The Sermon on the Mount’s lessons on love and humility are continued in Matthew 5:43-48. Jesus extends the concept of love to include one’s adversaries after instructing believers not to seek vengeance for insults. People naturally find it difficult to accept persecution passively. We naturally avoid the idea of actively loving those who hate and attack us through our actions, not necessarily our feelings. However, it is simple to love those you love because God has higher standards.
In verses forty-three - forty-four:
Jesus prevents us from enforcing the law on our own by instructing us to refrain from retaliation. We can defeat evil by loving and praying for our enemies.
The Pharisees interpreted Psalms 139:19-22 and 140:9-11 as instructing them to hate their adversaries, and Leviticus 19:18 as instructing them to love only those who love back. However, Jesus commands us to love our enemies. We will truly demonstrate that Jesus is the Lord of our lives if we treat our adversaries with love and kindness. Because only God can free people from their natural tendency to be selfish, this is only possible for those who give themselves completely to God. We must rely on the Holy Spirit to assist us in demonstrating love to those we may not feel love for.
In verse forty-five:
God loves everyone in the world, good and evil alike. How can we verify that? Jesus provides evidence in one way. No matter who they are or what they have done, God makes the sun rise and rainfall on everyone. God is the provider, and He provides goodness to everyone in this and countless other ways.
According to Matthew 5:43-44, Jesus has instructed His followers to pray for those who oppress them and to love their enemies. Now He provides a justification for doing so. This is to imitate God the Father, just as earthly sons do. Jesus says that becoming one of His Sons means imitating the Father.
Theological scholars refer to God’s goodness toward everyone as common grace. In Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus referred to His followers as the “light of the world.” The light that shines on His people comes from God. He uses the tools of born-again believers to spread His light into the spiritual darkness of the world. Christians’ love for their adversaries in the same way that God loves them is one way that God shines His light through us.
In the big picture, this means that everyone can be saved by God’s grace through faith in Christ. People are drawn to the faith of believers when they pray for those who cause them pain and give good in return for evil.
In verse forty-six:
According to Matthew 5:43-45, Jesus commanded His followers to love their enemies and to show that love by praying even for those who persecute them. According to Matthew 5:48, this is the level of righteousness that God expects from those who wish to enter the kingdom of heaven. If that seems like an unattainable standard, it is as follows: The message of the gospel is that no one can ever be saved by doing good deeds (Romans 3:10; Titus 3:5).
Everyone loves the people they love, even from an unspiritual worldview. In God’s kingdom, no one is rewarded for that. It is simple and does not take much effort. Jesus claims that even tax collectors do this because it is so simple.
This account of Jesus’ life is written by the apostle Matthew, who was a Roman tax collector (publican) before Jesus called him (Matthew 9:9). These men collected taxes for the occupiers of Rome. Their Jewish brothers viewed them as collaborators and traitors solely because of this. The position also facilitated deep corruption, as Roman government employees and tax collectors frequently stuffed their own pockets by collecting more money than was actually owed. These men gained wealth at the expense of their neighbors.
It was meant to be a challenge when Jesus said, “Do not even the publicans the same?” Tax collectors were thought to have no loyalty, no morals, or integrity. Love for family and close friends is easy for even those people. However, since it is so out of the ordinary for humans to love their enemies, it is necessary to imitate God.
In verse forty-seven:
Jesus has commanded His followers to love their enemies, a command that challenges both culture and human nature. After all, God works for the good of everyone on Earth, regardless of their love or hatred for Him. He gives everyone the sun and rain (Matthew 5:43-46).
To be righteous enough to be like God the Father, you cannot just love your neighbors. In the kingdom of heaven, no one will be rewarded for loving those who already love them. Loving someone who treats us well does not necessitate any special faith or integrity.
Now, Jesus gives an illustration of how to love an adversary, by saluting (greeting) them. Jesus said that people who love their brothers greet each other. He is implying that only the truly righteous greet their adversaries, i.e., those who oppose them. In this cultural context, you had to let go of any animosity you might have had toward the person you were greeting. Someone truly exemplifies God’s love for everyone by greeting their enemies in this manner. This is a kind of love and justice that goes far beyond what is normal for people. It is what Jesus asks of His followers.
In verse forty-eight:
How are we to be perfect? First, our character can be perfect. We cannot be perfect in this life, but we can strive to be as morally perfect and sinless as possible to be like Christ as possible. Second, our holiness can be perfect. We are to separate ourselves from the sinful values of the world, just like the Pharisees did. However, in contrast to the Pharisees, we are to carry God’s love and mercy into the world and be devoted to His purposes rather than our own.
Thirdly, our maturity can be perfect. We must develop toward wholeness because we cannot obtain a Christ-like character and a holy behavior all at the same time, we must grow into it. God expects different things from us based on our spiritual development, just as we expect different things from babies, children, teenagers, and adults. Fourth, our love can be perfect. As much as God loves us, we can strive to love others fully.
Colossians 1:28, Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
1 Peter 1:15, But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
If our behavior is appropriate for our level of maturity, we can be perfect while still having a lot of room for improvement. We should never let our propensity to sin stop us from striving to become more like Christ. Every one of Christ’s followers is urged to excel, rise above mediocrity, and mature to the fullest, becoming like Him. In the end, those who strive for perfection will be as perfect as He is.
1 John 3:2-3, Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure.
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