But He does reward us when we love and pray for our enemies. God does not reward us when we love those who love us. The idea of Jews loving the Samaritans, the Greeks, and the Romans was revolutionary.Īnd, Jesus said, we are to bless our enemies by doing good toward them, and pray for them (Matthew 5:44). And if your neighbor is your enemy, you are to love him, too. Instead of hating their enemies, Jesus told them to do what Moses had taught: Love your neighbor. Hating their enemies felt right and justifiable-but it was wrong. We don’t want to forgive and love those who hurt us. But I say to your who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse your, pray for those who abuse you. but you shall love your neighbor as yourself." The people had been taught the opposite of what God had said.Įver since returning from captivity in Babylon, the Jews had been oppressed by their neighbors, by the Greeks and, at the time Jesus was teaching, by the Romans. Luke 6:27-28 Love Your Enemies, Pray For Those Who Hate And Abuse You. What Leviticus 19:18 actually said is, "You shall not take vengeance. But the law said no such thing concerning enemies. The people had been told that God's law said, "Love your neighbor and hate your enemy" (Matthew 5:43). How to relate to one's enemies is an excellent example of how the law had been incorrectly taught. In all six areas, Jesus' correction of current Jewish tradition would have come as a shock to His hearers as they realized what a high standard God intended for His people to follow. ") and then He corrected it, giving them the true spirit of what God intended in the law ("But I say to you. He reminded His audience of what they had been taught ("You have heard that it was said. If you're seeking to live a life that reflects God's, this podcast is for you.In the Sermon on the Mount, following the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12), Jesus used a specific formula to correct misaligned teaching in six key areas of kingdom life: murder, adultery, divorce, oaths, revenge, and relationships with one's enemies (Matthew 5:21-48). Hearing Jesus is a devotional journey through the gospels, where we explore the teachings of Jesus chapter by chapter. LISTEN: Being Complete in Jesus (Understanding Matthew 5:21-48) His writing home is and you can connect with him on Twitter Mike has a new writing project at Proverbs4Today. Mike is the author of Torn to Heal and Jesus Is All You Need. He is also the lead pastor at Calvary of Neosho, MO. Mike Leake is husband to Nikki and father to Isaiah and Hannah. Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/PeopleImages What Does it Mean to Pray for Your Enemies? Why Are We Told to Love Our Enemies in the Bible? What Does it Mean to 'Love Your Enemies'? When I think of it this way it changes the way I interact with them.įind where you see the image of God in their life and highlight it. God’s glory is being shattered in their life. ![]() My “enemy” probably isn’t actually my enemy.Īnd even if they have made themselves my enemy, or they have made themselves the enemy of Christ, it is a store of a broken and marred image. Our battle is not against flesh and blood. Understanding that every person is made in the image of God helps me to see people as they actually are. What if rather than making a list of all the things, which I disapprove about another person, I made a list of all the ways in which I can see the fingerprint of God on their life? What would happen if I was intentionally encouraging in those areas? What if we view others through the lens of hope instead of hatred? This means that there are things that we can encourage in the life of anyone - even our greatest enemies. ![]() Highlight the Imago DeiĮvery person is created in the image of God. What if “be quick to listen and slow to speak” is not only counsel for our loved ones but also for our enemies? 7. Doing this also will help me see them in a new light.Īnd as I do this, I can better love and serve them because I will know their unique strengths and challenges. But simply listening to someone else’s story can be incredibly diffusing. Why are they passionate about the things they are passionate about? What unique brokenness do they have in their life?įor one, this can help us gain a new perspective. Listen to Their StoryĪnother way to love our enemies is to simply listen to them. Our hearts should be broken, and we should long to see their redemption, pleading with them to grab hold of Christ. This is far from how the New Testament paints our task of being ministers of reconciliation. Kind of like saying, “Help them, Jesus, because I can’t stand them.” ![]() We could distance ourselves and take a cold posture. Oddly enough, there is a passive-aggressive way we could proclaim the gospel to someone. This will absolutely wreck my own definitions of “enemy.”
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