Love Who?

Returning Evil for good is satanic.

Returning good for good is simply human. Returning good for evil, now that is divine! (Daniel Aiken) contains the 6th and final antithesis in the Sermon on the Mount that began in 5:21. They teach us about the kind of righteousness that supernaturally flows from the poor in spirit (5:3), the meek (5:5), the merciful (5:7), and the pure in heart (5:8)

This is a righteousness that emerges from within citizens of the Kingdom of God who are the salt of the earth and light of the world (5:13-16), citizens who are on the way to being perfect as their heavenly Father is perfect (5:48). All of this righteousness is a work of divine grace not human effort. And this all becomes evident when responding to the command to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute you (5:44).

Jim Elliot was one of five missionaries to Ecuador who were killed by a tribe of Indians they were trying to reach with the gospel. The Auca Indians were known to be very violent and they speared all five men to death even though they had had friendly contact with the the day before. Later on, Jim’s wife, Elisabeth, a long with another lady named Rachel saint, the sister of one of the five men, went to live among the Auca Indians ad shared the gospel with them. They loved and proclaimed salvation through Jesus Christ with the tribe and many Indians accepted Christ because of the ladies’s bold and loving witness.

We are to love our neighbors even when they are hostile and do evil acts against us.

Like obedient children, we are to emulate our Father and act toward evil people as He does.

If God can be merciful to wicked as well as good people, so must we.

Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

Loving our enemies shows others that God is our Father.

verses 43-44. What Jesus is about to say has been passed down by the scribes of old. This is their perspective and interpretation on the inspired text. The passage He cites is .

You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

But if we look at as Jesus says this is what you’ve heard, “Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.

Spurgeon said, “In this case the command of Scripture had a human antithsis fitted on to it by depraved minds for mischievous intent.”

Love Them (verse 44)

Jesus says but I tell you. Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

Love is a verb, an action word. It is also a present imperative — calling for a continuous action. we are not to love our enemies periodically or once in a while. We are to love them CONSTANTLY and CONSISTENTLY.

We are to give ourselves up and give ourselves away for the good of those who oppose, hate and even persecute us.

1 Corinthians 13 ESV

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13

Luke 10:25–37 ESV

And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

Luke10:25-37

We are to pray for them (5:44)

Not only do we love them , we also pray for them. It’s interesting that the word “PRAY” is also a present imperative, a word that is calling for a habitual action. As we pray, we commit their welfare to Him who knows all things and sees all things.

When I am persecuted?

When I am opposed?

When I am falsely accused?

When I am unfairly labeled?

When I am mistreated?

Luke 6:27–28 ESV

“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.

Romans 12:12–21 ESV

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 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.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Romans 12:12-21

Jesus hanging on the Cross

Stephen’s response towards his enemies as they are stoning him to death.

Citizens of the Kingdom of God find this behavior normal and supernatural because we are in this world, we do not belong to this world. We are simply following in the footsteps of our Father — we are simply following the example of Jesus.

Only God can give you the surpassing righteousness you need to enter heaven.

Only God can help you love your enemies

Christ died for us while we were still sinners.