning evil with evil, return evil with good. Do more than is required rather than less. Show them that the love of God is different.

Than the nature of man. He have said in verse four verse 43, he said, you have heard that it hath been said, thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy But I say unto you, love your enemies and bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you. That you may be the children of your father which is in heaven. For he maketh his son to rise on the evil and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love them which love you, what reward of you?

Do not even the publicans the same and if you salute your brethren only, what do you more than others? Do not even the publicans so? Be you therefore perfect as your father which in heaven is perfect. The world around you, the unsaved world, the publicans which were the epitome of of sinners in the mind of the Jews because they had betrayed their own people and they were thieves and robbers for the government of Rome. They even are nice to the people that are nice to them.

They even salute their own brothers and family. You're no different from them because you love those who love you. Go beyond. Be like your heavenly father. Love those who don't love you.

Be kind to those who are mean to you. Don't get back at those or do you injury or harm? Now, that's different. Now, that's the love of Christ. Now, that's the grace of God That is the example that Jesus has set before us.

You say, well, that's just a New Testament concept. In the Old Testament, it was always an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. No? Not always. There was a group headed by a man named Korah who opposed Moses's leadership in Israel.

You know what Moses did? At God's leading, Moses said, okay, will you meet me out here in the morning? And we'll let God settle. God encouraged Moses to do that and so he did it. Moses didn't call him a lot of bad names.

Moses didn't kill him. Moses didn't do any of those things. Moses just said, okay. We'll let God deal with it. So, the next day, Cor and his followers came out there and God dealt with him.

What did he do? He opened up the ground and swallowed them alive. Now, God took care of it. We're told in Romans chapter 13 Now, Romans chapter 12, vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord. That's his place, not not our place and though Moses had the authority to take Korah on himself, He chose to let God take care.

Daniel, did Daniel had adversaries in Babylon and in Persia? Oh, he did. His adversaries were were several but one group of his adversaries at one point in his life were his fellow rulers. There were several of them under the leadership of the king in Persia and he was the teacher's pet so to speak and they didn't like him because he kept getting what they thought was preferential treatment. Sort of like Joseph's and his brother's situation and so they concocted a plan to get Daniel killed.

They went to the king and said, king, all we love you. You're the greatest thing and you are just so great that we think that we should have a whole month holiday for you where nobody's allowed to pray to anybody but you and the king thought, hey, well, that sounds pretty good. Yeah, I I'll I'll do that. So, he signed it into law knowing all the not him but the people that came to him knowing all the time that their purpose was not to exalt the king. Their purpose was to put Daniel in a predicament where he would either have to abandon his God or he would continue to do as he did and pray to his God and he get himself killed.

Well, of course, we know Daniel considered to do just he has always has done and he went and he prayed and they were sitting there watching because that was the whole aim. Daniel didn't fight him when they came to arrest him. Doesn't seem. David didn't curse his enemies. David didn't seem to do anything to try to get back at him.

What did they do with Daniel? Well, they took him and they threw him in the lion's den. All night, the king was up pacing the floor. He was worried about his friend, Daniel. Daniel was sleeping with the lions because they weren't a threat to him because God took away their hunger and closed their mouths.

The next day, when the king came, Daniel was fine. By the way, what happened to the man that concocted that scheme? They were fed to the lions instead. Not Daniel's choice. Daniel left that to who?

He left that to the king and he left it to God and it was all taken care of. How about David? You know, David is known as a warrior and he's the one who battled and killed many enemies but when Saul attempted over and over to again to kill David as we studied a few months back, what did David do to Saul? Nothing. Nothing.

He refused to touch God's anointing. All he did was encourage Saul to stop what he was doing for his own good as well as David's. God settled the score. God made David king in his own good time. When Shimei came out to curse David as he pled from Absalom and he returned from the battle against Absalom, Shimei came and pleaded with him not to kill him.

In both cases, both times, David's generals wanted to shut up forever. What did David say to him? Let him be. Let him be. Maybe I deserve it and so they did and he left it in God's hands.

When if Basheth was defeated or about to be defeated during seven years of split rule between David and Judah and Ishbosheth in Israel and Abner came to David. Abner was Ishbosheth's right hand man. He was the power broker in Israel. He was the one who crowned Ishbosheth king and now Abner wanted to change allegiances. You know what David did?

You know, we would have done? We'd have probably say, sorry, you're out of luck, buddy. You chose the wrong team. But not David. David accepted him.

Unfortunately, David's right hand man, Joab, didn't do the same. Joab was not of the same spirit. When Absalom was defeated, after the battle was over and David was to go back to Israel, he wanted to appease his enemies. He wanted to bring them back into the fold. You know what he decided to do?

He decided to accept Absalom's commander of his army. As the highest general in David's army. Wouldn't think that would've happened. Not after everything Absalom did but that's what David did. You see, there are many examples.

Joseph for instance, in the Old Testament of people treated their adversaries similarly to how Jesus treated many of his. So, how should you deal with that boss or coworker who has it out for you? If you work with a lot of coworkers, if you work in a business with a lot of hierarchy, chances are somewhere along the line, you felt like somebody had it out for you. How do you, how should you deal with them? How should you deal with that neighbor who cares nothing for your personal property or your sleep?

Whose dog barks all night right outside your window? And he thinks it's funny. How do you deal with him? How should you deal with that sibling who wants all the glory and all the inheritance for themselves? You know, these are real situations.

You know, people do run into issues with coworkers and and we do sometimes have neighbors with dogs who bark all night outside our window and our neighbors don't seem to care. I have talked with several people just in the past few years who had siblings who saw the death of their mother or father or someone else as an opportunity to grab all the inheritance for themselves. The situations are not easy but Jesus has left us an example How should you deal with that schoolmate who is a bully and pokes fun and hide yourself and tells other lies about you? Now, I still remember those days. Maybe you were the bully, I wasn't.

I was the kid who got picked on. I was the guy whose lunchbox got taken on the bus and passed around as I ran around trying to get it. I was the one who others told lies about and laughed and thought it was funny. Those things happen to many people, not just me. You look back now, those things seem kind of small but it didn't seem small when I was a kid.

How do we, how should we deal? Our human nature says, I should be angry. My human nature says, I should get them back But that's not the example set by our savior. Jesus says, pray for them. They need our prayers.

We've got elections coming up. You may not at all be happy with who gets elected. And there may be good reasons you're not happy with who gets elected. Pray for them. They need the Lord.

Be respectful and kind to them. You know, many of the people that are bullies grow up in homes with bullies and abuse and they don't think anybody loves them. Love them. Be kind to them. Respect them even though they don't respect you.

Go above and beyond to help them. They won't know what to think. Says in Romans 12, heap coals of fire on their head. What does that mean? Well, that means this, keep being good to them when they're bad to you, and they will feel so guilty that they won't know what to do with it.

Sometimes, not always but sometimes, you'll turn an enemy into a what? Right. Into a friend. Be nice to that neighbor. Cut their part of the lawn that's between your house and theirs.

Be nice to that schoolmate. Don't show your anger towards that coworker. Go above and beyond. Overcome evil with good. And remember this, turn if you would to Romans chapter five.

Turn if you would to Romans chapter five. Remember this, verse six verse six, for when we were yet without strength in due time, Christ died for the ungodly. That was you and me. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die yet for adventure for a good man, some would dare to die but God commended his love toward us and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more than being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

For if, when we were, what's the next word? Enemies. We were reconciled to God by the death of his son much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. That is the example that Jesus Christ has set for us because we were the what? We were the ungodly.

We were the enemies and Jesus Christ came and he died for us that he might make his enemies his family. Praise God for his love and his grace and his mercy upon his adversaries. Us included, that he gave his life for us. We have the opportunity to show others that same love and mercy and grace in our lives. If we will just look at people the same way Jesus Not so much as enemies.

But as opportunities to show the love of God. Let's pray. Dear Lord, we thank you for the opportunity to worship you this evening. We thank you most of all for what you did for us on Calvary's Cross and I pray that indeed we would live for you and that as we go into the world this week that we would consider as we deal with those around us that are difficult, that are maybe just outright enemies and adversaries and out to get us and uncaring Lord that we might be different. We might be like Jesus our savior.

Lord, help us. Give us grace and strength and wisdom. For that only, that ability only comes from you. And we thank you for it. In Jesus name, amen.