Christianity 401: Bless Those Who Curse You, Part 2

Let’s continue to look closely at one of Jesus’s toughest commands, “Bless those who curse you” (Luke 6:28a). 

We must begin by understanding the original meaning of “bless.”  To “bless” is the act of releasing to God what He has planned for that person.  It’s refusing to gossip or use our words to murder someone who has hurt us.

None of us wants to see someone who has hurt us prosper - especially if that prosperity might lead the person to hurt someone else.  Therefore, when we bless someone, we are simply asking God to perform His justice with that person.

We bless - instead of curse - when we release those who have hurt us to God.  We refuse to be their judge, jury, and executioner.  It’s much like forgiving our enemy.  We simply say, “Lord, I hand them over to you.  I am taking my hands off.  It’s your deal.”

Think of it this way:  A priest or minister raises an open hand over people as he releases a blessing on them.  How God chooses to bless them is up to Him.  But we have now stepped out of God’s way.  The Holy Spirit is a gentleman.  He will never coerce us to unclench our hands gripped tightly around the neck of our enemy. 

When we open our hand and release a blessing on someone who has hurt us, we now have an open hand to receive what God has for us.  Imagine trying to pass a ball to a teammate whose hands are balled up into a fist.  He cannot accept the pass from you because he is not in a position to receive. 

Choosing to bless rather than curse is for our benefit, not the one who hurt us.  By opening our hands to bless, we open our hands to receive.

The quicker we choose to bless, the quicker God can choose to bless us.

That should be a strong motivator to immediately bless and not curse, shouldn’t it?