The True Way to Love one Another

Matthew 5:43-48

Matthew 5:43–48 (CSB)

43 “You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be children of your Father in heaven. For he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what are you doing out of the ordinary? Don’t even the Gentiles do the same? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

When it comes to learning on what is the LOVE that Jesus is trying to show the Jews, two songs come to my mind. The first is from the David Crowder Band and it is “How He Loves” (And He is jealous for me. Love's like a hurricane. I am a tree, Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy. When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory. And I realize just how beautiful You are, And how great Your affections are for me. And, oh, how He loves us, oh. Oh, how He loves us. How He loves us, oh.

...

And we are His portion and He is our prize, Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes. If His grace is an ocean, we're all sinking. And Heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss. And my heart turns violently inside of my chest. I don't have time to maintain these regrets, When I think about the way... That He loves us. Oh, how He loves us. Oh, how He loves us. Oh, how He loves.)

The second being East to West by Casting Crowns (Here I am, Lord, and I'm drowning in Your sea of forgetfulness The chains of yesterday surround me, I yearn for peace and rest I don't want to end up where You found me And it echoes in my mind, keeps me awake tonight

I know You've cast my sin as far as the east is from the west And I stand before You now as, as though I've never sinned But today I feel like I'm just one mistake away from You leavin' me this way

Jesus, can You show me just how far the east is from the west? 'Cause I can't bear to see the man I've been come risin' up in me again In the arms of Your mercy I find rest 'Cause You know just how far the east is from the west From one scarred hand to the other)

These two modern songs to me show the message that Christ is trying to say.

In our main passage, we are seeing how to love one another, but to really understand what Jesus is saying here we have to look at the previous passage to get what He is teaching. When the New Testament was written, there where no chapter, verse, or page numbers. Everything flowed together. So, originally we were to have read this as one complete account.

Matthew 5:38–42 (CSB)

38 “You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. 39 But I tell you, don’t resist an evildoer. On the contrary, if anyone slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 As for the one who wants to sue you and take away your shirt, let him have your coat as well. 41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and don’t turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

The very base of this text is that this is how we are to respond to those who seek harm against us. It is not a sign of weakness, but the greatest sign of faith in Christ, because it is not for us to take revenge on others, as said in Romans 12:19 “19 Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.” Therefore, we are called to pray for those who persecute us.

Leviticus 19:17–18 (CSB)

17 “Do not harbor hatred against your brother. Rebuke your neighbor directly, and you will not incur guilt because of him. 18 Do not take revenge or bear a grudge against members of your community, but love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord.

As this account is written, the Jewish nation was only looking to their own people when it comes to this text. However, Jesus give a deeper meaning in the Sermon on the Mount, by referring to all people as there neighbors. Jews and Gentiles together.

Galatians 5:13–14 (CSB)

13 For you were called to be free, brothers and sisters; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself.

Luke 6:27–36 (CSB)

27 “But I say to you who listen: Love your enemies, do what is good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If anyone hits you on the cheek, offer the other also. And if anyone takes away your coat, don’t hold back your shirt either. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and from someone who takes your things, don’t ask for them back. 31 Just as you want others to do for you, do the same for them. 32 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 If you do what is good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do what is good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High. For he is gracious to the ungrateful and evil. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

In Luke we see what Matthew was saying, just Luke uses it all together. In Luke’s gospel, he uses different phrasing, while still telling the say account as Matthew.

John 15:9–17 (CSB)

9 “As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. Remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.

11 “I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.

12 “This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 I do not call you servants anymore, because a servant doesn’t know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from my Father. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you.

17 “This is what I command you: Love one another.

In all of the passages that I have shown you the central theme in all of them is that Christ and God have called us to a higher form of love. That goes far beyond our earthly understanding. We can’t begin to fully grasp that kind of love. It is in the lowest or the highest moment in our lives. That we start to see what kind of love we have for our fellow man. If Christ is willing to give up His life on the cross, becoming sin who knew no sin. So, that we might become his RIGHTEOUSNESS. The way that both Matthew and Luke end there portion of this passage, we see the ways that God continues to love us it is PERFECTLY & MERCIFULLY.

In Closing,

Let us not forget how we are to show the world what kind of love is true love. Also, that even as imperfect people we still serve a perfect Lord and Savior. Who conquered death, and provided the ONLY WAY to one day see the Father who lovingly made us and formed us, for a glorious purpose.