You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you, that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. Matthew 5:43-4 WEB
With these famous words, Jesus taught the life changing principle of demonstrating love for our enemies. The Lord commanded us to do good to those who hate us and pray for those who mistreat us. When we love our enemies and bless those who curse us, we live in submission and obedience to the word of God. When we do good to those who hate us, we show the grace and love of our heavenly Father. In doing so, we demonstrate that we are his children.
Here, Jesus references a passage from the Old Testament. He uses it to illustrate a cultural bias that perpetuates conflict and demonstrates an unforgiving nature. We read in Leviticus 19:18, “Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the Lord. KJV” This scripture was commonly interpreted as a command for the Jewish people to love and forgive fellow Isaelites and only them.
Love Like Jesus
Jesus added context to the interpretation of the scripture. Demonstrating that God sends love to the just and the unjust alike, Jesus teaches us to be like our heavenly Father. In this teaching, we get insight into the different ways we behave concerning our friends and enemies. We tolerate, forgive, and demonstrate love for our friends even when they annoy us sometimes. But, we prove harsh, unforgiving, unlikely to do good for those we perceive as enemies, outside of our group.
This revolutionary teaching from the Sermon on the Mount transformed man’s understanding of God’s love. Demonstrating the patient, long suffering, self-sacrificial love of our heavenly Father requires showing mercy, love, and forgiveness to our enemies. As we find forgiveness in Jesus who paid the price for our sins on the cross, the Son of God commands us to show the same love, grace, and forgiveness to everyone, even our enemies. Jesus teaches us to do good to those who hate us because it reflects the love of our Father in heaven.
Prayer: “Father God, thank you for your mercy and forgiveness. Thank you for your patience and love. Give me strength and wisdom to love my enemies as you do. Let your will be done here on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus name – Amen”
Yesterday’s Devotional: The Last Days
