LEARNING DAILY

 

Matthew 5:43-44, “You have heard that it said. ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I say to you, love your enemy, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.”   Jesus

 

This is the last of six illustrations Jesus used to explain the difference between God’s Word and what the Pharisees and scribes endorsed.  They taught love your neighbor and hate your enemy.  Their definition of neighbor meant only an Israelite and the enemy was everyone else.  It could also mean that Jews were to love Jews and everyone else were Gentiles.  Therefore, it was easy to see Jewish disgust and hatred for the Gentiles.

 

Jesus said to love your enemies; love the Gentiles.  This attitude is to be the way Christians are to live today.  It is the attitude taught about turning the other cheek.  Consider how difficult it would be to love the one who would attack you physically or made you carry their load for a mile.  Jesus was the perfect example because He lived what He taught.  Read through the Scripture that describe His treatment at the hands of the Romans.  He was whipped, hit, spit on, and publicly shamed.  They placed a crown of thorns on his head.  He was made to carry His cross to Calvary.  He was nailed to a cross.  And He prayed for them to be forgiven.

 

These six principles taught by the Lord can be bound together by love.  It is a matter of treating others the way He would.  He taught the treatment of others should never be based on who they are or what they have done.  The Bible states that God sends the rain on both the just and unjust (Matthew 5:45) which means He blesses both; Christians and non-Christians are blessed when it rains.  He deals with them out of love regardless of who they are or what they have done.  It is the same principle found in John 3:16. “God sent His Son into the world that whosoever would believe in Him should have eternal life.”  God offers His salvation through His Son in spite of what man has done.   Every Christian is to have this same attitude; the only way Christians can do this is to get rid of self in their life.  To those who would say unkind words to you, reply with kind words.  When someone acts in a cruel way towards you, respond with kindness.  And, when one persecutes you, pray for them.

 

Notice that Jesus said “Love your enemies.”  He did not say “like” your enemies. That means we pray for the ones we do not like.  Love is active and not one of sentiment or just a feeling.  You do not have to like what others have done.  There are many in this nation and the world that are doing things that are ungodly and I certainly do not understand what they do.  All I know is that the love of God is not in them.  They have believed the lies that come from the pit of hell and are trying to force their beliefs upon all people.  Our attitude, according to what the Lord is teaching here is to love them as He does.  No, we do not have to like what they have done or are doing.  We pray for their salvation and respond in a way that might reach them for the Lord.  If they do not respond that is between them and the Lord.  Judgment is coming!

 

It is important to read the last verse of Matthew 5, “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”  As Christians, you and I must be imitating God the father as well as we can.  We do not have the ability to do this on our own.  It only comes from the Holy spirit living within us, changing us from the inside out.  We are to live the best way we can praying the words of Jesus strengthen us to act the way He desires.  We will fail; Jesus is not preaching a sinless perfection.  He is telling us that we must be different from what the world is saying is the way we should live. 

 

I suspect this to be good for us to know, a good way to live as the world becomes increasingly more ungodly.

 

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