Different Kind of Wound

Different Kind of Wound


If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were raising himself against me, I could hide from him. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship... But I call to God, and the Lord saves me. Psalms 55:12, 13 & 16 NIV

No matter if the intent was malicious or misguided benevolence, we have all of us endured injury from others. None of us are surprised by evil from an enemy. But the wounds of a friend or family... well those are entirely different wounds. Who can defend against an onslaught of evil from the ones that are supposed to love us?

When thinking of injury from friends I can't help but think of Christ. He was wounded by the very ones he was sent to save. He knows what it is like to be wounded by the ones he loves. "If someone asks him, 'What are these wounds on your body? He will answer, 'The wounds I was given at the house of my friends." (Zechariah 13:6). I think that friend-wounds are worse than others because you placed your complete trust in them. You gave them parts of yourself that no one else had the privilege of owning. Their hurtful acts against you cause you to feel undervalued, embarrassed and gullible. What's worse is facing the prospect of doing what Jesus says, "Pray for those that despitefully use you." (Luke 6:28)

When I pray for the ones that have hurt me I have this slightly arrogant feeling; that I have taken the high road and have somehow made myself better than they are. But the truth is; keeping the command to pray for my enemies is not a call for arrogance or revenge, but a call to bless my foes. When I pray for my enemies it is like taking them by the hand and pulling them before The King in order to plead on their behalf for having hurt me. And that is something that we are only capable of doing if God's Holy Spirit resides in our hearts and minds. Prayer for enemies isn't "taking the high road"; it is only a part of walking the path that was plodded by Christ on the way to the cross.