Skip to main content

Matthew 5:43-44

"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, "
(NIV)

Jesus pretty much flips the tables on everything. There are so many things that I could point out here, but if you would allow me, I would like to focus in on the word Love.

This teaching is a key in understanding what love is all about. Consider the idea of loving your enemies. With the way that we think about the word love, is that even possible? In America, we so much think about love in terms of feelings. We have even lowered the word enough to describe how we feel about a Big Mac. But love, in this case isn't a feeling for the enemy, Jesus isn't asking us to get all warm and fuzzy when we think about those people that would fall into that category.

Love is action. Love is putting another before yourself. To love your enemy requires you to do something to or for your enemy that is love! We all have those people in our lives that we just don't like all that well. Those are our enemies (in a sense). Choose today to follow that command and Love them.
Labels:

Comments

  1. Matt Harmless5/21/2005 10:53 AM

    I really appreciate your input. Especially the part about the praying...

    I am so thankful for a saviour who has walked this earth and knows what it is like.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Matt Harmless5/21/2005 10:53 AM

    I really appreciate your input. Especially the part about the praying...

    I am so thankful for a saviour who has walked this earth and knows what it is like.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Please add some additional commentary to this verse. Your input is greatly appreciated.

Popular posts from this blog

Psalm 119:10

With my whole heart I have searched for You; Let me not wander from Your commandments. -Psalm 119:10 (Translation by Jay E. Adams, in his book Counsel from Psalm 119) Can you say with this psalmist, that you have searched for God with your whole heart? Is your prayer, the prayer that he prayed? "O Lord, don't let me wander from Your Word!" In this blog, I hope to post daily (or nearly daily) posting from scripture. I don't plan on adding much of my own commentary, maybe just a statement or two; sometimes more, sometimes less. But if you would like to add some commentary of your own, or if you would like to share what a passage has meant to you, please feel free.
2 comments
Continue Reading »

Hebrews 11:24-25

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. (NIV) Moses had the chance to align himself with the rich and the famous. He had the opportunity to really make it in this world. To be the son of Pharaoh's daughter, the possibilities could have seemed endless. The world wants to paint that picture for us. A place that is endless in possibility. But Moses knew that the pleasures of sin only last a season. He knew that to truly have endless possibility, it would require the alignment with the people of God, so that is exactly what he did. How did he know to do this? How did he know that he couldn't continue on with pharoah? The answer to that is Faith . It was faith that brought sight to this man. It is faith that will allow you to see clearly in your decision making process. Some other thoughts about this pas...
Post a Comment
Continue Reading »

John 1:12

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,  (John 1:12, ESV) There are a few words in this verse that need some explanation. Let's think about the word, "receive" first.  It is a word that is quite often translated "take".  It means to grab ahold of or hold on to.   In other words, all sorts of people who grab ahold of Jesus... What about "believe"?  It is the verb form of "faith".  Sort of like, "they faithed in his name."  Trust is a part of this word, but it also includes perspective.  This is how you see things.  How you view things.  Your core understanding of the universe.  To believe in the name of Jesus is not to simply believe that He existed and that He did the things that He did.  No.  It is to see Jesus for who He is... Lord and Savior of all.  God of very God.  Creator, Sustainer, our only Hope. How about the word, "right"?  Nea...
Post a Comment
Continue Reading »