Matthew 5:43-48 NKJV
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 [a]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 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 have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your [b]brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the [c]tax collectors do so? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Similar passage can also be found in Luke 6:27-28
Intro:
Probably the hardest commandment to obey, it takes the grace of God to make it possible!
The same person that brought you heart aches, sufferings, brokenness, sadness, hate and possibly make your life miserable. You brand them as mortal enemies, frinimies, etc.
1. Have you heard about a story about 5 missionaries killed by tribes men, Waodani tribe, the movie tells the story from the perspective of Steve Saint (the son of Nate Saint, one of the missionaries killed in the encounter), and Mincayani, one of the tribesmen who took part in the attack.[1][2] The two eventually form a bond that continues to this day. The movie "End of the Spear"
2. In the Christian catacombs of Rome, the following story (retold in Modern English) was found:
"A rich man named Proculus had hundreds of slaves. The slave named Paulus was so trustworthy that Proculus made him the steward over his whole household.
Look at the verse again, 43, “You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy."
This is not the same as ‘It is written’. Jesus is not quoting from the Old Testament but from the teachings of the scribes and Pharisees. He is not contradicting the law but the interpretations of the law that the scribes taught.
Notice in the previous verse, Mat. 5:17-19
After that Jesus gave the correct interpretation of the law not by outward appearance but by the condition of the heart (where sin comes out)
Best Illustration of that can be found in many Bible passage, like John 3:16, Phil 3:18, Romans 5:10, James 4:4
Christ called us to be imitators of His love to the ungodly.
His benevolent love to the ungodly verse 45, the same treatment as we need to show/exercise even to our enemies.
