Love Your Enemies
TRANSLATION
(33) “Again, you have heard that it was said to them of old time, ‘You shall not swear falsely but shall do for the Lord what you have sworn to do.’ (34) But I say to you, ‘Do not swear at all, either by heaven for it is the throne of God, (35) or by the earth for it is the footstool for his feet, or by Jerusalem for it is the city of the great King. (36) You shall not swear by your head for you cannot turn one hair white or black. (37) Instead let your words be only, ‘Yes and No.’ Anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
(38) “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ (39) But I say to you, ‘Do not resist one who is evil. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. (40) And if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, let him have your cloak also. (41) And whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. (42) Give to the one who asks you, and do not refuse the one who wants to borrow from you.’
(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 (45) that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven, for he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the just and the unjust.’ (46) For if you love only those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even tax collectors do the same? (47) And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even Gentiles do the same? (48) You therefore should be as perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
OBSERVATIONS
As in the previous segment, the phrase, “you have heard that it was said…but I say to you,” was repeated several times (vss. 33 & 34, 38 & 39, and 43 & 44). The term, “swear/sworn” was also repeated for emphasis (vss. 33, 34, & 35). “Love” is found three times (vss. 43, 44, & 46), and “Father” occurred twice (vss. 45 & 48).
OUTLINE
Jesus strengthened the commands of God in three areas for his disciples:
– regarding how we swear an oath. (33-37)
– regarding how we respond to the evil behavior of others. (38-42)
– regarding how we are to love our neighbors. (43-48)
IDEA STATEMENT
The behavioral standards Jesus set for his disciples were far more demanding than the traditional teachings of Israel’s spiritual leaders.
APPLICATION
When asked with which of Jesus’ commands are we most likely to struggle, many will cite one of two statements found in this segment. Both “love your enemies” and “turn the other cheek” seem beyond human capability. Both responses stand in stark contrast to the way people typically respond to abuse. We naturally hate our enemies and want to hurt those who hurt us in retaliation. However, this kind of instinctive reaction was not how Jesus expected his disciples to respond. He called his followers to a radically different lifestyle, namely, to love their enemies and to do good to those who would hurt them. Instead of retaliation we are called to be merciful and gracious. In the place of hatred we are enjoined to patience and compassion.
In Romans 12 Paul expanded on this theme as he instructed his readers, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them” (Rom. 12:14). Later in the passage he wrote, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ To the contrary, ‘if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but rather overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:19-21).
By demonstrating grace in the place of retaliation, we who belong to Christ accomplish at least three things. First, we bear witness to our faith in the God of justice and mercy who, we trust, will right all wrongs someday in the future. We also demonstrate to our enemies God’s amazing love for sinners that involves his forgiving all who confess that they are in need of reconciliation with their creator. Finally, we “heap burning coals” on the heads of our enemies, that is, doing something so unexpected that our enemies are brought up short, made to realize that their attitudes and actions have been wrong-headed and self-destructive, and are made to see that there is a better way to live, namely, embodying God’s radical grace.