DISTINCT IN MY LOVE
We sometimes over use the word “love”. We apply love to everything, but the intensity and genuineness of our love can vary. It can be based on the cause and motivation of our love. We often say we love this thing more than another thing. We may not state it bluntly, but we act as if there is a limit to our love. None of this meets the standard of love to which Jesus calls us. He calls us to a whole new standard of love, a love that is unconditional and knows no limits. Think of the topics we have studied in this series where each begins “Distinct”. But the greatest of these is “Love”! (1 Cor. 13:13).
Read Matthew 5:43-45
In chapter 5, verses 21, 27, 33, and now 43 were verses that began our studies for this week and the previous three weeks. They all started “You have heard that it was said”. Jesus followed this with “But I tell you” – verses 22, 28, 34, and now 44. As we study Scriptures we find that Jesus used this pattern several times (a total of six times in Matthew chapter 5) to demonstrate what He meant. This time, verse 44, forms a clear climax to the entire section of previous use of this pattern to demonstrate that love is at the heart of Jesus’ ministry and mission.
In Jesus’ day, the Jewish people in general, and the religious leadership in particular, were quite clear on who were their neighbors, who were their enemies, and how they should treat each other. Jews usually interpreted “neighbor” as meaning only a fellow Jew.
We are aware that “love your neighbor” appears in the Old Testament (Leviticus 19:18) and repeated many times in the New Testament (Matt. 19:19; 22:39; Mark 12:31; Luke 10:27; Romans 13:9; Gal. 5:14; James 2:8). However, the second part of Matthew 5:42 “hate your enemy” is not found in the Old Testament. Although there are several inferences of this form the rigid separation the Mosaic law demanded between Jews and Gentiles in everyday matters like eating (Lev. 11; Deut. 14:21) and marriage (Deut. 7:1-4) as well as God’s command to invade cities like Jericho and kill every living thing. To be clear, God never commanded to hate your enemy and certainly would never have condoned it. It is the kind of conclusion that many Jews apparently had drawn.
Jesus was setting the record straight that His followers are to love both neighbor and enemy. He called for love for one’s enemies and prayer for one’s persecutors (v.44). To act in such a loving way, even toward enemies, would mark a person as a child of God, having in his or her nature some of the characteristics of God Himself (v. 45). After all, God (Jesus said) sends His good gifts of sunshine and rain on the good and the bad, on the unjust and the just (v.45). He shows an impartial attitude of goodwill toward all people, whether they love Him or not. Christians are also to do good to all people, even to their enemies.
By telling us not to retaliate, Jesus keeps us from taking the law into our own hands. By loving and praying for our enemies, we can overcome evil with good. The Pharisees interpreted Leviticus 19:18 as teaching that they should love only those who love in return, and Psalms 139:19-22 and 140:9-11 as meaning that they should hate their enemies. But Jesus says we are to love our enemies. If we love our enemies and treat them well, we will truly show that Jesus is Lord of our life. This is possible only for those who give themselves fully to God, because only He can deliver people from natural selfishness. We must trust the Holy Spirit to help us show love to those for whom we may not feel love.
How would we define an enemy in our life? (There are many enemies in our life that are non-human. We could name them but to keep in what Jesus was teaching, He is talking about how we see human enemies. Like: persecution by many, those different from us in many ways, those out to kill us, those who want to take our freedoms –religion and other types, and those who do more picky things to upset us.)
Read Matthew 5:46-47
We should not love someone only for the reward, whether they loved us or not. There is nothing unusual about loving someone who loves us. Even those who don’t know God love those who love them (vv.46-47). But it takes a special act of the will to love those who hate us or who have persecuted us. Only in showing such love can a Christian prove he knows God’s love.
In addition, love is a way that is a testimony to others. Think about that each believer’s life serves as a striking testimony that God did not practice the restricted love of those who love you. Jesus pointed out that because loving only those who loves us reveals nothing of the unconditional and unlimited love of God, anyone who practices such limited love is not worthy of reward from God. The next question, “don’t even the tax collectors do the same?” displays the moral bankruptcy of God’s people loving in the same manner as those on the last rung of the moral ladder.
Jesus presented the second set of rhetorical questions revolving around the issue of whom a person was willing to greet. Jesus employed the same word later in Matthew 10:12 as He sent His disciples out to preach. He commanded them to “greet a household when you enter it”. Such a greeting indicated a level of significance and worth in the eyes of the one offering the greeting. To see value only in those who share our ethnicity, values doctrinal conviction, and so forth is perfectly ordinary. That’s what the unbelievers do. Thus, once again, congratulations, we who greet only those who are like ourselves; we have achieved the spiritual maturity of an unbelieving Gentile.
Read Matthew 5:48
Jesus told His disciples, “You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (v. 48). The word perfect here has caused a great deal of misunderstanding. Going by the context, it seems Jesus meant that His followers are, like God, to show love to all people, being all-inclusive in their goodwill. In his version of this same passage, Luke used a word which has been translated “merciful” (Luke 6:36) in place of “perfect”. The same thought seems to be present here- that we should think of what Matthew is saying as “merciful” also.
We cannot be perfect. In character: In this life we cannot be flawless, but we can aspire to be as much like Christ as possible. In holiness: Like the Pharisees, we are to separate ourselves from the world’s sinful values. But unlike the Pharisees, we are to be devoted to God’s desires rather than our own and carry His love and mercy into the world. In maturity: We can’t achieve Christ-like character and holy living all at once, but we must grow toward maturity and wholeness. Just as we expect different behavior from a baby, a child, a teenager, and an adult -so God expects different behavior from us, depending on our stage of spiritual development. In love: We can seek to love others as completely as God loves us.
We can be perfect if our behavior is appropriate for our maturity level- perfect, yet with much room to grow. Our tendency to sin must never deter us from striving to be more like Christ. Christ calls all of His disciples to excel, to rise above mediocrity, and to mature in every area, becoming like Him. Those who strive to become perfect will one day be perfect, even as Christ is perfect (1 John 3:2-3). As we begin to live and love like this, we become complete in life and love, and portray a fuller and more accurate reflection of God the Father and His Son.