Love Without Limits: "The Proper View of Loving Your Enemies!"

Subject: Love

Text: Matthew.5:43-48

Purpose:

To teach Christ’s disciples the true nature of love and how to practice it toward their enemies.”

Introduction:

Imagine standing in the crowd as Jesus begins to challenge everything you’ve ever known about love. Not the easy kind—the kind that loves the people who love you back—but the kind that reaches across the lines we naturally draw. The kind that confronts the way we react when people hurt us, ignore us, mistreat us, or misunderstand us.

“Imagine driving and someone cuts you off. What’s your first instinct? Anger? Retaliation? Now imagine that person is your enemy—someone who has hurt you deeply. How do you respond then?”

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus addresses common misinterpretations of the Law. People were taught to love their neighbor but felt justified in hating their enemy.

Context: Jesus flips this cultural norm upside down:

Contrast: "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

Today, we will learn the proper way to view love and how to exercise it toward our enemies, so that we reflect God’s character and pursue His standard of perfection.”

Thesis:

“Jesus doesn’t just give us a command; He gives us a reason and a goal. Let’s look at three views in this passage: View1: the proper view of love, View 2: the purpose and pattern of love, and the proper view of perfection.” Let’s see...

I. The proper view of love. v.43-44

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’

 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

As we jump in the text, we can see that the Lord is speaking in this portion of this gospel.

A. Jesus statement in v.43a

Jesus is quoting this statement in the book of Leviticus. This Old Testament book have a lot of commands and things had to live and tell the people of Israel. On your hand out, you shall see the first reference in.… Now as you here these sobering words from the Lord to Moses in your bible I want you to highlight the words love and neighbor.

Lev.19:18

You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

2. After the conjunction but we can see the command, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. This word in the Old Testament is verb meaning to love it used over 210 times in the O.T.

The meaning of this word is describing the full range of affectionate commitment between persons, between God and humanity, and even toward abstract ideals. The point we can see in the Old Testament is showing us that we are commanded by the Lord to not love any kind way, but primarily how we love our neighbor. You're probably wondering what does neighbor mean.

4. This word in the O.T is used over 184 and the N.T only 17 times. This word in the Old Testament means friend, favorite, lover, companion, comrade. The usage of this word in the Old Testament is vital for you to understand it embraces every layer of human relationship in the Old , from casual interaction in the marketplace to deep covenantal friendship.

Now, stay with me in the N.T. the meaning of this word it is used as an adverb or a noun. The usage of this word is neighbor or fellow men. It indicates nearness someone that is nearby. Now my beloved, Jesus is letting His disciples now how He loves and how they expected to love. Listen, to these sobering scriptures on how we are to love our neighbor.

5. Matthew 19:19

Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

6. Romans 13:9

“For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

7. James 2:9

“But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.” Now my beloved turn your bibles back to

Matthew.5:44 and let's put our attention on verse 44.

B. Jesus’s stance in v.44

 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

Now looking at this verse, we see Jesus’ statement, and we can see His stance. We can the conjunction but in this portion of this text. He is going to flip what they believe and practice on its head. He states Love. Now we examine this word in the Hebrew now let’s briefly examine the word love in the Greek. This word is used in the N.T is used over 143 times. This word is a verb meaning to love, the definition of this word can be stated as a deep level of affection and intimacy.

Now knowing what love it’s not a feeling but an action. It is something we show unconditional; I don’t know about you it is strange to experience this type of love. Who can attest here they experience this type of love.

What does enemies mean? This word is used only 32 times in the N.T. It means one who is hostile towards someone and is an enemy. Now, my beloved what Jesus’s said, and His stance is so countercultural. Love, people who hate me. I don’t know about you this command is bigger than us. This practice is one of having the right relationship with God first.

Luke 6:27–28

27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.”

28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.

3. Romans.12:20

To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”

4. Job 31:29

“If I have rejoiced at the ruin of him who hated me, or exulted when evil overtook him” pray...

Truth statement based off this point “Do not love based off feelings, family traditions, and cultural norms! We just looked at the proper view of love in v.43-44 we know will examine...

II. The purpose and pattern of love in v.45-47

45 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. 

46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

A. The purpose stated

Jesus says a word that can mean son or daughter the word son this word in the original language is Huious which can mean son. This Greek noun is used 374 in the New Testament.

5207 hyiós – properly, a son (by birth or adoption); (figuratively) anyone sharing the same nature as their Father. For the believer, becoming a son of God begins with being reborn (adopted) by the heavenly Father – through Christ (the work of the eternal Son). In the NT, 5207 /hyiós ("son") equally refers to female believers (Gal 3:28).

5207 /hyiós ("son") emphasizes likeness of the believer to the heavenly Father, i.e. resembling His character more and more by living in faith ("God's inwrought persuasons," see 4102 /pístis).

5207 /hyiós ("son") highlights the (legal) right to the Father's inheritance, i.e. as the believer lives in conformity with the Father's nature (purpose).

My beloved loving our enemies we are able to share into the inheritance of God the Father, God the Son, and the Spirit. Now Jesus unfold theology about His Heavenly Father who is Heaven. The theology he unfolds is grace but primarily common grace. Now we can attest we heard the term grace which means unmerited grace. Now as we examine Matt.5:45 we see Jesus gives us a powerful illustration on God’s love and grace to all His creation in two illustrations. The text reads “For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”

2. You're probably thinking what is Common grace According to the compact dictionary of Theological Terms: “The universal favor that grants to all people, both believers and unbelievers. Common grace prompts unbelievers to embrace the gospel, and it evokes thanksgiving from believers.”

3. Acts 14:17

 Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.

4. Romans 2:4

“Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?”

B. The Pattern That Shocks Culture

46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

Jesus transitions to give cultural rhetorical and a pattern not to demonstrate. We can see Jesus gives us a reasoning and rhetorical question of how not to love.

What are a tax collectors based off in that cultural? The were viewed in a negative light because of how they took advantage of people.

Matthew 9:9

“As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.”

3. Matthew 10:3

“Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;”

Who are Gentiles: Were not a people of the covenant as the Jews. They had no privileges they could not worship like the Jews. We can see Jesus checking the Jews and even us we are not to love and treat others how others treat us.

Truth statement:

God views all of our relationship from Godly ethics and His imitation. My beloved, we are called and expected to love how you God tell us how to love! Not our way but His way!

Thesis Statement

We looked first at the proper view of love in v.43-44 and we just examined the purpose and pattern of love in v.45-47 and we will conclude by illuminating...

III. The proper view of perfection v.48

You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

A. The view of perfection

Now this word perfect is an adjective used in the New Testament used 19 times. The meaning of this word can mean perfect, complete, mature or full grown. It also describes something complete, mature believers, and the perfection of God. Now my beloved love is the central theme Jesus informing us on how we do things.

Me beloved, God is looking at us to not be sinless that is impossible, but we should be sinning less. Our love for our neighbor should be that of our Heavenly Father towards us. To practice this perfection, we need to operate with God first then towards our neighbors must times we love and to this command backwards we love ourselves first then others and things.

Matthew 19:21

“Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.””

2. James 1:4

“And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

B. The model of perfection

The model is being perfect as God the Father in heaven is. My beloved being a follower of Jesus is imitating/model Jesus in His character and conduct. The question is who was Jesus' modeling? He was modeling God.

Who are we to model Jesus Christ. Seems simple in logic, but we bring so much evil to table outside of Christ! The love we demonstrate is always telling on us on who serve and ultimately who we love.

Leviticus 19:2

“Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.”

2. 1 Peter 1:15

“but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,”

Recapitulation:

What have discovered today from our Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew.5:43-48 from His views on how to love. We see the proper view of love in v.43-44, we examined the purpose and pattern of love in v.45-47, and we concluded by seeing the proper view of perfection in v.48.

Appeal:

When you think about God’s moral law have you ever violated His law