EXPLORE IT - Matthew 5:43-48

Matthew 5:43 - 48  "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'  ⁴⁴ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,  ⁴⁵ that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.  ⁴⁶ If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?  ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?  ⁴⁸ Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

As a personal trainer, I hear justifications all the time.  Justifications why someone couldn’t get their workouts in for the week (they haven’t been feeling well or needed to stay late at work); justifications why someone needed to eat poorly during the week (they were caught out and about and had to run through a drive through or they were invited over to someone’s house and it would be rude to not eat what was served).  We all can have a tendency towards justifications, even the people of Jesus’ day.

Leviticus 19:18 says, "Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.”  The teachers of the law began to teach that this passage encourages the love for your fellow Jew, your countryman, your kin.  They taught that this passage does not say this love need extend to anyone on the outside.  In fact, because love is not required, it would be acceptable to hate anyone on the outside, anyone who is my enemy.  Using this reasoning, the Jewish people of Jesus’ day had justified their hatred towards anyone outside the Jewish faith.

Jesus calls us to realize that everyone is our neighbor.  He even shares the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10) to encourage us to realize that everyone is our neighbor and we are to love and care for everyone.  It would be easy to only love those who are like us, it is much more challenging to love those who are unlike us.  It is challenging to love those with different viewpoints, beliefs, and worldviews, but we are called to love them.

Do we spend our time focusing on those who are like us and justify not liking those who are not like us?  Do we make excuses why we could never get along with those who are too different than we are?  We are called to love and care for everyone, no matter what.  Maybe it’s time we stop making justifications and begin sharing love.

Blessings,
Pastor Amy