Matthew 5

Love Your Enemies

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

“Ye have heard that it hath been said, ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.’   But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.  For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?  And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? Do not even the publicans so?”
“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
Matthew 5:43-48

Love your enemies?  Really!  What a preposterous and crazy thought.  To the human flesh this sounds foolish, and you fear being run over by someone who will take advantage of your love and kindness.

Jesus says also in those verses, “Love your neighbor.”  Jesus was asked that question before He tells us the parable of the “Good Samaritan”  (Luke 10:29-37).  The good Samaritan was the only one who showed the man, who had been beaten and left for dead, love and kindness.

So who is our neighbor?  The stranger who needs help.  The man or woman who is a drug addict who is found lying in the gutter, pleading for help.  The boy or girl who is be abused, and wants help.  We are all neighbors one of another.

I know a young man who was driving, with his family , and they were on their way to town, they went by a neighbors house, and saw a fire burning outside that house from a wood furnace.  He pulled in the driveway, went and knocked on the door.  No one was home, so he told his wife go get the Fire Department, which was close by.  While she was doing that the young man went to the fire, and started pulling the burning wood away from the building.  It was actually started to burn the poles of their carport.  The Firemen showed up and they kept the house from burning.

That is part of what a good neighbor is.  Watching over, and caring for those in need, as we go about  our daily needs

If every one is a neighbor, then that includes enemies.

How can we love those who oppose us, despise us,  and we are to bless those who curse us, do good to those who hate us, and pray for those who despitefully use us and persecute us?  There is only one way, and that is to have the love of God in you.  The way to have the love of God in  you is to yield your life to the Lord Jesus Christ, confessing that you are a sinner separated from God, and confessing Jesus as your Lord, and believing that God has raised  Him from the dead.  When you get Jesus, you will receive the Holy Spirit, who is Christ in you – God in you.

The Fulfilling of the Law, and the Prophets

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Think not that I am come to destroy the Law, or the Prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.  For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:17-20

The following is from October 10, 2017. There is one verse from the Revelation that I feel compelled to add, and that is

And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, “See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. ” Revelation 19:10

Many a man and woman have said something like this, “I live by the Sermon on the mount”. My thought when I hear that, though I usually say nothing is, “O really.” Do we think about what Jesus says in the sermon? It is stronger than the law. The law says, “Do not commit adultery”. Jesus says, “If a man looks at a woman with lust he is guilty of adultery”. Now tell me that you live by the Sermon on the Mount.

In the words of Jesus above Jesus is declaring that He is the fulfillment of the law and the prophets. He did not destroy them, or lay them aside, He is their fulfillment. Jesus is what they spoke of and what they speak of.

When reading the Scriptures from Genesis through the Revelation we can see Jesus. He is creating in Genesis 1, and He is finishing His great salvation in Revelation 22.

From the comma to the final period of the law, all will be fulfilled, and it will take place while there is a heaven and an earth. All through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Righteousness is a good thing. True righteousness comes through the faith of Jesus Christ. All the righteousnesses of sinful men is as filthy rags before holy God (Isaiah 64:6). Our righteousness must come through the cross of Jesus. It must be given us by God Himself. Through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus we enter the kingdom of heaven.

Falsely Accused for Christ’s Sake

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Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.                                 Matthew 5:11-12

These words, spoken by Jesus, while teaching of His kingdom are more than reminders to us that in this world there are people who hate and despise Jesus, those who believe and follow Him, and even His word.

Let those of us who love Him keep in mind that we have His blessings on us no matter what form of persecution we face.

It is not persecution if we are in a trial for some wrong we have done. That is a matter of justice. Persecution is when we live for Christ Jesus and His word, and we are hated and despised for that.

Let us always be faithful to Jesus Christ, His word and to the work of His kingdom.

The Way We Speak of Our Neighbor

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“Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: but I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.”  Matthew 5:21-22  (KJB)

Has anyone ever heard of “Assassination by words”? Maybe I am making it up; but I believe that is what is happening in our nation (U. S. of A.) today. Maybe I need to remind my brothers and sisters in Christ who our neighbor is.

Our brother is our neighbor. The man or woman across the street or road; or across the creek  is your neighbor. The people of China, Iraq, Afghanistan and Israel are our neighbors. Remember Jesus’s story of the Good Samaritan.

I write this because the Lord reminds me of this quite often. I am not without guilt of assassination by words. May God forgive me; and may those I have assassinated by words forgive me too.

The political climate is hot, very hot, hotter, it seems to me than I can remember. Mean and vicious words from conservatives as well as liberals and in betweens.

Calling another person who disagrees with us a vile, vicious name is a sure sign we have lost the argument. If we disagree with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris that is fine, but they are still part of Adam’s race who deserve the same respect you and I do. We are not authorized to call them ugly and vile names because of their party affiliation.

“Well they do it” does not give us the right to retaliate. God’s love is the greatest power on earth. If we are children of God through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ we are to love our enemies, and that means we have no business, right or authority to assassinate by words the character of any other individual.

By the power and grace of God let us cool this heat of hatred with words of grace and mercy.

Words Of Jesus; Son of God, God The Son – 071520

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“Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: but I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.”  Matthew 5:21-26  (KJB)

The Right Attitude

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“And He opened His mouth, and taught them, saying,
‘Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.’ ” Matthew 5:2-12

Not the End; The Fulfillment

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“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.”  Matthew 5:17-20  (KJB)

Remember this you who make an end of the Law and the Prophets.  These are the words of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount