Love Your Enemies

Introduction:

The Savior kept attacking the attitudes of the Pharisees, the attitudes of the Jews and our attitudes.

I. Teaching of the Pharisees

A. Their perversion: love neighbor and hate your enemy

B. Their rationale: God showed this by His destruction of the Canaanites

C. Their extent: taught that a really good Jew would hate everyone but another Jew, and maybe him too

II. Correction of Christ

A. A revisionary principle (“Love your enemies”)

B. Clarifying illustrations

1. Bless them that curse you

2. Do good to them that hate you

3. Pray for them who despitefully use you

C. Encouraging admonitions

1. God acts this way ()

2. Common sense dictates it ()

3. Common experience demands it ()

III. Implications of the Teaching

A. We must have a proper attitude toward ourselves

B. We must have a proper attitude toward others

C. We may reject this, but it is for our good to take heed

D. Only the renewing work of the Spirit of God can make us like this

Conclusion:

God wants us to have our attitudes right in all things. We are especially commanded to love our enemies.

Charles R. Wood, Sermon Outlines on the Sermon on the Mount (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1985), 29.