Matthew 5:43-44 (ESV) - 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you
It is easy to love our family and friends. It is difficult to love someone that cuts us off on the road or yells at us for making a mistake, but to love our enemies is something entirely different. We all have someone that has been our enemy. Whether it is a person from our childhood, a co-worker that we can’t get along with or maybe it’s someone else that we just can’t seem to forgive. Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:44 to love and pray for them. (see also Luke 6:27-28) Jesus had many enemies during His life. His own people turned against Him and crucified Him. You know what he did, He prayed to God to forgive them. That is powerful love.
Luke 6:27-28 (ESV) - 27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.
God did the same thing for us. Romans 5:8 tells us that God showed his love for us, that even while we were sinners, he still gave his son to die for our sins. He gave us an example of how to love through Jesus’ death and resurrection. Maybe we should be more forgiving and less hateful!
Romans 5:8 (ESV) - but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Love, do good, bless and pray for your enemies.
Donnie