Love your enemies

Read Matthew 5:43-48

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The command to “love your neighbour” had been corrupted by adding words not in the Bible text: “and hate your enemy” (Lev.19:18,34). So Jesus corrects that false teaching and at the same time sets the standard for the greater righteousness of God’s kingdom: “Love your enemies”. Such love is practical, as seen in Luke’s account in which Jesus goes on to say, “Do good to those who hate you” (Lk.6:27,35).

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For that’s what God does – while we were still his enemies he reached out to us in love through Christ (Rom.5:8,10). He treats all people alike without distinction, and so too must we if we are to “keep the royal law” (Jas.2:8-9) and be “sons of your Father” (45; cf.5:9). This is the different lifestyle of God’s kingdom, without which we are no better than pagans (46-47). That difference was declared in the Beatitudes, as too was its reward (46; 5:3-10) i.e. the blessing that will come to those who live like this.

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This difference is seen supremely in: “Be perfect as your Father is perfect” (48; Lk.6:36). We won’t attain that fully in this life (1 Jn.3:2), but it sums up all that Jesus means when he speaks of an inward righteousness for which we hunger and thirst (5:6).