![]() Likewise, the context of this command is in seeking the other person's good-not enabling, endorsing, or cooperating in their abuse or evil. The enemies, here, are those who hate those who love Christ. He will judge those who are praised by the world because they say what the world wants to hear (Luke 6:22, 26). This passage comes after an explanation that God will bless those who suffer because they follow Christ. ![]() Because of Jesus' sacrifice, God promises if we do love our enemies He will give us great reward, not least of which is being called His children (Luke 6:35).Ĭontext is important, however. It is Jesus who died for the world while we were His enemies (Romans 5:10). This is only possible, in an emotionally healthy way, if our focus is not on our enemy but on our God and His promises. It makes no human sense to work toward the best for someone who actively wants to cause hardship. And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. Jesus-followers will act for the benefit of others, even those who mean harm (Luke 6:22). But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Sinful people will speak for the benefit of other sinful people who provide them with worldly advantage. "Good" is from the same root word as "well" in Luke 6:26. Likewise, "good" means to act for the advantage of another. "Love" is from agape and means to seek someone else's welfare, even if to do so requires a sacrifice. An "enemy" is someone who does not like you and wants to harm you. Understanding the various terms in context is helpful. Jesus will escalate the difficulty of His command in the following verses.This is one of the most difficult and counter-cultural commands in the Bible. Offering prayers to God for people who are actively hurting you, especially for being associated with Christ, requires looking at the world in a completely different way. This kind of love is meant to be expressed in action. This is not described as emotional love, or affection. This is hard enough to grasp today, but at the time the words were first spoken they would have been shocking.Ĭhrist does nothing to take the edge off this command, either. Worse, He equated this with the righteous living needed to enter the kingdom of heaven. The Jewish people understandably viewed Rome as their enemy.Īnd yet, a man thought by many to be the Messiah, the Savior who was supposed to free Israel from her enemies, has just commanded His disciples to love and pray for their enemies. The Roman tax burden left many people in near poverty. ![]() Roman soldiers enjoyed privileges and took liberties with Jewish citizens under their thumb. Dissent beyond the established limits was savagely punished. That said, Rome ruled over conquered nations absolutely and severely. Israel continued to function as Israel in many ways, and they experienced a form of peace under Roman rule. Rome typically did not destroy those they conquered-rather, they allowed relative freedom with a set of conditions. On one hand, becoming part of the Roman empire brought benefits. That makes it easy to forget how radical the claim was, especially for those who live with daily threats from dire enemies, as did the first-century Israelites. Many modern people have heard this teaching, or variations on it, all our lives. Though few people live this out, in a meaningful way, the idea is deeply ingrained in western culture. Pride and selfishness are the opposite of Christian love, so its obvious they. Instead of only acting in love towards neighbors, Jesus tells His disciples to love their enemies and even to pray for those who persecute them. Verse And Prayer For The Day 28th Jan 2022 Bible Verse My Life With. ![]() ![]() It implies something much more difficult and more like God Himself. Jesus again declares that God's intent for the righteousness of His people goes beyond selfishness and legalism. However, it seems that the religious leaders were also teaching that it was permissible-possibly even mandatory-to hate one's enemies (Matthew 5:43). God's Word does, indeed, command us to love our neighbor as our self (Leviticus 19:18). His listeners had grown up under a partly correct teaching. Jesus' long list of reversals in chapter 5 concludes with this one. Matt.5 Verses 43 to 47 43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. ![]()
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