Jesus tells a secret

Jesus would understand your worries. In this week's Gospel (Luke 6:27-38), He tells people to do something that sounds crazy: Love their enemies, even if it hurts!

"Love your enemies," Jesus taught. "Do good to people who hurt you. If someone hits you on one cheek, let them hit the other one. If they take your coat, give them your shirt, too. It's easy to be nice to people who like you; everyone does that. But when you're nice to someone who hates you, God is proud of you."

When Jesus told His followers to be nice to their enemies, they might have thought He was crazy! Why would they want to be nice to someone who hurt them?

If everyone finds out your secret, they might tease you about it for a while. But you might also find out you're not the only one with the same secret! If you told a grownup, you could even get some help changing whatever is wrong.

That's what Jesus was trying to do. When He told people to let their enemies hurt them, He knew that if some people stop fighting, it helps other people stop fighting. If you keep hurting someone, they'll keep hurting you.

Having secrets can be as scary as letting people find them out. When Jesus told people the "secret" of loving enemies, they thought He was crazy at first -- but now we know He was right!

PRAYER FOR THE WEEK: Jesus, help me tell my secrets to a grownup I trust. Amen!