43 “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 children 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 own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:43-48)
The Lord Jesus said: You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ The Old Testament of the Bible doesn’t say to hate your enemies. The Lord Jesus said here: “You have heard that it was said.” But the Lord Jesus told the disciples to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. The purpose of praying for them is for them to believe in the Lord. If you love your enemy, you become children of the Father in heaven, who makes the sun shine on all, good and evil, and sends rain on all, righteous and unrighteous. What reward is there for loving those who love you, for tax collectors, i.e. sinners, do the same, and if you greet only your own people, you are not better than others, for the Gentiles, that is, unbelievers, also do the same. The Lord Jesus said that be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect, and in the parallel passage, Gospel Luke, it says that be merciful, as your heavenly Father is merciful, because he is merciful to the ungrateful and evildoers. The Lord Jesus asked us to be merciful to the sinners, to love our enemies, and be kind to them, so that we can be called the children of God. 🙏😊
