Matthew 5:43-48

In Matthew 5:43-48, we come to the last of the Old Testament passages that Jesus was seeking to explain to His disciples. Remember, He was explaining the original intent of these Old Testament passages that the disciples knew well. Jesus wanted the disciples to fully understand that God’s Commandments must change the heart, and not just motivate some external behavior. Fulfilling an external behavior would not satisfy the heart of God. Why? Because behavior modification only makes a person think that they are righteous in themselves, and not give them the righteousness that exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. Without a righteousness that comes through faith and a changed heart, no one will enter the kingdom. Therefore, it’s imperative that each of us understands what these commands mean, and how they apply to our lives. 

Jesus declared again, “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 the 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. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

The true intent of all of God’s commands.

What was the true and original intent for why God gave His people His Law? Jesus summarized all the Law and the Prophets when He taught, “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets” (Matt. 22:37-40). But was there any passage in the Old Testament that taught,
“You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” Absolutely not! In this passage Jesus was questioning what the disciples had heard taught by the Pharisees that only required them to love their neighbor, which allowed them to hate their enemy.

Let me explain why the Pharisees believed and taught that they could hate their enemies. If you read Leviticus 19:17-18, notice how often these verses used the phrase your brother, your neighbor, or your people, which they believed implied that they could hate anyone who they defined as not their neighbor. This was very twisted logic. Here is the passage that the Pharisees proposed that taught this falsehood. “You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD” (Lev. 19:17-18 – Underline added). Therefore, the Pharisees reasoned in their minds that, The Scriptures teach that I’m not to hate my brother in my heart. But what happens if I consider this person my enemy? That gives me the right and justification for hating him, because he is not my brother, and he is not my neighbor. They used this passage and its terminology to affirm something that the Bible did not teach, which was to hate others. You might also remember a certain lawyer who asked Jesus the question, “Who is my neighbor,” attempting to address this same idea (Luke 10:29). Jesus then told this man that essentially anyone who was in need was his neighbor (Luke 10:30-37).

How can we be sure that the Bible condemns hatred toward others? Nowhere in the Bible does it teach that we are to hate the wicked. However, God did say that we should hate evil. In Psalm 97:10 God commands, “You who love the Lord, hate evil!” God made it absolutely clear that we are to hate wickedness and evil, not hate the wicked. We are not to hate evil people; we are to hate evil itself. Do you see the difference? God is always seeking the redemption of the wicked, and so should you. Please note these other Old Testament instructions. In Exodus 23:4-5, Moses commanded, “If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall surely bring it back to him again.” Moses did not command the Jews to take their enemies ox or donkey. No. God commanded that they must bring the animal back to its owner. Moses further commanded, “If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying under its burden, and you would refrain from helping it, you shall surely help him with it.” Clearly the Old Testament law taught them to help their enemy, and do good to them, just as Jesus is teaching in this passage. These were specific instructions concerning how they should do good to their enemy. In another passage in Deuteronomy 23:7, God commanded, “You shall not abhor an Edomite, for he is your brother. You shall not abhor an Egyptian, because you were an alien in his land.” Therefore, the Old Testament law plainly taught that they were not to hate even an individual that had done evil to them. This was God’s law of love.

In the New Testament Paul also clearly explained what Jesus meant by loving your neighbor in the Sermon on the Mount. He explained in Romans 12:17-20, “Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” They were to seek peace with all men, not just their brothers. He went on to say, “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay,' says the Lord.’” Paul further taught that we are not to seek personal vengeance on our enemies. God was declaring, “I will take care of them.” This would enable us to keep our hearts in the right place. Then the Lord continues, “Therefore if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” God’s word is very clear in this passage. We are not to hate the wicked; we are to hate wickedness. We are not to hate an evil person, but we are to hate evil. We are to do good to others, even to those who do evil to us. Jesus taught this for a very simple reason. He wanted us to remove ourselves from seeking personal revenge, and to encourage us to forgiveness and mercy. In Luke 6:36 Jesus declared, “Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.” This is the way the Lord has treated you and me. He has been merciful and loving toward us. He reached out to us when we reviled Him, and did evil to others. After that He forgave us, simply because we asked Him. He wants us to respond to others in the very same way that He has acted toward us. He is saying, “I want to give you this kind of merciful heart. I want you to do more than just keep yourself from revenge. I want you to do something that’s very positive, and choose to love.” When you take this kind of action you are fulfilling an inward righteousness, that exceeds the external righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. 

I must also make note here, that these teachings of Jesus on being merciful and loving your enemy, are referring to minor offenses. Just as in our last study when we looked at someone slapping you in the face, or taking your coat, these exhortations are referring to minor aggressiveness by others. Jesus and Paul are not talking about trying to give food or drink to someone who is trying to kill you and your spouse, or your children. In such cases you would not stand there, and turn the other cheek. Remember, there is a big difference between revenge and self-defense. You have to see that those two issues are completely different, and are dealt with separately in Scripture. If you don’t understand what I mean by these statements, then I would refer you to my previous teaching on Matthew 5:38-42.

Why Must You Love Your Enemy?

I would like you to consider why Jesus taught us to love our enemies. You must understand God’s reasoning. Jesus plainly stated the reason in verse 45 when He said, “That you may be sons of your Father in heaven.” If there is anything that shows that we are like our Father in heaven, it is when we love people who don’t like us. Love toward your enemies is the supreme proof that you are being conformed into the image of Christ, who is the image of the invisible God (Col 1:15)! Jesus and the Father love even the wicked of this world. He doesn’t like what they are doing, but He still loves them. There is a great difference between these two perceptions. Many times, people ask me, “Can I dislike how someone lives, but still love them?” My response is always, “Yes, absolutely. That is the way God responds to the wicked in this world. He obviously does not like what people are doing, but He loves them.” In John 3:16, one of the most well-known verses of Scripture, Jesus taught, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.” It did not say that, “God so loved those who would love Him back.” No! God loves the entire world, which includes the wicked. He sent His Son to pay the price to redeem the entire world, knowing that many would reject the gift that He offered. But He still loved them, and gave His Son for them (1 Tim. 2:5-6). 

Notice the example Jesus gave in this passage concerning how the Father loves and treats all men the same, simply because of His love. In verse 45 Jesus said, “He makes His sun rise on the evil and the good, and He sends the rain on the just and the unjust.” Some look at this statement and think, Well, that is not a big deal, it’s natural for the sun to shine, and for it to rain. Why would Jesus use this example as proof of His impartial love? Because it showed God’s common grace to all mankind. These are just two examples, but there are many more ways His common grace has been bestowed upon the world. Just by the fact that people that hate God are allowed to exist, and continue breathing each day, is another overlooked common grace. He could just not allow anyone to even be born who might hate Him. Think of God’s gracious giving of His Word, and allowing all people to have access to the truth of the gospel. This also shows His common love and grace to even to those who hate Him. Now could the Lord do something other than give a non-Christians sunshine? Could He do something different, and not send rain on the field of an unbelieving farmer? Yes, He could. How do I know He could do this? He has already done it. When? Scripture teaches in Exodus 10:22-23 concerning one of the plagues that came on Egypt that, “Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. They did not see one another; nor did anyone rise from his place for three days. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.” So, God could withhold sunlight from those who are rejecting Him, and give light to those who love and believe in Him. He could do that, if He chose to do it. But He chooses to give the light of the sun to all mankind. How about rain? Remember when Elijah prayed to stop the rain during the reign of King Ahab, one of the most wicked kings of Israel? What happened? God stopped the rain for 3 1/2 years. So, God can withhold the light of the sun, and He can bring drought anytime He chooses. He can stop any common grace anytime He decides to do so. Our God is that big! But, because of His love, He chooses to send the rain, and the sun upon the wicked and the just. This is His common grace and mercy!

The second reason why you must love your enemies is because this reveals that you are doing more than the external righteousness of the Pharisees. Jesus said in verses 46-47, “If you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?” Notice that Jesus declared that even non-believers will love those who love them. In other words, anyone can do that. But, if you love your enemy, that is something above the normal and customary behavior of the people in this world. In fact, it is a supernatural act! Furthermore, this kind of loving behavior is what will gain you an eternal reward. That is pretty powerful, that you can receive an eternal reward for loving your enemy! Why? Because to love your enemy is a powerful witness for Christ. To love your enemy is something that only can be done by a believer, by someone who has the love of God dwelling in them, and the power of the Holy Spirit motivating them. Is this how you treat your enemies? 

Be perfect!

In Luke 12:48 Jesus said, “For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.” God justly expects more from every Christian that loves and believes in Him. Why? He expects more, because He lives inside us, and He expects to be reigning over our carnal tendencies, because we have surrendered to Him. This is why Jesus goes on to say in verse 48, “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Now this is a verse that is very difficult to understand. People read this and think, Forget it, this is impossible. But Jesus would not command us to be something that was impossible for us to become. I believe this command can be fulfilled, if you first understand what Jesus did not mean. He did not mean that we must be sinless or perfect in that sense. The Bible is clear that there is no sinless perfection in this life for any of us (1 John 1:8-10). However, I have met people who have told me that they were sinless. I usually laugh when people say this, because I know they have the same kind of heart that I have. There is no one on this planet that ever will become sinless in this life. Therefore, sinless perfection is not what Jesus meant. The Greek word for perfect used here means to be complete, mature, or of full age. It describes someone who is acting in a mature manner. They are not a babe in Christ, as Paul called the divisive and carnal Corinthian church (1 Cor. 3:1). A mature believer is allowing Jesus to transform them into His image (2 Cor. 3:18). In this context, Jesus was talking about someone being able to love their enemy. Therefore, the Lord expects us to become mature in dealing with people who hate us, who are our enemies, who want to use us and persecute us. You must become fully mature to love others, and deal with people who treat us harshly.

Let me explain this concept in a little different way. For those of you that have children, do you expect something different from your teenager, than you would from a toddler? Of course you would. You don’t expect your toddler to take on the responsibilities of a teenager. Do you expect any difference in the behavior of your adult children, then what you expect from your teenagers? Of course you would. Why? Because you expect them to act like mature adults. If you have this kind of expectation with your biological children, why wouldn’t God expect the same of His spiritual children? Jesus was simply saying, grow up and be mature! If you are a mature Christian, then you need to act like one. How will you live if you are mature? Walking in love is the surest sign of a mature believer.

In Job1:1, it declares that Job was a blameless or perfect man depending on your translation. God declared, “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, he was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil.” The Hebrew word translated blameless means to be perfect or complete. Here is God’s definition of what it means to be perfect or a complete man. Was he sinless? No. The Lord reproved Job for his foolish talking at the end of the book. So, he was not sinless, that is for sure, but he was a mature man. Why? Because he hated and shunned evil, he turned away from evil, and he walked in an upright way. He did that because he feared and respected the Lord. This is why he turned from evil. So, here the Scripture defines what maturity looks like.

The process of perfection.

It is essential to understand that perfection and maturity is a process. One day, as you walk in love, you will be fully complete, and you will become fully mature. When we see Jesus, we will come to full spiritual adulthood. The Apostle John declared in 1 John 3:2, “Now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is.” One day, we will be completely and fully like Him. This is where we are all headed. I believe that if you see this truth, your only natural response should be, “Okay, Lord, change me. Transform me. I want to become that mature Christian.”

It is also important to understand the tenses of the verbs in Matthew 5:48. When Jesus said, “Therefore you shall be perfect.” This is in the future tense. That means that one day in the future we will be completely mature, and fully conformed into His image. When Jesus said, “Just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” The words, “is perfect,” referring to the Father, are in the present tense, which means that He is continually perfect, and always completely as He should be in His holy nature. Why did Jesus use these two different tenses? He knew that we were imperfect, and He knew that we were going to fail. But He also knew what we shall be in the future. One day you will be perfectly mature. He used the future tense because He knew that it is a process to become mature. The Father is continuously perfect and loving. Therefore, in the future, as He works in your life, you will become just like Him. This is why understanding this passage is so essential. 

Now, one last explanation for why you should love your enemies. Jesus explained this over and over again during His ministry. You must remember this explanation, because it will help you practically to see how you are to love your enemy. In Luke 6:35-37 Jesus taught, “But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be the son of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore, be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. Judge not and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” Jesus does not just give you these commands, but He explains why you should obey them. The reason is simple; He is kind to the unthankful and the evil. So, you should also be kind to people. He is merciful, so you should also be merciful. He doesn’t immediately judge people, because of His patience and longsuffering. He gives people the chance of turn to Him, so you should also not be harsh and quick to condemn others. You should forgive, because He has forgiven you. These are the reasons why, and how you can love your enemies.

How can you practically love your enemy?

Is it really possible to love your enemies? When this subject comes up with Christians, sometimes they will say to me, Love my enemy? That’s where I get off this train. I don’t think this is even really possible! So, is it possible? What do you think? I believe that it is possible to love your enemy, because God has enabled me to do this. I agree that it is not easy after you have hated someone, turned resentful, and then turn around and just switch off your emotions, and decide to forgive them. When people have offended and hurt you deeply, this requires a work of God in your heart. Only the person who has sensed this change from hate to sorrow, and from resentment to love, knows that this is possible. I also acknowledge that there is probably no other commandment given by Jesus, that seems more impossible, than to love your enemy. Consequently then, this will be a tremendous opportunity for God to reveal His power and grace, enabling you to do what is impossible. When you do actually experience His empowering to love your enemy, this also only assures you that you truly know the Lord. Why do I say this? Because you know you could never have chosen to love this person in your own strength. Have you ever tried to love someone who is obnoxious with your own human abilities? Have you ever tried to forgive someone in your own strength? You know that it is not going to happen! You cannot do it! So then, how do you do it? Let me give you seven principles that I think are essential that will enable you to love your enemy. 

You must be filled with the Holy Spirit!

First, you must be filled with the Holy Spirit. This is the bottom line. The Holy Spirit is where love originates. The Apostle Paul wrote that the fruit of the Holy Spirit is love (Gal. 5:22-23). If you want His love, then you must be filled with His Spirit. Now when I say His love, I mean that. In verse 44, when Jesus commanded to, love your enemies, this is the Greek word agape. Agape love is the same love with which God loves the world, which would include His enemies. Jesus stated in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” If you are going to love your enemies, then you must have the same love that God has for this world. There are several basic words for love in the Greek language, and yet, we have only one word for love in English. The first kind of love referred to in Scripture is God’s love, which is the word agape. God can agape even when the world does not respond in a loving way toward Him. The second kind of love is, phileo, which is a brotherly love, and is a reciprocal kind of love. We have a common saying, you scratch my back, and I will scratch yours. This is the reciprocal phileo love. The third kind of love is called storgos, which is a love for family. The fourth kind of love is the word eros, which is not used in Scripture, yet is implied in the Song of Solomon. Eros love is a sexual love.

Therefore, Jesus was commanding His disciples to agape their enemies, which is one-way kind of love. That means agape love does not require a favorable response in return from people. Jesus was teaching that you must love without expecting a kind or loving response. How can you do this? Here is why you must be filled with His Spirit, because He will give you His heart and attitude toward people who are harsh and mean. The Holy Spirit is the only person who can produce this kind of supernatural love inside you. You can’t work it up inside yourself. You need to be filled with the Spirit every day. Why? Because you are going to meet and interact with people who are going to offend you, lie about you, betray you, and persecute you. When you do, this is when you must cry out to God for the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Ask Him to give you His love for that individual. Confess to Him, “Lord I don’t have what it takes to love this person. Give me Your love.” Paul declared in Romans 8:2, “For the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” There is only one way to be set free from the sin of hatred and a desire for revenge. It is the Holy Spirit that will set you free, every time you ask for His help. The Holy Spirit is stronger than the power of any sin. But you must be honest before Him, and admit that you want revenge. When you sincerely cry out, He will change your attitude. All of a sudden you will realize that the hatred is gone. This transformation is a powerful thing to experience. It is truly supernatural. If you have experienced what I’m talking about here, then you know it is possible to love your enemies. Sometimes it is a quick change of heart, and other times you need perseverance. Depending on the severity of the offense against you, sometimes you must fight the good fight of faith, fighting in prayer, choosing multitudes of times to forgive in your heart, and continuing to ask for His love every day. These will be hard fought victories, but you will be victorious!

Now for those of you who think, I want to hate. I don’t want to love them. I don’t really want to change. Well, the rest of this study is for you, because I know that some of you are in that place right now who are reading this study. Your hearts are hard. You have nursed bitterness a long time, and you are not yet willing to just say, “God give me Your love.” You just don’t want to let them off the hook. So, here is how you change that sentiment.

You first must choose to forgive.

Unforgiveness is one of the biggest reasons why someone does not want to let another off the hook for what they have done. If you will not forgive, then you will never ask God for the fruit of His Spirit to love your enemy. This unforgiveness has hardened your heart, and will continue to do so the longer you refuse to forgive. But if you want to get your heart tender again, then you must forgive and let it go (Eph. 4:32). You must choose to obey the command to forgive, in spite of how you feel. Forgiveness is a choice of your will, not a result of your emotions. To be perfectly honest, I have never felt like forgiving anyone. Not one time! I’m sure that if you think about it, neither have you. However, you still chose at those times to forgive. Why? Because you knew that you were commanded to forgive. Never forget this fact that forgiveness is not a feeling; it is a choice. God’s command is stated by Jesus in Mark 11:25-26. Jesus taught, “Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven, forgive you your trespasses.” Jesus made it very clear; when you come to God in prayer, check your heart to make sure you are not harboring any unforgiveness toward anyone. Note also that forgiveness is all inclusive. You must forgive anything and anyone who has offended you. This is the way God forgives you! This means that there is not one thing that you have ever done that He does not want to forgive. Likewise, there is not one thing or one person that has hurt you, that He does not want you to forgive. Now, this does not mean that just because you have forgiven that person, that reconciliation will be automatic. You must still go to them, and seek reconciliation (Matt. 18:15; Matt. 5:23-24). Forgiveness in your heart is simply the first step in the process of reconciliation (Matt. 18:35). This is an important distinction. Forgiveness from your heart is what allows your standing before God to be made right, because you have chosen to forgive as He has forgiven you. If you don’t forgive, you will never go forward and mature as a believer. You will be stuck! This happens because you are resisting a clear and direct command of Christ. I have a much more in-depth look at this struggle with forgiveness in my book, “Winning Your Personal Battles,” found at Winning Your Personal Battles: You Have Them....Now Overcome Them! - Kindle edition by Carr, Steve. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Control your thoughts!

The third thing you must do once you have forgiven, is control your thought life, or you will return to bitterness, and these resentful thoughts will defile your heart all over again. Therefore, your thought life is where you will need to fight the good fight of faith (1 Tim.6:12). This is how it works. You choose to forgive, but then you return and start thinking about what that person did to you. You replay the audio and video in your head, and all of a sudden you find yourself angry all over again. Right? Haven’t you done this many times? Then you find yourself right back seething in bitterness and resentment. People ask me all the time, “Why can’t I seem to let this offense go?” I explain to people that they must control their thought life. You must refuse to go back to the offense in your head. Every single time you go there in your mind, you must stop and tell yourself, “I’m not going there. I choose to forgive them Lord. I choose to commit them into Your hands Lord.” Philippians then explains what you should start thinking about in your mind, if you want to remain free of bitterness. In Philippian 4:8-9, Paul taught, “Whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate on these things… and the God of peace with be with you.” Therefore, you must choose to think about praiseworthy things, instead of the offense. If you do not control what you are thinking about, you will go right back to becoming bitter. That bitterness will defile you and those around you. In Hebrews 12:14-15, the apostle declared, “Pursue peace with all people and holiness,” Not just the people you love, but all people, “without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up and cause trouble, and by this many become defiled.” If you allow bitterness back into your heart, you will fall short of the grace of God. Why? You are allowing sinful thoughts to rule in your heart, which is a rejection of His grace that wants to change your heart. Bitterness will not only defile you, but it also defiles those around you, because bitterness will always end up coming from your mouth in gossip. I’m sure you know that gossip is a sin, and that it defiles and poisons all those around you (Acts 8:23; Acts 14:2). So, you need to deal with this offense in your heart, by forgiving and controlling your thought life. If you would like to understand this discipline of controlling your thought like, I have a whole chapter in my book, “Winning Your Personal Battles.” Winning Your Personal Battles: You Have Them....Now Overcome Them! - Kindle edition by Carr, Steve. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Ask God for His compassion and sorrow!

Sorrow and grieving of heart toward your offender are also vital for keeping your heart right when you have been hurt by someone. When you have compassion and sorrow of heart toward your enemy you know that God is truly at work within you. Why? Because compassion and sorrow of heart reveal that you love, and care for your enemy’s soul. You have sorrow because you realize that this person does not know what they have done. They are blind. This is what Jesus acknowledged from the cross when He cried out, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34). This sorrow comes from understanding that they are caught by their own sin, and that’s why they have hurt you. When you realize this fact, it will enable your change of heart. This truth is seen as Jesus grieved in His heart over the blindness of the Pharisees. In Mark 3:1-5, it records that the Pharisees watched Jesus one day to see if He would heal a man with a withered hand. Mark said of Jesus that, “He looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts.” Notice the combination of Christ’s anger and His grief at their attitude. Jesus had anger in his heart, a divine anger, and it was coupled with a grieving for these men. This word grieved means to have sorrow. So, Jesus was angry and sorrowful at the same time. Why? He knew how hardhearted they were, which cut them off from any true spiritual life. This was evident to Him by how uncaring they were toward this needy man. They were spiritual leaders, but because of their self-righteous works-based religion they were missing the whole purpose of their ministry, which was to care for those in need. Sorrow and grief are essential to enable true compassion for your enemies. Sorrow and grief enable you to see someone’s true need. Do you have this grief for those who have offended and hurt you? If not, ask Him for it now!

Speak kindly to your enemy.

If you want to demonstrate love toward your enemies, you must also speak kindly to those who offend you. This is what Jesus meant in verse 44 when He said, “Bless those who curse you.” This word bless literally means to speak kindly to them. Is that really possible? Absolutely! Did Jesus speak kindly to those that were offensive towards Him, and those who wanted to kill Him? Yes, He did. But He also reproved them at the same time. Remember the man that slapped Jesus on the face at his trial? He reproved that action, but He wasn’t yelling or screaming at him. Likewise, you can also speak kindly, and be very direct in your reproof of evil. You can do this, if you are under the control of the Holy Spirit! Jesus spoke this way while despising what the people did to Him, because He loved them and realized they were blind to what they were doing. You can also despise what someone does to you, and yet still speak in a loving and firm way to them.

Peter clearly understood this teaching of Jesus to bless those who persecuted him. He taught, “Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing,” (1 Peter 3:8-9). The word blessing in this verse is that same word used in Matthew 5:44, which means to speak kindly to them. Why should we take this action? Peter said, “knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.” So, by loving your enemies, speaking kindly, and not reviling them as they have reviled you, there will be a blessing for you today, and eternally. Note also that Peter understood that to speak kindly to someone who is being offensive toward you, there is a necessity for having compassion and tenderheartedness. Only the fruit of the Spirit within you can enable you to act in this manner.

Pray for your enemy.

Praying for your enemies is such an important key that enables you to love your enemies. This is why Jesus taught His disciples, “Pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.” Prayer is so vital, because I have found that you cannot pray for someone sincerely, and still continue to hate them at the same time. You just can’t do both. If you insincerely pray for your enemies, your own heart will condemn you. You know the words you are speaking at that moment are phony, because there is no real concern for them. The reality is, you really still hate them. This is why Jesus commanded us to pray for your enemies. He knew that prayer would instantly reveal to each of us that our hearts were wrong. That is why He commanded us to pray. He’s got you involved in praying so there is no way out, but to forgive, and get your heart right. If you don’t pray for them, you are disobeying God’s command. If you don’t forgive them, you are also disobeying God’s command. So, you need to pray, and pray sincerely. Remember again, this is what Jesus did from the cross. I just quoted this verse to you in Luke 23:34, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” Likewise, you should pray this very same prayer, and ask God to change their hearts. Pray also that He will open their eyes so they can see that they are caught by their own sin. Remember what Stephen prayed while they stoned him to death in Acts 7:60? He prayed, “Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not charge them with this sin.’” Therefore, pray, and ask sincerely that God will deal with your enemies, and enable you to love them, and He will grant your request.

Do good!

The last thing Jesus taught that would enable you to love your enemies was, “Do good to those who hate you.” I know this command is out of order in the context, but I held this until the end for a reason. Why? Obeying most of these commands to pray, forgive, and not allow hateful thoughts to return, are all things that you do internally. However, to do good, that is an external action that you actually have to do. So, what does it mean to do good? To do good will be different for every single circumstance. Most of the time, you know exactly what you should do, but in your mind, you think to yourself, I don’t want to do that for them, because they have not been very nice to me. However, James taught, “To him that knows to do good, and does not do it, it is sin” (James 4:17). James was giving this blanket statement for why we must do good. Without doing good, we are actually committing sin. Let me show you another verse that relates to this same concept. In Isaiah 1:17, notice that God said, “Learn to do good.” Then notice how He defined what good actually looked like in practical terms. The Lord said, “Seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow.” Each of these behaviors is completely different from the others that are listed. Therefore, in every circumstance, doing good will require a different action. Therefore, depending on the circumstances that you are in, and what has taken place that is offensive, you will have to learn how to do good. Doing good in one circumstance is to have the right attitude of heart toward your enemy. Doing good in another situation means that you must go and ask forgiveness for your fault in the matter. Doing good can also mean that you start praying for that person who has offended you. Doing good may mean speaking kindly to them. Doing good may mean giving something you don’t want to give. Doing good may mean passing over the transgression, that has been done against you (Prov. 19:11). Do you see my point? Doing good will be different in every circumstance.

In conclusion, think about how God has been good toward you. Those of you who have surrendered your lives to Christ, you used to be His enemy. But He loved you, and pursued you while you were His enemy. Now you are His friend, because you have surrendered your life to Him. You have received Christ by faith, and allowed Him to take over your life. Why? Because of His graciousness and goodness that He showed toward you. Why did He forgive you? He was being good to you. He began being good to you by sending Christ, and allowing Him to pay the price for your sin. He did good to you by not immediately bringing judgment down on you when you sinned against Him. He did good to you in many different ways throughout your life. Do you see it? Therefore, ask the Lord to show you how this applies to you, and how He wants you to deal with that enemy that you have. The Lord will show you how to do good!