Lord, I have so many enemies! So many are standing against me. So many are talking about me. — Psalm 3:1-2a
Having enemies is a recurring theme throughout the psalms. And when we read it, we often understand “enemies” to be tacky, wicked people who’ve mistreated you in some fashion. Or, at least that’s the default way I read it.
The problem with this is that it sets us up as the righteous, the ones undeserving of such mistreatment. We take our enemies personally. And David, to whom this psalm is ascribed, fell into this. After all, in verse 7 he’s not praying for his enemies’ welfare but for God to “hit all my enemies on the jaw; shatter the teeth of the wicked!” He’s taking things a bit personally.
The real enemies in the Bible, though, are the ones who oppose God’s will for justice, compassion, and peace. They are the ones who should get our attention, because they oppose the One to whom we’ve committed our lives. When someone insults or hurts someone you love, how do you feel? And that should be the way we feel when we see immigrants demonized, healthcare denied, the environment crippled, and the gap between rich and poor widened.
Perhaps when we see enemies in this light, we’re better able to stand up to them because we are advocating for God’s kingdom, not our own or theirs. In the process, we’re also better able to see places where we have hampered God’s kingdom ourselves.
Regardless, it’s clear what Jesus asks us to do: pray for them and forgive them (and ourselves). That’s a lot better than asking God to hit them in the mouth.