"The Cross is Like an Enemy Loved"

Junior High. Need I say more? If those were the best years of your life, I say good for you. For the rest of us, may I wallow in the misery of those years with you?

Whenever I think of Junior High the face and name of one boy comes to mind. He had failed a few times so he was older and further along in the puberty cycle than the rest of us. His voice was deeper and I am pretty sure he was already shaving. For some reason, he picked me out as his instinctive enemy. It was weird really. I had never met him or even said a word to him. But he did not need to talk to me to know he did not like me.

God in all of his wisdom decided to make sure I had gym class with the brute. O, he, who I soon came to call my arch-enemy, loved having gym class with me. Talk about fuel for fire...He tormented me with threats and belittling words every day. Of course, I was a bit mouthy myself and so I did not really help matters any. One thing was for sure, he hated me and I hated him.

Then one day after school, I saw that boy outside his house. His dad was screaming at him; Calling him every name in the book. Then I watched his Dad back-hand him across the face. My enemy did not cry. He barely flinched. It was obvious it was not the first time. This was normal to him. He would not cry. He would simply become angry. He would do to someone else what was done to him.

So, the rest of Junior High he continued his name calling and belittling of me. I wish I could tell you that after seeing what he lived with, we became best friends, but we didn't.

However, I distinctly remember that while the mistreatment was still embarrassing, I no longer took it personally. I now saw why he was my enemy. And it is hard to hate someone you understand.

The Bible says we have a high priest in Jesus who sympathizes with our weaknesses and intercedes to the Father on our behalf. How could Jesus love and forgive us to the point of death? Because he understands us. He does not just see the sin behavior, he sees the lies, the pain and everything that is behind it. He sees you. And because he experienced the trials and temptations of life, he sympathizes and says, "Hey Dad, I know what its like to be where they are. That's what sin and suffering in that world does to a person. Let me love them to you."