Matthew 5:44-48
“…We are commanded to love…”
~5 min read
Remember the previous lesson we learned about the danger of omitting and adding onto the Bible, and then misunderstanding what God’s Word really means. Then Jesus went on to say in Matthew 5:44, But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.
The word love is agape; it is a divine love from God, and it is sacrificial (c.f. 1 John 4:8). We are commanded to love regardless of what people would say or do to us, and to return good unto them. Though loving our enemies who have done terrible things to us is not an easy thing to do, yet it is possible for the believer. Because the Lord Jesus Christ who has saved us with His love (agape), He is also working in our lives that we will love (agape) others.
Jesus gave us two reasons why we should love our enemies;
The first reason is, That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust (Matthew 5:45). To love our enemies and to pray for our persecutors show that we are the children of our Father which is in heaven (c.f. John 13:35). The impartial love you show to your enemies will show that you are truly a child of God by following His example as He shows His impartial love in sending the sun and rain on both the righteous and unrighteous.
The second reason is, For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? (Matthew 5:46). The publicans or tax-collectors had a very bad reputation in Jesus’ time because they would collect more tax than they were supposed to. But even those much-hated tax-collectors had their own friends whom they loved. If the believer only loves his friends, he was doing no better than those cheating publicans. And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? (Matthew 5:47). In other words, when you only welcome or greet your brothers, do you think you are better than others? Even the publicans do that!
Dear children, we Christians should have a much higher standard of love than the rest of the world. Wherever we are and wherever we go, we must always be loving and forgiving, and communicate the love of God (which we have received through Jesus Christ) to the unbelieving world. Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect (Matthew 5:48). With men it is impossible, but with God all things are made possible. God provides us with the Holy Spirit who will empower us to live such a life, by loving our enemies.
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