Love Your Enemies

Matthew 5:43-48

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,

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

Observations/Exegesis/What does it mean to the original hearers:

v. 43 6th antithesis “you have heard that it was said,” - meaning this is what the Jews think and do. They love their neighbors and hate their enemies.

“you have heard that it was said” - to translate this phrase in a modern Filipino lingo, we would say, “Namaritest ninyo...” They only heard it. They did not read it from the Scriptures.

Meaning, the OT never says that anyone should hate his or her enemy. Therefore, for the sixth time here, Jesus is correcting not the OT itself but only misinterpretations of the OT. (Source:ESV Study Bible)

ESV Study Bible says there are 5 antithesis, I say there are 6 (verses 21, 27, 31, 33, 38, 43).

v. 44 “But” - is a conjunction that denotes a contrast. So, v. 44 then is the correct interpretation of the OT. Jesus is now telling his audience, the Jews, that what they have “heard” is wrong, and that they should love their enemies and that they should pray for them. (e.g. The Romans)

v. 45 the reason is so that you may be sons of God. It is implied from this verse that if the Jews hated their enemies that means they are not sons of God but of the devil (c.f. John 8:44)

v. 45 God our Father gives “common’ grace to everyone. So, if God our Father is gracious (common grace) to all people, just and unjust, good and evil, then we too ought to be gracious to them.

v.46 Jesus gave them the reason (by asking them rhetorical questions) why they should love both their neighbors and also their enemies.

v. 46 during that time tax collectors are considered unjust and evil.

v.47 same as v.46. Gentiles are considered unjust and evil

v.48 the reason for all the antitheses: “the Jews must be perfect as Yahweh is perfect.”

Theological principle: “love others (that includes your enemies) as you love yourself”

Application: Sons of God (Christians) are called to love their enemies and pray for them.

How do we love others?

By respecting our parents. (#5)

By not killing (hating) a person. (#6)

By not committing adultery. (#7)

By not stealing. (#8)

By not lying. (#9)

By not coveting. (#10)

These things are the most common way on how we show love to others. This list is not exhaustive since there is so many other things that we can do to show our love for others that include our enemies.

The negative commands from commandment number 6 to 10, each has so many ways we can think of to show our love for others.

Example commandment #6. Loving others does not stop from not killing them. For many people, they think that they have fulfill the 6th commandment by not literally killing their enemies. No.

Truly loving your enemies is helping them in their well-being -physically, emotionally, mentally, socially and especially spiritually. You would like to see and help them prosper and have a meaningful existence. And thus you ultimately will pray for them.

There is no difference in how you treat and love your loved ones to how you treat your enemies. That is the point of the passage. If you are able to do so, then that proves that you are truly a son of God.

So what? The question remain. “Are we, Christians and sons of God, really loving our enemies and praying for them?”

Let us expound on this. To the closest people to us - our family. Have you read Matthew 10:36?

“and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household.”

What is your relationship with the unbeliving members of your household, like your dad, your mom, brothers and sisters?

Are you scared or intimidated to share the Gospel of salvation to them so that they will have a chance to go to heaven?

Are you that kind of person who does not want to “rock the boat” and avoid disagreement?

Do you have this kind of reasoning? “If they are one of God’s elect, they will one day come to the faith.”

Or maybe you said this, “I prayed for their salvation and I think that is enough.”

If they are your friends, then perhaps you have not really shared to them what you have in Jesus Christ.

But, if they are your enemies because of your witness for the Gospel, then you are that person mentioned in verse 32 (Matthew 10:32) of the same chapter.

“Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven.

(Mt. 10:32 New American Standard Bible: 1995)

If you have been really praying for their salvation, I believe that God will used you to share the Gospel to them one way or the other.

Remember what Stephen did before they stone him to death (Acts 7). He prayed for them that God will not take it against them what they did to him.

Also, remember one of the last words of our Lord Jesus, He said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing (Luke 23:34)