The Command We’d Rather Skip
Vineyard Church | Weekly Update February 25, 2026
Adam Greenwell
February 25, 2026
Hello Vineyard Fam-
From the Heart to the Hardest Command... That's where we find ourselves as we continue in our Following the Way series. On Sunday, Jesus took us beneath behavior and into the heart. He showed us that anger begins with contempt, that desire can become disordered, and that integrity begins with alignment between the inside and the outside.
Real righteousness, He said, is not about managing appearances, it is about reordered love. If we let that sit for a moment, we begin to realize something important: If anger and contempt distort the image of God in another person, then love restores it.
This sets us up for what comes next in the Sermon on the Mount, “Love your enemies.” Not avoid them, not out-argue them, not tolerate them from a distance... Love them. Loving our enemies is the natural outcome of a healed heart.
We cannot love our enemies if contempt is still being nurtured beneath the surface. We cannot bless those who oppose us if our identity still depends on being right, superior, or secure in ourselves.
So last week was not just about internal hygiene, it was preparation, preparation for the hardest command Jesus gives.
Why Enemy Love Feels Impossible
Enemy love feels unreasonable because it confronts our deepest instinct: self-protection. When someone harms us, dismisses us, opposes us, or misunderstands us, our natural response is defense. We withdraw. We retaliate. We rehearse arguments in our heads.
But Jesus sees something deeper. Anger begins in the heart. So does mercy. The same place where resentment grows is the place where compassion can take root. Enemy love is not pretending harm did not happen, it is refusing to let harm define your heart. Strength shaped by grace.
The Link Between Heart and Enemy
Think about the flow of the Sermon on the Mount so far: Jesus has dealt with contempt, desire, speech, anxiety, treasure. He has been quietly reordering our loves. This comes first because love of enemy is not a standalone act, it is the fruit of a heart that has learned:
* My security does not come from winning.
* My identity does not come from being superior.
* My provision does not come from control.
* My justice does not come from retaliation.
When those truths begin to take root, enemy love becomes possible. Not easy, but possible.
Real righteousness, He said, is not about managing appearances, it is about reordered love. If we let that sit for a moment, we begin to realize something important: If anger and contempt distort the image of God in another person, then love restores it.
This sets us up for what comes next in the Sermon on the Mount, “Love your enemies.” Not avoid them, not out-argue them, not tolerate them from a distance... Love them. Loving our enemies is the natural outcome of a healed heart.
We cannot love our enemies if contempt is still being nurtured beneath the surface. We cannot bless those who oppose us if our identity still depends on being right, superior, or secure in ourselves.
So last week was not just about internal hygiene, it was preparation, preparation for the hardest command Jesus gives.
Why Enemy Love Feels Impossible
Enemy love feels unreasonable because it confronts our deepest instinct: self-protection. When someone harms us, dismisses us, opposes us, or misunderstands us, our natural response is defense. We withdraw. We retaliate. We rehearse arguments in our heads.
But Jesus sees something deeper. Anger begins in the heart. So does mercy. The same place where resentment grows is the place where compassion can take root. Enemy love is not pretending harm did not happen, it is refusing to let harm define your heart. Strength shaped by grace.
The Link Between Heart and Enemy
Think about the flow of the Sermon on the Mount so far: Jesus has dealt with contempt, desire, speech, anxiety, treasure. He has been quietly reordering our loves. This comes first because love of enemy is not a standalone act, it is the fruit of a heart that has learned:
* My security does not come from winning.
* My identity does not come from being superior.
* My provision does not come from control.
* My justice does not come from retaliation.
When those truths begin to take root, enemy love becomes possible. Not easy, but possible.
A Simple Preparation Practice
Before this week’s sermon, take a few quiet minutes and ask yourself: Who is difficult for me right now? Is it a person who wounded you? A family member you avoid? A coworker who irritates you? Someone you disagree with politically? Someone who dismissed your faith?
Do not analyze it yet. Just name it.
Then pray this slowly:
Jesus, You loved me when I was far from You. You showed mercy before I deserved it. Show me where contempt is still shaping my heart. Reorder my love. Teach me to see this person as You see them. Give me the courage to love in a way that reflects Your Kingdom. Amen.
Enemy love is not sentimentality, it is apprenticeship. This is learning to reflect the heart of a King who stepped toward us when we were not yet on His side. That kind of love is the power we need to do the hard things.
Have a great rest of your week, Stay Churchy my friends!
Before this week’s sermon, take a few quiet minutes and ask yourself: Who is difficult for me right now? Is it a person who wounded you? A family member you avoid? A coworker who irritates you? Someone you disagree with politically? Someone who dismissed your faith?
Do not analyze it yet. Just name it.
Then pray this slowly:
Jesus, You loved me when I was far from You. You showed mercy before I deserved it. Show me where contempt is still shaping my heart. Reorder my love. Teach me to see this person as You see them. Give me the courage to love in a way that reflects Your Kingdom. Amen.
Enemy love is not sentimentality, it is apprenticeship. This is learning to reflect the heart of a King who stepped toward us when we were not yet on His side. That kind of love is the power we need to do the hard things.
Have a great rest of your week, Stay Churchy my friends!