Romans 12:14-15 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
The transformed life of love can be put to the test when one experiences persecution. The natural human response is self-preservation, which may be expressed by fighting back or responding with violence. It is almost impossible to love one’s enemy without the love of God being shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). To bless someone is to bestow a good thought upon him or her. It is to think and even say something positive. Our natural response is to curse and show hatred to those who cause us pain and harm. Only through Christ can we even begin to bless those who cause us pain. We must be filled with the mind of Christ and the love of Christ.
Verse 15 is all about identifying with others by entering into their joys and sorrows. A word that describes the is empathy. Jesus did that with us by the incarnation. He became one with us, suffering as we do, being tempted as we are, weeping and laughing. It is hard to laugh and have fun by oneself. But it is so much better to celebrate and have fun with others. Laughter and joy are contagious. It re-enforces our unity. Likewise, it is difficult to bear one’s sorrows along. We do not need to say words but simply to have the ministry of presence. This is part of bearing one another’s burdens, and thus, fulfilling the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2).
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