Matthew 5:43-48 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brothers only, what are you doing more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48 Therefore be perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect.
Many things can cause us to think certain people or groups of people are enemies in our world today. We can see these divisions in things like Covid19, vaccinations, many of the social agendas being endorsed, the activities of politicians, the different religious groups, and even the growing acceptance of sin and immoral activity around us.
The question becomes - HOW DO WE RESPOND TO THOSE WHO MAY LOOK LIKE OUR ENEMY?
First, let's remember that as Christians if it were not for Jesus, we would be walking in darkness. We would not be much different.
Colossians 1:12-13 giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled us to be partakers in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of His dear Son,
Ephesians 6:12 For our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Secondly as Christians, like Paul, our purpose is to be an instrument used by God to bring light to those around us.
Acts 26:16-18 But rise and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and a witness both of what you have seen and of what I will yet reveal to you. 17 I will deliver you from your people and from the Gentiles to whom I now send you, 18 to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’
Yet, some of the responses we see today from Christians are wrong and unbiblical. Many Christians want to hurt back in anger, walk-in bitterness, and write these people off in many cases. Some create Christian subcultures and communities so they can hide from the world. I have heard Christians say things like, "I hate those people", promote violence, and ridicule and use sarcasm and put down people, especially politicians and leaders, amongst some of these groups/movements.
DISCLAIMER – There are times to say the difficult things. There are times to stand up. There are situations where it is necessary to speak out. But Christians tend to say way more than they should, just for the sake of saying it, because they want to be heard or make a point, with a heart that is often in the wrong place. Many times it may be the truth, but it is not clothed with love. There is a right way and wrong way to stand for what is right.
WHAT IS THE BIBLICAL RESPONSE TO THOSE WHO LOOK LIKE THEY ARE OUR ENEMIES?
Matthew 5:43-48 - “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor (Lev 19:18) and hate your enemy.
The Jewish culture of the day supposed that if you loved the one (for example, a neighbor from their own country, nation, and religion), then that means they must of course, hate the other. This is very much human nature. The leaders and people were willing to conclude what God never designed. In fact, they changed and added to what scripture had commanded. Hate your enemy...
I would suggest they were mistaken in changing the law of God and their understanding of who was a neighbor.
Remember in Luke when the lawyer came to Jesus, asking how he might have eternal life. Jesus responded, "love God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind and then love your neighbor as yourself." This response didn’t satisfy the lawyer, and in (as the Bible says) an attempt to justify himself, the lawyer questioned Jesus and asked, "who is my neighbour?"
Jesus than told the lawyer the Parable of the Good Samaritan. (read the story here) Two religious leaders from the Jews came along and didn't do anything to help the Jewish man who was lying and dying on the roadside. Then came a Samaritan. This Samaritan was an enemy of the Jews; they had no dealings with one another, the Jewish man who was robbed by thieves and beaten had no right to expect any help because of the hostility which existed between the two people groups. Except the Samaritan took care of him.
Many Christians today wouldn't lift a finger to help someone they felt was an enemy to them. They would probably justify and think that this evil person deserves what they are getting.
The question Jesus gave to the lawyer at the end of it all, who was the neighbour to this man?"
If that isn’t clear enough, Jesus says back in our original passage from Matthew says, "BUT I SAY TO YOU..." When God speaks, we must listen and obey.
Love your enemies – It is not optional.
God has called us to love the very ones we think are our enemies. It’s a question I sometimes have to ask myself. Do I love those who hate me, do I love the person who has hurt me, do I love the person from a different religion down the road, do I love those promoting these social agendas, do I love the politician who opposes the truth? Do I love them?
Am I going to love them if they come to church?
Something about love that we can't miss: LOVE IS GOING TO BE DISPLAYED... Jesus put actions to the words. He said.
Bless those who curse you.
The word “bless” here means to “speak well of” or “speak well to:”, using kind language. Jesus says, bless, use the very opposite of what comes against you.
Do good to those who hate you.
Do them all the good you can, be kind towards them, treat them well, let them participate in the benefits of your life, if they are in need, give them help.
And pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.
What Christ here commands and advises us to do, He did; as He hung upon the cross, He prayed for His crucifiers, who tortured, mocked, and put Him on display in the most despiteful way... "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" and in this, He has left us an example, that we should walk in his steps;
Think about the Martyr Stephen; who, while he was being stoned, prayed for his persecutors and murderers, saying, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” – Acts 7:60
Maybe we are not facing death, but these serve as examples of praying for those who are causing us so much pain and trouble in the face of the most trying and challenging moment.
Regarding these "enemies." Do I pray for their salvation? Would I want to see them in our church? Many Christians would not want them to come to their church. However, we never know what God can do in the heart of someone. So why would we limit Him by not wanting these from coming to church?
Matthew 5:45 - that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
Not that we became the children of God, but by doing things in imitation of Him, we might be known to be the children of God, because we do the things which resemble our heavenly Father.
God makes His sun rise upon the evil and good and sends rain, without distinction, on the just and unjust. So we should show that we imitate or resemble Him or that we possess His Spirit, by doing good in a similar way to those who deserve it and don’t deserve it.
Those who hate Christians, who stand against what we believe, who oppose us as individuals may never change, but they should receive the same love we give to those who love and care for us.
Matthew 5:46 -47 - For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brothers only, what are you doing more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?
If you only love those that love you, is it selfish love, love for the “benefit,” and you deserve no praise. It is easy to love someone who loves us, blesses us, and is friendly and kind to us.
Jesus said, the very “tax-collectors - publicans” would do the same. They were men of the worst characters and were most hateful to the Jews, partly because of their business to collect the Roman tax and carry it to the proper officers appointed to receive it.
In the New Testament, they are regularly joined with "sinners"; they were thought of as thieves, dishonest, and not allowed as witnesses in any of their court proceedings.
Jesus said, even tax collectors knew to love those who loved them. Do we live above the world? Is our standard of treatment of people better than that of someone who does not know God?
Matthew 5:48 - Therefore be perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect.
It should be the desire of Christians to aim at and press toward the example of our heavenly Father. In God's perfection, He loves and does good to those who do evil and are unthankful, and we should seek to be like Him.
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