Love Your Enemies

Scripture Reading: Matthew 5:43-48

Focus Verse: Matthew 5:43-44

“You have heard the law that says, love your neighbor and hate your enemy.  But I say, love your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you.”

In Jesus sermon on the mount found in Matthew chapters 5-7 we can learn most everything we need to know about our relationship with God and with others.  In our passage Jesus is saying that we should love our enemies.  That might sound really strange.  To love our enemies means that we need to forgive our enemies.  Do you know doctors will tell you that if you refuse to forgive someone it can be bad for your health.  It can give you high blood pressure, depression, problems with anger, stress and anxiety.  If you spend any time on social media you will see that there is a lack of forgiveness.  Maybe you find it even within your own community, church, family or even your own heart.

 

If you are a Christian then Christ has forgiven you, so you should be able to forgive others.  Sometimes it’s really hard to forgive someone when they have wronged you.  Try praying for them and for yourself that God would help you to forgive them for the wrong they have done to you.  There are stories in the Bible of forgiveness.  Remember how Joseph’s brothers wanted to kill him.  Then when Joseph saw his brothers in Egypt years later he treated them with kindness and loved them.  There's another story: Stephen was the first Christian martyr in the New Testament  and he prayed for those who were stoning him.  Jesus is the best example.  As He was hanging on the cross, He prayed to God and said, “Father forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing.”

God can help you to love, pray and do good to those that want to do you harm.  Let’s love our enemies, and this kindness may bring them into a closer relationship with God.

Bobby Johnson

Interlocking Ministries