Matthew 5:43-48, Luke 6:27-28 and 6:32-36 (On Love of One's Enemies)

Rachel Workman:

Matthew	Mark	Luke	John
43 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’[r] and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies![s] Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. 47 If you are kind only to your friends,[t] how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. 48 But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect. I felt this version was a little more meaty and harder. How hard is it to love your enemy and pray for them? Very, our human nature wants us to do the opposite. Jesus gives his light to the just and unjust and he sends rain to the deserving and the undeserving. That seems to be the opposite of what we would want to do. It just tells me how much bigger God is than me. And how much bigger his thoughts are than mine. His love is a love that unsurpassed any other and we will never understand it on this earth.		27 “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. 28 Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. 32 “If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! 33 And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! 34 And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return. 35 “Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. 36 You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.

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Mike Grimm: 

Matthew	Mark	Luke	John
43 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’[r] and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies![s] Pray for those who persecute you! Jesus is telling us not to retaliate to prevent us from taking the law into our own hands. By loving and praying for our enemies, we can overcome evil with good. If we love our enemies and treat them well, we will truly show that Jesus is Lord of our life. This is possible only for those who give themselves fully to God, because only He can deliver people from natural selfishness. We must trust the Holy Spirit to help show love to those for whom we may not feel love. 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. 47 If you are kind only to your friends,[t] how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. 48 But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect. There are several areas in which we can be perfect, if it is truly possible. We can do it through character, holiness, maturity, and in love. We can be perfect only if our behavior is appropriate for our maturity level – perfect, yet with much room to grow. Our tendency to sin must never deter us from striving to be more like Christ. Christ calls all of His disciples to excel, to rise above mediocrity, and to mature in every area, becoming like Him. Those who strive to become perfect will one day be perfect, even as Christ is perfect. This is told to us in 1 John 3:2-3.		27 “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you.  Loving our enemies means acting in their best interests. We can pray for them, and we can think of ways to help them. Jesus was not saying that we had needed to have affection for our enemies; He was referring to an act of the will. Jesus asks us to follow His example by loving our enemies. Grant them the same respect and rights as you desire yourself. 28 Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. 32 “If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! 33 And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! 34 And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return. 35 “Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked.    Love means action. Take the initiative in meeting specific needs for somebody who dislikes us. It’s easy to do for somebody we trust, but it’s a different story when it’s somebody who despises us or wants to hurt us. When we give money to others it should be as a gift and not a loan. Give as though you are giving to God. 36 You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.