Mat 5:43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor, and you shall hate your enemy.'
Mat 5:44 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 mistreat you and persecute you,
Mat 5:45 so that you may prove to be sons of your Father in heaven; because He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and He sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
Mat 5:46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
Mat 5:47 And if you greet your friends only, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?
Mat 5:48 You therefore be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
This is an important section for understanding Jesus teaching on Love. We all love our friends but to love our enemies this is really a completely different story. For Christians Jesus outlines what it will it means to live like He did on earth. Here He is setting the standard on who we are to serve and react to even the hate-filled enemies around us.
God sends the sunshine and the rain on the just and the unjust and we should show this same attitude.
Mat 5:43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor, and you shall hate your enemy.'
Mat 5:44 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 mistreat you and persecute you,
Notes:
In verse 43 Jesus outlines the typical teaching of the scribes and Pharisees Love you neighbour Lev 19:18 but ‘hate your enemies’ which is not found in the OT.
Here are some OT passages:Referring to the Israelites entry into Canaan:
Exo 34:12 Take heed to yourself, lest you make a covenant with the people of the land where you go, lest it be for a snare in the midst of you.
Exo 34:13 But you shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their sacred poles.
Exo 34:14 For you shall worship no other god. For Jehovah, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God;
Deu 7:1 When Jehovah your God shall bring you into the land where you go to possess it, and has cast out many nations before you, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than you,
Deu 7:2 and Jehovah your God shall deliver them before you, you shall crush them, completely destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them.
Deu 7:3 Nor shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to his son, nor shall you take his daughter to your son.
Deu 7:4 For they will turn away your son from following Me, so that they may serve other gods. So the anger of Jehovah will be kindled against you and will destroy you suddenly.
The Old Testament extends Love to the Resident Alien.
Lev 19:34 The stranger that dwells with you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself. For you were strangers in the land of Egypt. I am Jehovah your God.
love Greek OT ἀγαπάω agapaō
Thayer Definition:
1) of persons 1a) to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly
L.Morris “this was the warmest of attitudes” p.130
Mat 5:44 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 mistreat you and persecute you,
Love is here Commanded. ‘love your enemies’ is imperative tense. Enemies is plural and therefore all inclusive.
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Bless those who curse you.
Bless G2127 εὐλογέω eulogeō
Thayer Definition:
1) to praise, celebrate with praises
2) to invoke blessings
3) to consecrate a thing with solemn prayers
3a) to ask God’s blessing on a thing
3b) pray God to bless it to one’s use
3c) pronounce a consecratory blessing on
4) of God
4a) to cause to prosper, to make happy, to bestow blessings on
4b) favoured of God, blessed
Cursing G2672 καταράομαι kataraomai
Thayer Definition:
1) to curse, doom, imprecate evil upon
bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you — The best commentary on these matchless counsels is the bright example of Him who gave them. (See 1Pe_2:21-24; and compare Rom_12:20, Rom_12:21; 1Co_4:12; 1Pe_3:9). But though such precepts were never before expressed - perhaps not even conceived - with such breadth, precision, and sharpness as here,
our Lord is here only the incomparable Interpreter of the law in force from the beginning; and this is the only satisfactory view of the entire strain of this discourse. JFB.
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Note Jesus and His attitude to persecution and suffering
1Pe 2:21 For you were not called to this? For Christ also suffered on our behalf, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps,
1Pe 2:22 He who did no sin, nor was guile found in His mouth,
1Pe 2:23 who when He was reviled did not revile in return. When He suffered, He did not threaten, but gave Himself up to Him who judges righteously.
1Pe 2:24 He Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that dying to sins, we might live to righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed.
1Pe 2:25 For you were as sheep going astray, but now you are turned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Mat 5:45 so that you may prove to be sons of your Father in heaven; because He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and He sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
Notes: Here is the very Purpose for our loving attitude to persecutors.
so that you may prove to be sons of your Father in heaven;
we show that we are true sons of our heavenly Father when we love our enemies and persecutors. This is the likeness of our heavenly Father being expressed.
because He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and He sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
God shows His love to all people He has created and He showers His Grace upon them all. The sun doesn't shine only on the good and the rain does not fall only on the righteous. He gives extravagantly to all whether they acknowledge Him or not.
Mat 5:46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
Here is a reasoned answer to those who object to loving your persecutors. There is no reward for doing what is expected. The tax-collectors were very despised in the first century as they were Roman stooges.
Mat 5:47 And if you greet your friends only, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?
Mat 5:48 You therefore be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.WNT
Mat 5:48 You must be perfect---just as your Father in heaven is perfect. GNB
Mat 5:48 That is why you must be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect. GW
Jesus is showing that God wants more than what normal people do, even Tax-Collectors and sinners
“Perfect has the meaning here of “to attain the end or the aim. If anything has attained that for which it was designed it is Perfect.” Jesus is calling on His disciples to be mature people and attain the end for which God has made them. He has set before us the Highest of standards: it is expected that we will pass on to attain them.” L. Morris 133-134
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