How To Love Your Enemies | Matthew 5: 43-48
-
Good morning. We anytime someone lives to be 100 years old, it is a special occasion. Usually it makes the news. And sure enough, there was a reporter who was interviewing a man who had lived to be 100. And the Porter said in your 100 years, what are you most proud of? What are you most proud of in the 100 years that you've lived in a man thought about it for a while. He says, I'm most proud that I do not have one single enemy in the world. And the reporter thought for a second and said, Wow, that is so inspirational. That's the secret to a long life not having any enemies, right? Live in 100 years, no enemies, that must be the secret. And he said, Yep, I've outlived every last one of them. Have you ever had someone in your life that you consider and an enemy, an enemy might be a strong word, but someone that you consider someone that you just don't get along with you intentionally or not around an enemy. Maybe it's someone who's hurt you. Maybe they've betrayed you. Broken your trust. Maybe it's just someone that you don't see eye to eye with. And you've just agreed to disagree about everything in life. And so you're not around them. It's natural. I would even say normal, to have enemies. But as followers of Christ, we are called to love our enemies. And that's what we're looking at today. In Matthew chapter five, verse 43. Jesus says, You've heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you. So that you may be sons of your Father who's in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good. And sins rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward Do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same. You therefore must be perfect. As your heavenly Father is perfect. Heavenly Father, help us be perfect like you, Lord, what an impossible task that sounds like and we know that it is impossible in our own power. Yet, we also know that all things are possible with you. And you can work this completion in us. So Father, let us think today about those that we consider unlovable in our lives, those we consider possibly enemies, people that we just distance ourselves from, for maybe even good reasons. And show us today, how we can love our enemies. Lord, I pray that my words reflect your heart, that you fill me with your Spirit, and that this body of believers receives your word with gladness. And we ask these things in Jesus name. Amen. Several truths we see today about loving your enemies, several truths we see about loving your enemies. Number one, loving your enemies, demands care. We're going to love our enemies. We have to care about them. We have to care for them. Jesus says in verse 43, You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. Once again. The religious leaders of the day. The Rabbi's, the scribes, the Pharisees had misinterpreted scripture had added things to Scripture that were not there. With the statement you've heard it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. Jesus is referencing the common expectation that the religious leaders taught that they taught love your neighbor, but actually encouraged hatred toward those who were not of their faith, or their enemies. It sounds silly as Christians to think that there was ever a culture that would do this. But that's how they were. hate your enemies was a phrase that they had inserted into their teachings. This is not God's Word. God never calls us to hate our enemies. But he's not silent on the matter. He says, actually, to love them to do the opposite, verse 44, but I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you. Now in the original Greek, the way this is written, they have moods and tenses and things like this. And this phrase, is written in the future tense when he says, Love your enemies. And it's written in the future tense, which is used to emphasize that this is how it's going to be from now on. You will continually Love your enemies and continually pray for those who persecute you. This is the expectation from now on, as a believer, that's the expectation to love and pray for those who persecute you. It's also written in what's called the imperative mood, which means it is a command. He's not saying, you know, if you feel like it, it might be a good idea to do this. It might be okay. It might help you grow, it might help you it might beneficial for your mind mindset. No, that's not what it's saying. It is not a suggestion. It is a command. Jesus says you will, as believers, for the rest of your life, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you. There's no debate. There's no Well, God, no, are you believer, he says, then this is what you will do. As a believer, for the mirror. Furthermore, this shows that we are children of God. This is one of the evidences that we've been saved. One of the evidences that we know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. He says in verse 45, do this so that you may be sons of your Father, who isn't heaven. He says, If you love your enemies, you're acting like your father. You know, whenever I see my children acting like me, with the good things that I do, I'm proud when I see them acting like me in ways that I don't like, I'm disgusted. But I see them imitating their father, children imitate their fathers, that's what they do, for good or bad. So the question we're asked is this, if we're not loving our enemies, are we children of God? Do we know Jesus? Have we received forgiveness of sins, his gift of salvation that He gives us? Are our sins? Were our sins nailed on the cross with Jesus? That's the question Jesus wants them to know. We need to wrestle with that statement. Now, Jesus, when He says this was surrounded by people who claimed to be believers, and the God of the Bible, but they not only hated their enemies, they taught others to do the same. So this is revolutionary, even though it's the right thing to say, even though it is the true meaning of God's word. It was still revolutionary for them to hear. But this echoes the general call, to love. The call the love that Jesus gives elsewhere. Look at John 1335. He says this, by this, all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. Now this is interesting. The world knows we're Christians by how God's people love each other. That's how the world knows we're Christians how we treat other Christians. But we know we're Christians, by how we love our enemies. The world knows that we're Christians by how we love each other. But we know personally, that we're believers by how we love our enemies. And that's what he's trying to get. He didn't make this connection. For he God makes His son rise on the evil and on the good, and sins rain on the just, and on the unjust. Many of you have probably quoted the Scripture before, what's it really talking about other than the fact that good people and bad people getting rain? He says that by loving our enemies. We're displaying the character of God, who causes his son to rise on the evil on the good. He sins rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. And he's saying this that God's love and God's mercy, his grace, which is rain and good weather, that's God's grace, are not limited to those who are deserving. It still shines, the sun still shines in a place like Las Vegas. You still get tornadoes, in God's country. In bad weather, doesn't matter where you live. God's grace, mercy and love are the same. And this is what he means. Just as God doesn't limit his everyday common of great common grace by bringing rain and, and sunshine to all types of people. We too, are not to limit our love, and our grace and our mercy on those who we deem deserve it. Just as God gives rain and sun to every type of person, we are to give love and grace and mercy to every type of person. Even that person who parks so close to you at Walmart, you can't even open your door we are to give that to everyone. There was a Baptist minister Baptist pastor during the American Revolution years ago, as the revolution was taking place, named Peter Miller. And he lived in a town in Pennsylvania. And he was friend of George Washington who was General at the time. There was also a man in his town who was described as an evil minded person, they Michael Whitman. And he hated that Pastor can't imagine anybody not liking the pastor, but that happens. And he did all he could to oppose and humiliate this pastor Miller. One day Whitman was arrested for treason. I guess he was sympathetic to the British, I don't know. But he was arrested for treason. Or maybe, or maybe the other way around. He was sentenced to die. Tasha Miller heard about this. And he traveled 70 miles on foot from his town to Philadelphia, where the trial will take place to plead for the life of this traitorous enemy that hated him. General Washington said no, I am not going to grant you the life of your friend. The preacher said my friend he's the bitterest enemy I have in Washington said what? You've walked 70 miles to save the life of an enemy. Well, that changes things. I grant you, your pardon. And he did. And Pastor Miller took Michael Whitman back home with him. No longer an enemy. But now a permanent and lifelong friend. I imagine if you have a difficult time loving an enemy. It's because you think they don't deserve your love. Newsflash, you don't deserve God's love either. And I don't deserve God's love none of us. He loves us. We are far less deserving. Jesus died for you. And you did nothing to earn it, or deserve it. And neither has your enemy. The way you feel about your enemy, the anger you feel they probably do deserve. But you're still called to love them. How can you? How can you care for an enemy that you have frantically several things. Maybe you have a bunch of I don't know, maybe maybe, maybe you just sit down and, and make a list of some of the people that have wronged you in the past, maybe it was a parent, sibling, co worker can imagine the co worker ever doing anything wrong to you. Maybe a grandchild, who knows. And then maybe write a letter sintex letting them know that you forgiven them. Now, it doesn't need to come across as this self righteous letter. I forgive you for the horrible things you've done to me. And then list them all out. That's not what the head is alright. But making an action, forgiving them letting them know you have you know, you have to be careful that actually sinned against you. You don't want someone to tell you that they've forgiven you for something that's not even sin, so make sure it's sinful first. Secondly, maybe you're not quite there. But you can maybe offer to help them with something. Serve them in some way. Maybe you can think about putting them in their shoes. Think about trying to understand why they did the things that they did. Now we're very quick in our country just to label somebody as evil or that's an evil person or a good person. And you know, lord knows we're all evil. We're all sinners. Try to put yourself in their perspective. And then think about it. There's something that you did that could have contributed to the situation. Something that you did, there's ever a relational conflict. Very rarely is somebody 100% innocent. Now, it might be 99 to one. But very, very rarely is someone completely innocent. And then consider. We talked about this last week, consider if it's safe, it's appropriate. Consider reconciliation. loving your enemies demands care. Number two, loving your enemies, demands. Compassion demands compassion. First 46 says, Jesus says, For if you love those who love you, what reward Do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? He just begins this by posing a rhetorical question of sorts. He says that loving those who love us, is a natural and easy thing to do. Someone's constantly serving you and loving you and supporting you. It's very easy to love them, they might be your best friend. But he challenges his followers to think beyond this. And he compares it to the actions of the tax collectors who are known for only showing kindness only showing love to those who are like them that they could benefit in some way. So this is in stark contrast to Jesus's message, the of unconditional love and shows that that those who are considered even morally corrupt, could still love this way. See, when we love those who can do things that benefit us only? He says we're acting like the world. The world does that. How are we different? Christians will love all people, even those that we can gain nothing from February 12 1993, a woman named Mary Johnson lost her only son 20 year old, the rhenium bird. He was murdered. And at a party in Minneapolis, a dispute broke out. The man that murdered him was a 16 year old name. Oh shit Israel. Israel received a 25 year sentence. The 16 year old for killing her 20 year old son and actually got knocked down to second degree murder, which made her mad mitts made Miss Johnson mad because he was going to be first degree he got knocked down second degree. After years of anger and resentment toward this man. Johnson said, you know, here I am a Christian lady. She was going to open up a support group for people who lost their sons or kids to violence or something like that. Because here I am opening a support group. And here I am a Christian lady. And I told him at sentencing I had forgiven him, but I have not forgiven him because she prayed through it. And finally, she came to the prison and met with Mr. Israel. At the same time Mr. Israel was working through his own issues, and wasn't sure if he even wanted to meet her. But he did and had enough courage to look her in the eye and admitted to her that what he did, he knew what he did was wrong. And through this meeting, a remarkable transformation took place. Mary Johnson chose to forgive truly forgive this man and became an advocate for his early release. And upon his release, Miss Johnson took this man into her home, mentored him, helped him reintegrate into society. And here's a picture of them together, right here. Mary Johnson, with OSHA, Israel who killed her son and they developed a strong bond. And her act of forgiveness towards the man who had taken her own son's life is a powerful example of the transformative power of loving your enemies. Forgiveness. reconciliation in Israel said that he never had any type of figure like that in his life. She created an entire organization to help mothers are murderers and murdered, forgive each other because she truly forgave him. Her decision to love the unlovable not only changed his life, but brought healing and closure to her heart. She lost a son, but she gained another one. loving our enemies demands compassion. When we're compassionate, we lose other things in our life but more compassionate, we lose our our right to be angry. When we're compassionate, we lose our bitterness. When we're compassionate, we lose our hate when we're compassionate, we lose ourselves. I would say Miss Johnson knows Jesus, amen. loving your enemies, demands compassion. And number three, loving your enemies demands conformity. loving your enemies demands conformity. So if this wasn't hard enough, Jesus didn't tell us in verse 48. You must be perfect. As your heavenly Father is perfect. This is also written in the imperative mood, which means it's not a suggestion either. It's a command. The first word for for perfect here is the Hebrew word to mean. And it has a negative connotation. It's it's used for the animals that were sacrificed in the Old Testament. Was it meant without blemish, but it was a natural thing. The second word for perfect is Salam, which means whole complete, it's, it is a perfect thing. So what he's saying is that be without blemish, like one of these animals, as God is holy and perfect. View yourselves, as one of these animals has been selected for sacrifice, be without blemish in your life. So God, just as God is really without blemish, really holy, and really perfect. You are to be the perfect and acceptable, sacrificed only you can't. Because just as goats, the sacrifice of goats can't make you right with God, as a New Testament says, You can't make yourself right with God through your actions either. Only Jesus can do it through you, in his ultimate will for your life is that you will conform to the image of Christ. Impossible in your own power. But when God demands something, he provides the power to do it. Amen. When he demands it, he gives us the ability Philippians one six, and I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. At the day of Jesus Christ, amen. There'll be a day where you will be morally perfect mazing I will be so much easier to hang out with on that day. And you all will be so much what more wonderful to hang out with many of y'all are, are close but you know, no one's there yet. Majan the relationships in heaven Majan the celebrations no more sin. No more little snide remarks. No more people forgetting to text you back. God will complete our work. How can you be conformed to the image of Christ until then? Easiest way is to get to know Jesus. Study the life of Jesus. Read Matthew, read Mark. Read Luke, read John. See how he handled people see how he lived his life. Jesus was also humble. How can you practice humility? Well, it's not thinking you're humble. That's not the way to do it. But you can strive to be humble. You can serve others you can eliminate your rights. My son Jackson started and he got a new job at Chick fil A. I'm so glad because he's going to do his job is literally to serve people. He's being taught for pay. How to serve people. How to treat them. How to say those two beautiful words from Chick fil A, my pleasure. practice humility. Of course spending more time in prayer helps us know Jesus. And sharing your faith actually helps us know Jesus just know that. Because Jesus constantly told people about him about himself about who he was. Jesus calls us all to a higher standard of even loving our enemies. And even as this may seem impossible, we know with God's help, he can make it possible. We were once enemies of God. A God loved us and showed us mercy. And in turn, we're called to do the same for our enemies as we close our time together today. Take time during an invitation. Examine your hearts. Ask God said God helped me love blank. The way you love them. helped me take the personal bias out and help me love them the way you loved him. Remember that as children of God our ultimate goal is to reflect His love. And this includes loving our enemies. It can be difficult. But with God's help, we can do it, it wouldn't be amazing. If our community looked at us as First Baptist Church and said, Now there is a group of people that loves everyone. And remember as we do, our ultimate ultimate goal is to be like our Heavenly Father, who is perfect in love. Lord, we thank you so much for today. We thank you so much for what you've given us. And we thank you that you can work miracles in our lives. And Lord, this is such a message about relationships. And we know that some people struggle more in these areas in relationships, some people have harder time others can can move on better some others can forgive better and some can't, especially when we look at what has happened to people. Follow, we thank you that there's forgiven and there's freedom and forgiving people, there's freedom and loving others. Now you would conform us to your image so that we could do so that you would give us that ability that you would fill us with your spirit to do so. Or if there's one in here today that's never placed their faith in you that today I pray that they would do so that to the day they'd be saved. And you'd give them a new life in Christ. And that you would work in our hearts today father and show us who in our lives we need to love. We ask these things in Jesus name, Amen.
