Oct 4th- Love your Enemies

Matthew 5:43-44

"Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy.
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;"


How often do we pray for our enemies? Let alone love them! Think on who you consider your "enemy". Do you pray for them? Love them? Bless them?


Matthew 5:45

"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.


Don't worry about justice. God will take care of it. Focus rather on charity.


Matthew 5:46-47

"For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

It's easy to love those that love you. It's easy to love those who share your same values and opinions. But what "reward" do you receive? Even the publicans do the same! Publicans were not seen very kindly by the Jews. Christ uses this example to rebuke those he is teaching. Are you any better then your "enemy", who love their own kind as well? What makes you any better than they? Because you are the "chosen" people?
Being a member of the church does not make you any better than the rest of the world. "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."


Matthew 5:48

"*Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."

*JST:"Ye are therefore commanded to be perfect..."