“You have heard that it was said, “Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven…” -Matthew 5:43-48

The Biblical teaching that we ‘love our neighbor’ was not original with Jesus. It had been taught before in Leviticus 19:18. The normal conclusion would be to ‘hate your enemies’ and scripture such as Psalm 58 could be used to support that. But Jesus brings a radical new teaching when he says “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” This is a radical love indeed. We are to love our enemies – do right by them, desire good for them – and pray for them.

There are three motives for this. First, we live this way so that we will be sons of our father in heaven. In other words, we seek to walk with God and have fellowship with Him. We are the ‘children of God’ (1 John 3:1) and we are to live that out.

Secondly, we love our enemies because that is the very character of God himself. God gives rain and sunshine to all people – both the evil and the good. We see these daily reminders of the fact that God loves all people, and we are to also. It is very easy to love some people. The real test comes with those who are difficult to love. That is what sets us apart as the followers of Jesus.

Third, we are to be like God in his ‘perfection.’ This is a high aspiration, better a wide aspiration. This is impossible without God’s help. But as we read in 2 Peter 1:3-4, God has given us everything necessary for life and godliness, and we are able to participate in the ‘divine nature.’ In other words, we can be like God in our love for other people, our doing right by them. We can reflect God’s very nature and perfection.

As followers of Christ we are the most ‘exclusive’ of people – Jesus is the only way of salvation. Yet we are also the most inclusive as we live out God’s love for everyone.

We are to follow the example of Jesus who loved his enemies. Who were his enemies? Those who crucified him – and he called upon the Father to forgive them as he hung on the cross. Also there were the Pharisees and other religious leaders, whom he rebuked - which was exactly what they needed. They needed to know the truth that would set them free.

Who are our enemies? Let us pray for them, and do right by them. Paul says in Romans 12:21, may we not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Pastor Tim, October 7, 2007