Tuesday, August 18, 2015
Matthew 5:45 " ... 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."
LOVE EVERYONE -- GOD DOES!
But for whom should we have love? Most people would say, "O, such love we are to have for our parents, our children, our relatives, and our closest friends, and all who are friendly to us, but never for our enemies." Yes, we need not only imagine that there are people of such an opinion, but we know that there were and are such for Christ tells us so in our text.
Those now who in the days of Christ were of this opinion were the Jewish rabbis, scribes, and Pharisees, who would, when they preached and taught in the synagogues (Jewish churches) say, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thy enemy!" Thereby their listeners were to understand that it was proper and godlike to love ones closest relatives, friends, and all acquaintances, but that it was also well and good, yes, even commanded by God, to hate your enemies.
Is this now correct that we are to apply our love only to that class of people which we know as friends? Well, hear what Christ says. To His disciples, He says, "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 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, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven...." Thus, from the words of Christ it becomes very clear that it is sinful to apply real love only to such who are friendly toward us and close to us, and that the only correct, sinless, God-pleasing way of exercising ones love is that we exercise it toward all men, toward our friends as well as toward our enemies.
This again is the love that God has shown us, that, "...when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation" (Romans 5:10f). God's love has changed us from enemies of God to friends of God, and His love, and the message of His love, shared with others through you can do the same for them.
-- Pastor Marcus Fleischer, 1934
