To love your enemies

Title: To love your enemies

Text: Matthew 5:43-48;

D.T Realize the undeniable humanity of your enemy.

Introduction: Abraham Lincoln is known for many different quotes. “For score and seven years ago” people can finish the rest of the statement as if they were reciting song lyrics. However my favorite Abraham Lincoln quote is this, it’s a question Lincoln posed to some reporters. Lincoln asks “Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?” Here's why I like this quote so much. It seems as though it’s President Lincoln's interpretation and understanding of one of Jesus' teachings on “Loving your enemies, and praying for those who persecute you.” However it seems clear that President Lincoln didn’t view this command as something he was begrudgingly obligated to do. Instead he viewed this command as an opportunity, a chance to eliminate more enemies through something as joyous as friendship. Today as we continue our study on the sermon on the mount. I hope we will look at Jesus' command to “Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you” as an opportunity.

READ Matthew 5:43-48

Matthew 5:43–48 ESV

“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 sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 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, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Jesus' words are rooted in Leviticus 19:8, which is the command “Love your neighbor as yourself” However what is absent from Leviticus 19:18 is the command to hate your enemy. As a matter of fact, you won’t hear the words “hate your enemy.” in the Old Testament. So how did we reach the point where people are basically adding “hate your enemy” to the command to love your neighbor. This likely began with how people would interpret loving their neighbor. The teachers of the law would interpret “Loving your neighbor” as narrowly as possible. Basically your neighbors were the people you liked. Anyone else wasn’t your neighbor, as a matter of fact they were probably your enemy.

This mindset is why the parable of the Good Samaritan exists. Before the Parable Jesus is discussing this very command with a Pharisee. The Pharisee then asks Jesus “Who is my neighbor?” The text even points out the Pharisee asked this question to justify himself. Basically the Pharisee wanted Jesus to validate his narrow view of Leviticus 19:8, he wanted Jesus to validate this view so he could be given permission to hate his enemy.

Jesus then tells the parable of the Good Samaritan so he could flip this idea on its head. Jesus makes the point that our enemies are also our neighbors as much as our friends. Meaning that loving your enemy is included and implied within the command to love your neighbor. Jesus of course makes this point plainly in this passage by telling us to Love our enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

For the Jews in the audience that meant Jesus was telling them to love Samaritans (an ethnic hatred) Romans (a political hatred) and Tax collectors (traitors)

Who is the enemy Jesus is calling you to love?

People in the other political party?

People you have a disagreement with?

People who have wronged you?

Notice what Jesus says about the importance of loving your enemy. According to Jesus the way we treat our enemies sets us apart as Children of God. Loving our enemies indicates a faith which is mature.

Jesus makes a point that God causes the sun to rise on the good and evil alike. God shows love for his enemies by blessing them with something as simple as causing the sun to rise.

Jesus also makes the point that even those who are distant from God love their friends, how could the way we treat our friends set us apart from the rest of the world, when the rest of the world loves their friends?

Jesus then makes one final point where he tells us to be perfect

Teleios perfection in maturity, not being something without flaw.

Loving our enemies is an indicator of a faith that is mature.

This is no less true of our lives today. When people think of churches, generosity may come to mind.

Do Christians have a corner on the market when it comes to generosity?Are Christians the only ones who forgive people?Are Christians the only ones who serve their community?

So how do we go about loving our enemies? Can we take practical steps to accomplish this? Loving our enemies is something incredibly hard, so we need all the help we can get.

Every once in a while, you will encounter stories where former enemy soldiers became friends. Sometimes the friendship is immediate, still during the conflict. Sometimes it happens later in their lives. In these stories, there is a clear and constant theme.

WWII Soldier Roland Glenn walked through a rice paddy when he discovered a Japanese Soldier and took aim at him. Before he could shoot the Japanese Soldier pulled out pictures. Glenn said “I thought they looked like my family. His little sister looked like my sister, and his girlfriend looked like my girlfriend,” Glenn said. “I realized I was sitting here with another human being. He was no longer an enemy.”

A WWII American POW after a Japanese Soldier stole his ring. This ring was a college football national championship ring. The Soldier had played football for Notre Dame. The Japanese Soldier was a former student at USC, and remembered watching the POW score a touchdown.

A Guantanamo Bay prisoner would befriend a guard named Steve Wood. This friendship was sparked by the realization that both men shared a love for the movie “The Big Lebowski”

My experience watching the Timothy McViegh Special.

There is a shared experience that unites all men in this story. The humanity of their enemy becomes undeniable. Our response must be identical. You want to love your enemy? Realize the undeniable humanity of your enemy.

Common interests? Common stories? Common experiences?

Going the extra mile

Let us approach this challenge the same way President Lincoln did. Let us view it as an opportunity. Not only to eliminate enemies, but to give us a chance to ante up and show our dedications as Christians. To give us an opportunity to grow in faith, and possibly help one of the lost be found.