We read Jesus words as He continues the Sermon on the Mount, and we come to verses 43-48 of chapter 5 in Matthew. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so 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. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
When truly paying attention to what we are reading, words like these make us stop and ask “What? Repeat that!? Did He just tell us to LOVE our enemies?” The truth is – YES HE DID!
And the word used in the original text for “Love” here means to be full of good-will toward them.
Read what He said in Luke 6:27-31 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.”
Our human nature is to retaliate to those who do stuff we don’t like, to get even with those who hurt us (both physically and emotionally), get out REVENGE against others. However, that is NOT the way we are supposed to live as Christians. Note the last phrase in the passage above from Matthew 5 – “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” How do we do that???? That’s IMPOSSIBLE! We argue. And that would be correct – it IS impossible for us aside from the power of the Holy Spirit living inside of us. We MUST walk so close to God that we begin to resemble Him and His nature in ALL that we do or say. What a testimony we can have toward others when we DON’T get angry when people wrong us, when we REFUSE to retaliate when others harm us, and when we even do the UNTHINKABLE and LOVE those who hate us!!
When Jesus was hanging on the cross, some of His last words were “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34) He didn’t say “You people just wait until I get my revenge!” That’s the example WE are to follow! Oh, how important it is for us to fully realize these truths and seek to live them in our own lives.