Photo by Chris Barbalis on Unsplash
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.” (Matt 5:43-45 NIV84) [see these verses in their context below]
The American Civil War ripped a nation apart. It brought division among friends and tore apart families as they chose sides. All civil wars do this. Lifelong friends became enemies of one another and family bonds were broken.
This animosity and hatred lingered on long after the war for many. It still does. All because of loyalty to a cause over love, relationships, and personal respect.
The political, religious, and social animosity of our times is no different. When we allow causes and opinions to hold sway over the value of personal relationships, we lose perspective. It distorts our beliefs and values resulting in a pretense of goodness and rightness.
Prejudices and some form of social class system exist within all populations. These are established by those who have economic and political power but also those who see themselves as superior to others because of religion or other values.
In the time of Jesus, Israel was an occupied nation under the oppressive world empire of Rome. But within Jewish culture, the religious elite and wealthy were the dominant social class.
Jesus challenged their religious and privileged hierarchy. The nature of God’s Kingdom is humility, not pride nor superiority. As said in the Beatitudes—Blessed are the poor in spirit… those who mourn… and the meek.
It’s no different today than it was then. And yet, within the spectrum of those who claim to be followers of Jesus, each denomination or sect sees themselves as better or more righteous and spiritual than others. Even the non-denominational or more independent groups hold to some sense of their own righteousness.
Insights
The Jewish nation was born by God through the descendants of a man who trusted God implicitly and whose trust God honored (Gen 12:1-3; 15:6). They were promised a homeland but were nomadic tent-dwellers for centuries.
Later, they became slaves under Egypt’s great empire for many generations. They finally gained their promised homeland through successive conquests over various tribal groups.
Their religion—their beliefs and worship—was to help them become a distinct people group among all other nations. They were to be God’s people governed by God’s Law and a testimony of God to other nations.
But they didn’t remain faithful to God nor His Law and endured many cycles of idolatry and slavery. They became occupied and oppressed by the nations whom they were to influence with their worship of the One, True, and Living God—YAHWEH or Jehovah.
They believed that those who were not with them were enemies. They saw themselves as special to God and superior to everyone else and blessed by God while others were cursed.
After their exile of 70 years (Jer 25:11)—removed from their homeland and dispersed among other nations—they interpreted God’s Law to suit their way of life. They developed their own sense of righteousness—a form of spiritual perfection they could fulfill.
Today, we who consider ourselves as God’s people—the church, followers of Jesus, Christian believers—have crafted our own sense of righteous perfection. We love those who are like us—who believe and behave like us. And everyone else not like us can easily become enemies in some way or another.
In the same way, as when He walked on earth as the Son of Man, Jesus challenges us to leave the kingdoms we make for ourselves to live in His Kingdom.
Redefining and Fulfilling God’s Law
This is the last—You have heard… But I tell you…—teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount where He redefines the Law. It is similar but goes beyond the Lord’s admonition about murder in the heart.
Later in the gospel narrative, Jesus declares loving your neighbor as yourself to be the second great summary commandment (Matt 19:19; 22:37-40).
Over centuries, the Law was interpreted by various teachers of the Law to include the admonition to hate your enemies as a corollary to love your neighbor. Jesus addresses and expands on this amplification of God’s Law. He not only redefines it but redirects it.
This redirection of “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” reaches back to the Beatitudes. In the book of Acts, we see this take root in the hearts of the early church. It is just as relevant now as then.
Citizens of God’s Kingdom are not to despise and hate their enemies but to love them and pray for them. If we only love and accept those similar to us, then we aren’t any different than those we might despise or look down upon.
Jesus opens the door to the Kingdom to include others who are not like us and may even hate us. He shines the sun and sends the rain upon all without distinction. God’s love and forgiveness are impartial. This was hard for the Jews to accept then and still is for many believers now.
We followers of Jesus are not to be a closed society or restrictive cultural clan. We are to reach beyond our own sense of goodness and rightness. We are to love and accept others with the extension of God’s mercy and grace—His forgiveness and redemption (Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21-23).
And here’s the kicker—citizens of God’s Kingdom are to be perfect—just as the heavenly Father. How is this possible?
This isn’t a call to perfect behavior but to perfect union with God. We are to be like our King Jesus, that is, of the same nature as Him (John 3:16, 30). As Jesus becomes more and more the genuine ruler of our hearts, the more we can become like Him in nature (2 Peter 1:3-4).
The Lord calls His followers, the citizens of His Kingdom, to live a life different than the lives of those around us. We are called to follow Jesus and be like Him in nature, so those outside His Kingdom may know what God is like and even come to know Him personally.
In the next chapter of Matthew, we’ll begin to consider what Jesus sees as true religion and true faith.
If you are striving for perfection in any way, whose measure of perfection is it? God’s Kingdom is made up of those who forsake their own kingdoms to choose Him above all.
REFLECTION—
Jesus challenges us to leave the kingdoms we make for ourselves to live in His Kingdom and become like Him in our hearts and minds. His Kingdom is characterized by love and acceptance towards others because of His mercy and grace.
PRAYER FOCUS—
When you find yourself at odds with others, ask the Lord for help to see them as He does. When you find yourself failing or struggling with things in life, seek Him personally in prayer and worship.
Devo Scripture Text
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”
“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca, ’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.”
“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.
Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.”
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.”
“It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.”
“Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.’ But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.
And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
(Matthew 5:17-48 NIV84)