Love Your Enemies

Matthew 5:43-48 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. Loving your neighbour isn’t a new concept that Jesus taught. In fact, it was clearly written in the Old Testament law. Leviticus 19:18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD. Jesus said you have heard love your neighbour and hate your enemy, but if you take a concordance and look up the scriptures w/the word hate, you will find a lot of scriptures, but you won’t find a command to hate your enemies. The Jews had added to the Law, making their interpretation of it, and adding that to the Law. So they thought since the law said they had to love their neighbour, then a neighour would be someone who was there friend and believed like them, so they loved them, but if they were not there neighbour, then well, I must hate him because how can I get love some one who hates me, especially since I am always right about everything. They didn’t have much right about the passage. They added hate thine enemy, they also left out loving your neighbour as thyself, which is a big difference. Jesus didn’t come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it, and He corrected them and taught the true command of God (44) But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; (45) That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. (46) For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? (47) And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? (48) Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. We read that after Jesus finished preaching in Matt 7, that the people were astonished at his doctrine. And I imagine that they were. Taking our topic alone, Jesus showed that all were sinners and have come way short of the glory of God. Who here has kept this commandment always? Oh how I am guilty. Even the most pious of you are guilty, the most tenderhearted, giving soul is guilty. How this verse shows a great need of a great saviour. You may think that you are no different than anyone else, which is true. You also may think that all are sinners, which is true also. But where does that leave you? With out Christ it leaves you with a lot of company, on your way to Hell. But hear the words again, For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. Rom 5:10-11Think about this passage, and examine yourselve. Don’t think about your neighbour, and how much he needs this. Examine self.