Matthew 5 43 48 NKJV You have heard

Matthew 5: 43 -48 (NKJV) “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, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father 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. 43

Matthew 5: 43 -48 (NKJV) For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. 46

SERMON ON THE MOUNT: LOVE YOUR ENEMIES Matthew 5: 43 -48

SOM: Love Your Enemies We continue our study of the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 5 -7 Our last study together looked at 5: 38 -42 Jesus once again referred back to the old law and addressed the idea of repaying evil for evil

SOM: Love Your Enemies Certainly Jesus has not made things easier through His words, but rather tougher Turning the other cheek and going the second mile certainly are not easy things to do However, that is who we are called to be

SOM: Love Your Enemies Jesus doesn’t let up as He finishes these thoughts through the end of chapter 5 The Christian life is certainly not an easy one, and to read what Christ commands will show us that is the case So we look tonight at what Jesus

SOM: Love Your Enemies 1. Back to the Beginning (v. 43) § Jesus begins by once again mentioning their understanding or “version” of the old law § The law certainly stated that they were to love their neighbor (Lev. 19: 18) § However, one would be hard pressed to find a verse teaching hate of the enemy

SOM: Love Your Enemies 1. Back to the Beginning (v. 43) § Somewhere along the way, the Pharisees and Scribes managed to inject their own interpretation in there § Perhaps the thinking was that if we love our neighbor then we must naturally hate our enemies by contrast

SOM: Love Your Enemies 1. Back to the Beginning (v. 43) § The problem once again is taking liberties with the scriptures § It’s a dangerous thing to create laws where there were none; which the Pharisees were good at § So Jesus now will clarify…

SOM: Love Your Enemies 2. Commandment of Christ (vs. 4445) § Jesus begins once again with “But I say to you…” § The word of Christ is that one is to love not only their neighbor, but their enemy as well § This must have been a shock to those

SOM: Love Your Enemies 2. Commandment of Christ (vs. 4445) § Not only would it have been a shock, but it certainly would have been a challenge as well § This kind of love was certainly not a “natural” love, like we love our spouse, our children, our family and friends

SOM: Love Your Enemies 2. Commandment of Christ (vs. 4445) § He not only told them to love their enemies, but to also: § Bless those who curse you § Do good to those who hate you § Pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you

SOM: Love Your Enemies 2. Commandment of Christ (vs. 4445) § How are we to do this? § By being like our Father in Heaven and following His example § What is the example that God sets for us? § To send sun and rain on the just and the

SOM: Love Your Enemies 2. Commandment of Christ (vs. 4445) § What this does is show that God treats men fairly § The same should be done by each of us even to those who are our enemies § By doing this we do not give any man an occasion to fairly accuse us of not treating them right

SOM: Love Your Enemies 3. Separate Yourselves (vs. 46 -47) § As Christians, we are to be different from the world (Rom. 12: 2) § Jesus makes a point about loving one’s enemies here § How easy is it to simply love those who love us?

SOM: Love Your Enemies 3. Separate Yourselves (vs. 46 -47) § Jesus says that even the tax collectors do the same § The tax collectors were looked at as the worst that society had to offer § The Jews hated the tax collectors and it would have pained the Jews to be on the same level as them

SOM: Love Your Enemies 3. Separate Yourselves (vs. 46 -47) § Again, if they only greeted those who were their brothers, they are doing exactly the same as the tax collectors § The message here seems to be a simple one: separate yourself from others by living to a higher calling

SOM: Love Your Enemies 4. Be Like God (v. 48) § The goal in our lives is to be “perfect” just as our Father is “perfect” § To be fair, the word for perfect here is a word that actually means complete § Christ is not giving us the impossible task of being sinless as much as He wants us to aim to be like God in all areas of our life

SOM: Love Your Enemies 4. Be Like God (v. 48) § God loved us while we were considered “enemies” of His (Rom. 5: 8 -10) § Christ is imploring all to be more like our Father in Heaven than we are like the tax collectors or “worst” of society § We should never “settle” when it comes to our Christian life