I never realized that Jesus’s command to love your enemies is an oxymoron until I read R.T. France’s commentary. He noted that by definition, an enemy is not loved.
“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 children of your Father in heaven, for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous (Matthew 5.43-45).
Loving those who do not love you is not presented as a piece of pragmatic wisdom, but rather as a reflection of the character of God Himself.
What does it mean to love our enemy? Love in the New Testament is not only a matter of emotion, but also an attitude that determines our behavior, acting for the good of the other.
It is seeking the positive good for persons who harm us, and then going further and praying for God’s blessing for them.
One of my friends, who is faithful in following the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous, knows that resentment is one of the major problems in staying sober. When he has resentment, he follows the advice of Jesus in this passage.
He asks God to bless the person who has harmed him with a blessing that he would like to have.
A Small Circle
A very selfish prayer that I jokingly use in sermons is, “Lord, I pray for me, my wife, our son John, his wife, us four, and no more.”
Jesus teaches that love goes beyond our narrow circle of just four, five, eight, or ten people, but it extends even to our enemies.
“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 and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?” (Matthew 5.46-47)
I frequently use Mahatma Gandhi’s tragic commentary on Christians where he says, “I would have been a Christian if it had not been for Christians.”
He was attracted to Christianity by a missionary named C.F. Andrews. Andrews displayed service and love beyond anyone I have ever read about towards Gandhi and his fellow Indians.
When they went to South Africa to work at near-slave wages, Andrews quit his position with the mission board to accompany them and serve alongside them.
Andrews is an example of the attractive power of God’s love in action. May our love reflect the character of God’s love toward everyone.
Be Perfect
When God commands us to be perfect like He is perfect, it is not a loathsome duty that we have to fulfill with gritted teeth. Rather, it is a tremendous opportunity.
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5.48).
Whenever God commands us to do something, it is a gift from Him for our good. To be like God is to have the best character, the best personality, the most joy, the most love, and so on.
Jesus is the only One to walk the face of the earth who was perfect, as the Father in heaven is perfect.
When we watch him, see his actions, listen to his teaching, and incorporate his attitudes and behavior into our lives, we will find out that something happens within us. We are given a chance to have the best life possible.
That’s what God intends for us. He also intends for us to share it with other people.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross and I discussed this passage on YouTube today. It’s on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 