I’ve been thinking about adversaries lately.  A friend has been having issues with it, and it reminds me of a year long trial of faith that happened in my own life several years ago.

Adversaries go back as far as Adam.  He and Eve had an adversary whose sole intention was to get them to disobey God.  He was quite the sneaky adversary, and they fell for the ruse.  Since then, adversaries are legend.  Joseph’s own brothers sold him into slavery.  When they finally met again years later, Joseph was in a position of power in Egypt.  He could have done anything he wanted to them.  He tested them, and ultimately forgave them, understanding that it was God who allowed the whole situation in order to save the lives of his entire extended family.  Jesus faced his spirit adversary in the desert and came out on top by sticking to the Scriptures and understanding them better than his rival (satan also knows the Scriptures, but obviously does not understand them.).

One of my favorite stories about adversaries outside of the Bible is in Les Miserables by Victor Hugo.  The main character, Jean Valjean,  had a lifelong adversary, Javert.  Valjean had stolen a loaf of bread and was sent to prison.  He attempted to escape, was recaptured and sentenced to a longer period of time.  He eventually managed to escape and Javert (the ever self righteous) continually pursued Valjean throughout his whole life with the goal of puttting him back in prison.  In the end (I hope I’m not ruining the story for you!), the tables are turned and Jean Valjean gets into a position of authority over Javert and even has the authorized opportunity to kill him.  However, instead of killing Javert, in a heart rending scene Jean forgives him, shows mercy to him and lets him go free.

We all wrestle with our adversary throughout our lives.  Sometimes it comes to us in a situation.  Sometimes it’s an actual person.  It can be a long term adversary or many adversaries over the years.  Why does God allow it?  Like Valjean, it’s a road we must travel to see ourselves and overcome.  It’s a road unique to us and our situation in this life.  When we see it for what it is, and learn to find the purpose for which God allowed it, we can find God on a much higher plane and become more like him.  For Valjean, in the end, he is able to say (in the musical), “to love another person is to see the face of God.”  When Jesus overcame his adversary the devil in the wilderness, the Holy Spirit entered into him with all the power he needed to complete his mission.  Ultimately, he met his human adversaries in person through Judas, the Romans, the Sanhedrin, and others who did not understand his message.  He had the power to escape it all if he wanted to.  He had already previously escaped miraculously a few times.  He had even raised Lazarus from the dead, but he willingly gave into the will of his Father and let them kill him.  While they were killing him, he said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” 

Could we say that of our adversaries?  When we meet someone who opposes us, will we resort to hatred and revenge?  Could we find such love as Jesus had, even in whatever difficulty we experience, and have that same attitude in our heart?  Would we, like Jesus, be able to maintain our faith in the Scriptures, loving and praying for the very person who is contrary to us in whatever way?

I don’t think that we can answer those questions now.  The only thing we can do is day by day, forgive those who trespass against us in our daily lives.  Even if the forgiveness is not 100% real in the beginning, practice until it is.  How do we get to Carnegie Hall?  Practice!  It’s nothing less to get to heaven.

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5:44-48)

If you wish, enjoy the epilogue of Les Miserables at the link below.  It’s about eight minutes long.