Love Our Enemies?

Matthew 5:43-48

I would argue that this passage about loving our enemies is one of the easiest to proclaim, but, if we’re honest, one of the hardest things to practice consistently. This has led to many turning away from Jesus and His teaching as it is too hard. Again, this is Jesus reinforcing our predicament of not being able to keep these commands strictly in our own power. He is saying that we should pray for our enemies and love them with an unearthly love. He knows this is a complete impossibility without the power of His Holy Spirit living within us. If you love your enemies and treat them well, you can truly show Jesus is Lord of your life. By loving and praying for our enemies, which in human strength is utterly impossible, we show the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives and can overcome evil with good.

Questions for further thought:
1. In verse 48 Jesus talks about being perfect? How can we do that?
2. If we cannot on our own, what hope can we point to?

Challenge: Pray this prayer and wait expectantly. Father, thank You for being kind and loving to us, even when we have doubts. Guide us and help us when it feels easier to walk away from You than to lean into You. Please show us anything we are believing as truth that isn’t actually true of You. In Jesus’ name, amen.