Reading:
But
I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them
that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
That ye may be the children of your
Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the
good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which
love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And
if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not
even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your
Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Commentary:
Christ Himself is above all, the chief example and
way of how one is to love their enemies.
"Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." But we see in this Scripture, another compelling
argument as to why we should love our enemies.
It is because even the Father above shines His sun upon them and gives
them good rain. All the good He does for
His believers (the just), He also does for the unbelievers (the unjust). There is also another passage which says,
"The goodness of God, leadeth thee to repentance." His goodness alone then to sinful men (and we
include ourselves here), is cause and reason enough to repent (turn to Christ). Most people ought to be able to see that by
their sins they do not deserve God's goodness, yet God in His mercy gives food
and clothing, meat and drink, etc. Thus
as God's mercy is universal through Christ, so may our love extend to our
enemies. We were once God's enemies too,
but God in Christ befriended us and "greater love hath no man than
this."
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