Sunday School Lesson

July 21

Lesson 8 (KJV)

Transforming Love

 

Devotional Reading: Romans 12:9–21

Background Scripture: Matthew 5:38–48

 

Matthew 5:38–48

38. Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:

 

39. But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

 

40. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.

 

41. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.

 

42. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

 

43. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

 

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.

 

Key Verses

Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, 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.—Matthew 5:43, 44

 

Lesson Aims

After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to:

 

1. Summarize Jesus’ teaching about how to treat friends and enemies.

 

2. Explain the differences between human and divine displays of love.

 

3. State a way he or she will show love to an “enemy” in the week ahead.

 

HOW TO SAY IT

Babylonian	Bab-ih-low-nee-un.
Deuteronomy	Due-ter-ahn-uh-me.
Hammurabi	Ham-muh-rah–bee.
Leviticus	Leh-vit-ih-kus.
lex talionis	leks-taw-lee-oh-nis.
Mahatma Gandhi	Muh-hot-muh Gawn-dee.
Pharisees	Fair-ih-seez.
Samaritan	Suh-mare-uh-tun.

Introduction

1. The Code of Hammurabi

What limits should there be to retaliation against a person who has wronged you? Imagine a situation of two rival villages. One villager insults the chief of the other village. The result? The insulted chief takes a war party to the other town, kills all the people, and burns it to the ground. Rather than return the insult in kind, or even escalate violence only against the insulter, the retaliation is without limits, as bad as it could be.

Several centuries before Moses gave the law to the people of Israel, a Babylonian king named Hammurabi developed a set of laws to regulate the government and the behavior of citizens in business and other situations. Some of the Code of Hammurabi seems quaint and primitive now, but it represented advances in legal protections not seen before.

One of those was Hammurabi’s edict, “Only one eye for one eye.” This embodies the principle of limited retaliation, that punishment or compensation for an injury should be equivalent to the originally inflicted injury. Moses gave similar instruction to Israel, “As he hath done, so shall it be done to him; … eye for eye, tooth for tooth” (Leviticus 24:19, 20). In legal tradition, this is known as the lex talionis, the law of legal, limited retaliation. Punishment for a crime should be in proportion to the offense. A jaywalker should not be executed. A premeditated murder should receive more than a small fine. A person who makes a snide comment should not be beaten senseless.

1. Lesson Context

Matthew 5–7, the Sermon on the Mount, makes up the largest uninterrupted block of Jesus’ teaching found in the Gospels (over 100 verses). His teachings in these three chapters are seen by some as defining the essence of what it means to be a Christian and a citizen of the kingdom of Heaven. The kingdom of Heaven is the establishment of God’s promised rule over the world. Sin has made us God’s enemies. But in God’s kingdom, God reestablishes His reign over all. He overcomes sin and invites sinners—His enemies‌—‌to become His friends.

In Matthew 5, Jesus challenged His disciples to move beyond the righteousness they saw in the religious leaders—the scribes and Pharisees. Jesus did this to push His followers to go beyond the behavioral righteousness of the Pharisees to a broken and contrite heart yielded fully to God (compare Psalm 51:17).

Jesus’ followers don’t just avoid murder; they eliminate murderous anger (Matthew 5:21–26). They don’t just avoid adultery or divorce; they control their lustful thoughts (5:27–32). They don’t just avoid breaking oaths; they make oaths unnecessary by always telling the truth (5:33–37). The ethics that Jesus teaches are the way of the kingdom of Heaven. As such, they often run counter to popular thinking and earthly wisdom. This lesson continues Jesus’ teaching on righteousness in two more areas: retaliation and love for others.

1. Turning the Cheek

(Matthew 5:38–42)

1. Limited Retaliation (v. 38)
2. Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.

Jesus introduces an ancient teaching as words that hath been said, a formula He has already used in this sermon (Matthew 5:21, 27, 33). In this case Jesus cites a teaching found several times in the Law of Moses, the principle of limited retaliation (lex talionis). In its fullest expression, this allows for one to be repaid an eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, and life for life for crimes committed (Exodus 21:23, 24; Leviticus 24:20; Deuteronomy 19:21). The law saw this as justice. To go beyond was to seek vengeance, and that is limited to the Lord (Leviticus 19:18; Deuteronomy 32:41–43; Romans 12:19).

As time went on, however, some understood this law to mean that people are authorized to seek personal revenge whenever they have been harmed. Rather than understanding these words as a limitation on what punishment the community could exact for a crime, the law was taken as permission to get even. Jesus does not take issue with the law in and of itself. Instead, He takes issue with people’s abuse of the law.

Road Rage

Tales of road rage are legion, and they follow a familiar, escalating formula. One particularly terrifying incident near Santa Clarita, California, illustrates the formula taken to extremes. An offended motorcyclist pulled alongside a car and kicked the driver’s door. The driver swerved into the motorcycle, sending it toward the median barrier.

The car then lost control, crashed into the barrier, ricocheted across two lanes, and hit an SUV. The SUV flipped over and went spinning down the road on its top, the car was disabled on the shoulder, and the motorcycle sped away.

Sadly, the accepted behaviors of society can lure even Christians into committing acts of rage and even hate. This should not be true of citizens of the kingdom of Heaven. In what other areas of life besides our driving should we be modeling Jesus’ “turn the other cheek” attitude?

—C. R. B.

1. No Retaliation (vv. 39–42)
2. But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

 

Jesus redefines the situation of personal injury in extreme, hyperbolic ways. He cautions His disciples not to resist … evil, not to fight an evil person with evil of your own (compare Romans 12:17, 19; 1 Peter 3:9). He illustrates this in three ways. First is the insulting person. Among Jesus’ hearers, to slap a person’s face is more than an attempt to injure. It is a stinging, physical insult. In His example, the insulter slaps the right cheek. Instead of retaliating in kind and thereby getting even, Jesus’ answer is to present the other, left cheek for a slap. Thus the one being insulted becomes vulnerable to receive yet another insult (Luke 6:29).

This text is not intended to teach absolute pacifism. Jesus’ concern here is not self-defense. He is speaking about insults that take the form of minor blows, not threats of death. The context here speaks specifically about the disciples who will be insulted and persecuted for being followers of Jesus (Matthew 5:11, 12). Jesus’ followers must focus on their mission to preach His message, not on retaliation for inevitable insults.

 

What Do You Think? What are some guardrails you can put in place to ensure you do not strike back when insulted?   Digging Deeper How would those guardrails differ, if at all, between being wronged by a friend, a family member, and a stranger? Why?

40. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.

 

In His second illustration, Jesus speaks of two common garments for men of His day. The coat is the inner garment, worn next to the skin; the cloke is the outer garment. Clothes are costly in both material and production time in Jesus’ day, not mass-produced inexpensively in factories. Each article is worn as long as possible. Their sturdiness makes even a well-used piece of clothing valuable. In the Law of Moses, the outer garment is not subject to being seized for debt or other reasons (Deuteronomy 24:13).

In Jesus’ extreme example, the person who loses an inner garment should be willing to give up the outer garment as well. This is much more than passive nonretaliation! God does not immediately retaliate against sinners as they (we) deserve (exceptions: Daniel 4:28–33; Acts 12:21–23). Instead, He sacrifices His very Son for us. If God’s people have been given such a generous gift, then we are compelled to act similarly toward others. We can do this in the confidence that the God who gives His Son for us will also supply all our needs (Matthew 6:25–34).

 

41. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.

 

The third illustration involves a practice of the Roman military. By law, a Roman soldier can compel a person to carry his gear, but only for one mile. The Romans furnish their roads with mile markers, so keeping to this limit is not difficult. The Jews hate this practice: it is an affront to their dignity to be used as menial servants or slaves; it is an arduous task to carry 40 or 50 pounds of gear for a mile; and, worst of all, it requires them to assist Roman soldiers who occupy their homeland.

Rather than seek retaliation for this indignity, Jesus’ followers are commanded to carry the luggage not just one mile but two (twain). No one in Jesus’ day offers to go an additional mile! This is a sacrifice for the kingdom of Heaven. As with the insulting slap or lawsuit, the follower of Jesus accepts insults for His sake and as His representative.

The message is clear. God’s kingdom does not come about by resisting the Romans. God’s kingdom does not manifest itself through military or political force. Rather, it comes through the radical gift of God given for rebellious sinners. Because God is so generous as to give His Son to die on the cross for the sake of His enemies, then His people need to show similar generosity toward those who are their enemies.

 

What Do You Think? What are some ways you can go the extra mile for others?   Digging Deeper Under what circumstances, if any, would going the extra mile be ill-advised?

42. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

 

This statement summarizes what Jesus previously said. Loans in Jesus’ day are not as common as in our modern economy. They are emergency measures that allow someone without any means to continue to eat. To have surplus goods or food to the point that a poor person would seek to borrow from you would put you in a position to humiliate the needy one. Jesus instead commands that they not be turned away (Luke 6:30) or treated with disrespect (Deuteronomy 15:8).

It is not just the person’s desperate circumstances that matter here. For those who know the gracious generosity of God, the only right response to need is one of generosity, like our Lord’s response to our need. Because God has been generous to us, we citizens of the kingdom of Heaven are also generous to others.

 

What Do You Think? Under what circumstances should we be open or not open to lending to someone who wants to borrow?   Digging Deeper Under what circumstances will it be preferable to give, without expecting repayment, rather than to lend? How, if at all, do Psalms 37:21; 112:5; Proverbs 11:15; 22:7, 26; and Romans 13:8 influence your conclusion?

1. Confronting the Enemy

(Matthew 5:43–45)

1. Limited Love (v. 43)

43a. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour.

 

The last of Jesus’ examples of righteousness that exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees concerns love for others. Leviticus 19:18 and its injunction to “Love thy neighbour as thyself” is well known in Jesus’ day. In fact, it is taught by Jesus as well (see Matthew 19:19; 22:39; Mark 12:31; Luke 10:27).

What exactly this love requires is debated by teachers of the day, as reflected in Jesus’ interaction with a scribe (Luke 10:29). In that case, Jesus responds by telling a parable. He presents the most unlikely of persons—a despised Samaritan‌‌—‌as the one who understands that his neighbor is the person who needs his help.

 

43b. And hate thine enemy.

 

Jesus goes on to note a popular misapplication of the command wherein the logically opposite has been added: hate thine enemy. The command to love one’s neighbor is very clear in Leviticus 19:18. But nowhere does the biblical law command one to hate an enemy. That is the idea that Jesus challenges.

It is easy for the people of God to conclude that their enemies are also God’s enemies and to justify hating them on that basis. For many in Jesus’ time, this outlook justifies hatred for the Roman occupiers. Yet as far as Jesus is concerned, God’s people must do something very different from hating their personal enemies. Whether they are truly God’s enemies or not isn’t the main issue.

1. Limitless Love (vv. 44, 45)
2. 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.

 

Jesus does not merely acknowledge the appropriateness of love for neighbors and then leave the question of love for everyone else open. Instead He demands love, active love, for enemies (Luke 6:27, 28).

Jesus’ disciples are not to return evil for evil, nor are they merely to ignore enemies completely. Instead, they are to return good for evil—just as He does (Luke 23:34; John 15:20; 1 Peter 2:23). They bless, do good to, and pray for malicious opponents (see Acts 7:60; Romans 12:14; 1 Corinthians 4:12). This is not what their enemies deserve, especially in light of the “eye for an eye” provisions from the Law of Moses and the teachings of the Pharisees.

We note in passing that early manuscripts of the book of Matthew do not have the phrasing bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, … which despitefully use you. But its inclusion in Luke 6:27, 28 is certain, so we are utterly confident the thoughts are original to Jesus.

Honey, Not Vinegar

It’s been said that you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. In 2012 the chief operating officer (COO) of Chick-fil-A put this axiom to the test. The man is committed to Christ, and his company reflects Christian values. As the battle over same-sex marriage was heating up, Chick-fil-A publicly announced support for traditional marriage. A group that rates colleges on friendliness to self-styled “lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer” (LGBTQ) students subsequently launched a boycott of the company.

As the public story unfolded, the COO privately sought out the founder of a nationwide LGBTQ organization. The two talked on the phone and in person many times. Though neither changed his view on same-sex marriage, the founder of the LGBTQ organization came away with a new respect for the company executive. The executive’s Christlike willingness to speak openly and honestly with the founder of the LGBTQ organization was a graceful example of Jesus’ call to love one’s enemies. How can we also follow Jesus’ example of grace and love toward those who consider us their enemies?

—C. R. B.

What Do You Think? What are some practical ways Christians can bless those who curse or otherwise disparage them?   Digging Deeper If a Christian is living a curse-free life, is that an indication that he or she isn’t doing enough light-shining for Christ (see lesson 6)? Why, or why not?

45a. That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven.

 

Jesus tells His disciples to look on their enemies with God’s eyes, from a divine perspective. All people, friends and foes, are children of the Father for all are His creatures (see Acts 17:28). If we genuinely belong to God as children belong to their father, then we will show the family resemblance in the way we treat our enemies. Jesus pronounces blessing on “peacemakers” as God’s children for this very reason (Matthew 5:9).

 

45b. For he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

 

Jesus uses the natural cycles of the earth as an example of how God shows mercy to all people, regardless of whether they are good or evil, just or unjust. From Jesus’ perspective, God is the loving Father of all human beings, even those who are disobedient and do not return His love (compare Luke 6:35). Just as a parent continues to love a disobedient child, so God the Father loves all His children.

We should be careful not to push this too far. Lack of rain may be part of creation’s cycles, even though it results in crop failure. But drought and famine will hit the just and the unjust too, just like rain blesses both groups. Jesus is warning that our acts of kindness, our humility, and our lack of retaliation are not reserved for those we love. These blessings must be given to all who need them.

III. Becoming Like the Father

(Matthew 5:46–48)

1. Self-Serving Love (vv. 46, 47)
2. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

 

There is no lasting merit in lavishing love or respect on those we know will return it in kind (compare Luke 14:12). This is not the type of love Jesus advocates. He teaches unselfish love that gives and expects nothing in return. If we love this way, we give our other cheek, our second mile, and our outer coat without expecting anything back.

Jesus points out that even the publicans show favor to those who might show favor to them (compare Luke 6:32). The publicans are the despised revenue gatherers of the Romans, Jews who had sold out to the enemy to become rich at the expense of other Jews.

These tax collectors are notoriously wicked and self-seeking. They are regularly held up as examples of immorality, living on the fringes of Jewish society (see 19:1–7). If blatantly greedy, sinful publicans manage to love their neighbors when it serves their interests, can it be counted as righteous? Jesus expects far more than self-serving love from His disciples.

 

47. And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

 

In Jesus’ culture, to offer greetings to people in public is an important and elaborate duty. But there are those who are excluded from the social circle. A person indicates who is a friend and who is an enemy by offering or not offering greetings.

Again, Jesus points out that such behavior does not mark one out as God’s person but as someone who does not know God. God invites all to come to Him, no matter how they have rejected Him in the past. His people have to do the same.

1. Perfect Love (v. 48)
2. Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

 

If the original readers wonder what Jesus’ standard is for perfection, He tells them: as perfect … as your Father which is in heaven (see Leviticus 19:2; 1 Peter 1:16). This is more than “being better” than most other people. We don’t compare our righteousness with even the paragons of our community. God is the measure.

 

What Do You Think? How will you keep the standard of God as your own without falling prey to despair as you realize perfection cannot be attained in this life?   Digging Deeper What roles do you see for prayer and the Holy Spirit in your answer?

Jesus wants disciples who desire deeply to be like God. He knows our hearts and knows what we need to be perfect like God. For the rich young man Jesus encounters later in Matthew, the path to perfection and life is about giving up his love for money and possessions and then following Jesus. He needs a change of heart, and in this he fails (Matthew 19:16–22). Jesus does not want us to fail. He wants to free us from the trap of earning God’s favor by keeping the law. But remember, unless our self-righteousness is superior to that of the greatest law-keepers in history, the Pharisees, we have no place in the kingdom of Heaven.

 

Conclusion

1. The Code of Jesus

Mahatma Gandhi, the Hindu teacher and leader, was famously a student and admirer of Jesus’ teachings. Gandhi is often attributed as saying, “An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.” Gandhi understood Jesus exactly at this point. In the kingdom of Heaven that Jesus introduced, equalizing violent responses is no answer. It leaves two injured parties.

The lex talionis principles of Hammurabi, Moses, and others continue to guide legal systems today. Fair courts the world over still seek to limit punishment to fit the crime. Jesus, however, exhorts His followers to go beyond limited and equal retaliation to have hearts that don’t desire it. Are you willing to endure insults without getting even? Are you willing to love people who will never love you back? God’s love transforms us so we can learn to love others in the same way, even those who have hurt us deeply. Let us follow His example and find ways to love our enemies.

1. Prayer

Father, may we not avoid “two-mile situations,” but embrace them as your Son did. We pray in his precious name. Amen.

1. Thought to Remember

Love helps heal broken relationships.

 

 

KID’S CORNER

How We Can Love Our Enemies

July 21, 2019

Matthew 5:38-48

Matthew 5:38-48

(Matthew 5:38) “You have heard that it was said, ‘AN EYE FOR AN EYE, AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.’

This command can be found in Exodus 21:24, Leviticus 24:20, and Deuteronomy 19:21. The command relates to how the Israelite government was to enforce just laws in their society with just punishments. If someone intentionally harmed another person, then the offender must make restitution to compensate the person he hurt. A tooth and an eye were so valuable to a person that if a slaveowner knocked out a tooth or an eye of a slave then he was to compensate the slave by letting the slave go free. Thus, the slaveowner learned not to abuse his slaves, and in the Israelite’s form of government slaves had human rights that the government intended to enforce. Likewise, in the system of justice revealed by God to Moses, people could not escape punishment for knocking out people’s teeth and eyes because they were influential or wealthy, while others less influential or the poor suffered the penalty for doing the same things. God’s intention was to create a just form government, so no one would be punished more or less than they deserved. When some people took the law into their own hands, they sometimes unjustly punished someone more than they deserved, and this law was intended to prevent injustice. For example, in Genesis 4:23, Lamech bragged that he had killed a young man for striking him. Even though the Israelite form of government was far superior to other governments of the time regarding human rights, and just laws and punishments, it was still a kingdom of this world – the best God could do with the people He had to work with at that time; whereas, Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world. Jesus’ kingdom deals with the human heart and not just external rules of behavior

(Matthew 5:39) “But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.

In John 18:36, Jesus answered Pilate, saying, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” Jesus, the King of the universe, in obedience to God His Father, died in behalf of sinners that some might be saved. Jesus did not resist the evildoer when He was arrested, tried, and crucified. At that time, Jesus did not physically resist the evildoer because He wanted to fulfil a higher purpose, God’s purpose. Jesus did not mean that a just government should not enforce just laws to prevent evildoers from flourishing (see verse 38 above). In some sense, Jesus suffered injustice on a personal level because the religious leaders hated Him personally and manipulated the Roman government to murder Jesus. Verse 39 refers to injustices that people suffer personally when there is not a need to justly prosecute and punish someone to restrain them from harming others in similar or worse ways. The principle here does not teach that the children of God cannot defend themselves and others using physical force. Prior to His arrest, in Luke 22:38, Jesus indicated that His disciples could carry swords in self-defense, but two swords would be enough that night because He did not intend to defend himself using physical force or by calling down angels from heaven to save Him. In fulfillment of the Scriptures, Jesus said His Father would protect His disciples that night, and He did. This verse most probably relates to an evildoer or mocker who insults a Christian by backhanding them with the back of their right hand to hit their right cheek. To defuse the situation, a person could turn the other cheek to them or simply walk away without striking back. The intention seems to be that Christians do not need to strike back when struck, there may be a better God-given response rather than escalating violence. In this world, Christians are typically insulted for their faith, persecuted, and murdered. Even before they are treated with contempt and backhanded, Christians can ask themselves and pray, “What is God’s will for me in this situation?” In His Beatitudes, Jesus taught, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9).

(Matthew 5:40) “If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also.

Whereas a criminal offense against someone involves the government and the concern for public justice, a lawsuit is a civil matter. Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount considers both types of problems that a Christian may face. In this verse, Jesus has turned to a civil matter. Perhaps the lawsuit is justified or perhaps not. But as we studied previously on July 14, in Matthew 5:25-26, Jesus said, “Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.” Jesus advised Christians to do good beyond what the worldly person expects. Maybe the person suing you will repent and want to become the type of person you are as a Christian. Or because of your self-sacrificing kindness, they may recognize they were wrong to bring a lawsuit against you. They may repent and drop the charges. Our real goal is to do the will of Jesus.

(Matthew 5:41) “Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two.

According to Roman law regarding the rights of their occupying armies, a Roman soldier could compel a person in the country they controlled to carry their baggage one mile and no further. This law would benefit the soldier and the citizen (the citizen only had to carry the baggage one mile, and it was illegal to force him to carry it more than that). The requirement was like a tax that involved personal service instead of money. Jesus’ command here involves the witnessing of a Christian to a Roman soldier. When a Christian offered to carry the soldier’s baggage a second mile, the soldier would instantly ask him why he wanted to do more than required by law, because no one else would ever offer to do that. As the Christian carried his baggage the second mile, he would have an opportunity to explain the difference Jesus Christ had made in his life and teach the soldier the good news about Jesus. If the discussion went well, no doubt the Christian would carry his baggage another mile or more to talk more about Jesus and possibly lead the soldier to believe in Jesus. It is possible a bully or a bandit could try to compel someone to carry their baggage; if so, the principle would be the same, but a Christian should never violate the moral law of God to satisfy a bully or a bandit. In personal and business relationships, a Christian who truly loves Jesus and others can stand out among others by consistently doing more than required to benefit others. By doing so, he may have an opportunity to share the good news of Jesus.

(Matthew 5:42) “Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.

The principle described above in Matthew 5:41 applies here. Christian culture differs from the prevailing selfish culture of this world, a world where people need to come to faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus does not mean that we should disregard commonsense.  The story is told of a minister who obeyed Jesus’ command explicitly to the letter, and eventually people learned they no longer needed to work because the minister would never refuse a beggar or a borrower. Eventually, everyone in his town became impoverished, including the minister. A truly poor person can be helped when he begs, but not in a way that will hurt him or go beyond the material means of a Christian to share. In every case, the Christian must pray about how to obey this command of Jesus, and Jesus will give us the wisdom we need. Christians do not need to impoverish themselves to help beggars or give to borrowers. As distinct from a beggar, a borrower usually professes that he will repay the person he borrows from, and if a Christian has the means and divine guidance, he could choose to help a borrower. Mainly, Jesus does not want Christians to love their money more than God and others. Many can be so selfish they will never help anyone, beggar or borrower, if it costs them time or money. Jesus does not want Christians to become selfish and self-centered (sinful).

(Matthew 5:43) “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’

The world and some religions teach hating your enemy is an appropriate standard of behavior. Christians who try to do what the Bible teaches are hated, persecuted, and even killed in some countries, for they are considered enemies. Some Christians are refused promotions where they work. It is easy to love and help a good neighbor. It is easier to hate an enemy and want them to suffer than to love them. In the love Jesus gives us, we can prayerfully seek to do what is best for everyone concerned.

(Matthew 5:44) “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

God the Father and His Son, Jesus, love their enemies. Jesus did not ask His followers to do anything that He did not do himself (or would not do himself). Jesus came into the world to save His enemies. “At the right time Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6). “But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Jesus wants His followers to help His enemies and their enemies to become godly people by praying for them and trying to be friendly with them when wise and possible. Remember, Jesus also taught, “Do not give what is holy to dogs; and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under foot and turn and maul you” (Matthew 7:6). Some may be so violent or untrustworthy that as an expression of our love we may not be able to do anything more than pray for them to come to saving faith in Jesus Christ, but that is far better than praying down a curse upon their heads.

(Matthew 5:45) so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Children are sometimes like their parents. Jesus’ followers should become like their heavenly Father and Jesus, His Son. When the Father sends rain, He does not prevent it from raining on the fields of those who do evil. Perhaps God treats those who do evil with goodness and kindness in the natural world so they will see evidence of a loving God and repent and love God. God always does what is best for everyone, but if those who are evil persist in evil; then someday they will be separated from all that is good, loving, and kind.

(Matthew 5:46) “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

It is easy to love someone who loves us, perhaps the one who loved us first. “We love [God] because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Loving God is the “reward” or response God deserves for first loving us while we were still sinners. There is no reward for doing the easy and expected thing. Exceptional deeds of goodness and valor are rewarded. Tax collectors may not have any friends other than other tax collectors, so they take care of one another. God expects us to love and care everyone, not just other believers.

(Matthew 5:47) “If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

Some people refuse to speak to, acknowledge, or extend any form of friendship to anyone they do not personally like or to anyone who may have offended them at one time. Rather than forgive, they treat them as enemies. This is the typical way of behaving that Jesus wanted His followers to avoid. Since we live in Jesus’ kingdom, we should be different from those who live only in the kingdoms of this world.

(Matthew 5:48) “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

The Father and the Son love their friends and their enemies, and they show everyone a better way to live, a perfect way to live. By grace through faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we can live better morally and spiritually as we follow Jesus. Christians can show others a better way to live, if they will repent of their sins and trust in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. By loving and doing good to their enemies, the Father and Jesus may expect their enemies to come to them as they draw them to learn the right way to live, to change their attitude and behavior, to begin loving them and others and to follow their commandments as their God. Perhaps by loving our enemies as God does, they will want to know God too. Paul wrote, “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). To be “perfect” also means “complete.” As Christians, we strive to become completely like Jesus in the way we feel, think, speak, love, and act.

 

How We Can Love Our Enemies

July 21, 2019

Matthew 5:38-48

 

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:43-44).

The ways of this world are full of hate. No wonder Jesus declared that His kingdom was not of this world. The Kingdom of God is full of love and truth, so Jesus commanded His followers to not only love one another but also to love their enemies. The way Christians love their friends and enemies should stand out in sharp contrast to the way of those committed to following the ways of this world. The difference in Christians and the difference Christians make in this world may be one reason Christians around the world suffer persecution, even as Jesus predicted in His Sermon on the Mount. Jesus tried to prepare all who would follow Him to love their enemies even when persecuted—which can only be done as the Spirit of Christ within them enables them to love. To love your enemies does not mean striving to experience feelings of warm affection for them. Rather, Christ’s love inspires Christians to pray for God to do what is best for their enemies, for those around them, and themselves. Christians can pray for their enemies to learn the truth about God and Jesus and their love for them. Christians can pray that the Spirit of Christ will graciously lead their enemies to turn from evil and place their faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Christians can pray that perhaps through their witness that their enemies will seek to enter the Kingdom of God and begin to love God, others, and themselves according to the teachings of Jesus.

 

Thinking Further

How We Can Love Our Enemies

July 21, 2019

Matthew 5:38-48

Name________________________________________

 

1. How can the principle in Matthew 5:38 be a form of just punishment?

 

 

2. What reasons might Jesus have for telling Christians to follow His teachings in Matthew 5:39-41?

 

 

3. Do you think Jesus meant that Christians should never under any circumstances refuse to give to someone who begs or wants to borrow from you?

 

 

4. What petitions might some of your prayers to God include when you are suffering persecution?

 

 

5. What might you say to someone who always says, “Well, nobody’s perfect,” every time they are confronted with their sinful choices?

 

Questions for Discussion and Thinking Further

1. How can the principle in Matthew 5:38 be a form of just punishment? No one is punished more than they deserve.
2. What reasons might Jesus have for telling Christians to follow His teachings in Matthew 5:39-41? His followers need to be peacemakers whenever possible. By doing more than required of us or expected of us we might be able to share with someone the hope we have within us through faith in Jesus Christ.
3. Do you think Jesus meant that Christians should never under any circumstances refuse to give to someone who begs or wants to borrow from you? No. Jesus expects us to use our commonsense so someone does not take unjust advantage over us or so we do not influence someone to think they do not need to work because they can live just fine by begging or borrowing. Jesus does not expect us to impoverish ourselves by unwise giving.
4. What petitions might some of your prayers to God include when you are suffering persecution? We can pray that our witness as sincere Christians will lead them to think and come to faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. We can pray for the Holy Spirit to use truths from the Bible and our example or words to lead them to saving faith. We might pray for the Lord Jesus to give us courage, strengthen our faith, remind us of truths from the Bible that we need, or our persecutors need, to hear, and for Jesus to save us from persecution–perhaps through the conversion of our persecutors. We might pray for Jesus to help us be His good and faithful servants and friends the entire time we are suffering, and that He would relieve our pain. We might pray for Jesus to work a miracle in the lives of our persecutors and to work a miracle to free us from their persecution.
5. What might you say to someone who always says, “Well, nobody’s perfect,” every time they are confronted with their sinful choices? We might simply tell them what Jesus said in Matthew 5:48, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

 

Word Search

How We Can Love Our Enemies

July 21, 2019

Matthew 5:38-48

Name __________________________________

 

R P W B Y I K T W G Y X T L V

T S E O P T D R L U S I A C J

B R T R E M L O V E D B Q E W

E M E Z S J B O R R O W S O B

R T V O P E X D S H N U D J L

N X D A D O C L V E S E O A K

E H P G R L J U O A C A W S U

X O E O I V I N T V Y O Z M H

H B H U G P F V S E P A N F W

T C Q X H A E C E N K Q R D Q

O N F G T S J R B Y D G C P H

O J A H E N X D F J E I M J R

T N E F O M C H E E K G O H Q

F R V N U Z F M K U C E L I M

L W X B S T E W H Y V T G A Y

 

Eye

Tooth

Cheek

Evildoer

Second

Mile

Beg

Borrow

Love

Pray

Persecute

Father

Heaven

Righteous

Perfect

 

True and False Test

How We Can Love Our Enemies

July 21, 2019

Matthew 5:38-48

Name __________________________________

 

Circle the true or false answers. Correct the false statements by restating them.

1. Requiring an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth as punishment is just. True or False
2. Turning the other cheek instead of striking back can show mercy to the one who has struck you. True or False
3. Going the second mile when only one is required can show grace.

True or False

4. Under no circumstances should you ever give to a beggar. True or False
5. Never refuse to give to a borrower for they will always pay you back. True or False
6. If you love your enemies and persecutors, you will pray for God to strike them dead so they can go to heaven. True or False
7. Our Father in heaven sends sun and rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. True or False
8. When you learn to love tax collectors, Jesus will make you into a child of your Father in heaven. True or False
9. As a Christian, when you are outside of the church building, you should only speak to other Christians and shun unbelievers. True or False
10. God knows we are only human, so He does not expect us to be perfect. True or False

True and False Test Answers

 

1. True
2. True
3. True
4. False
5. False
6. False
7. True
8. False
9. False

10.False

 

Prayer

Father, may we not avoid “two-mile situations,” but embrace them as your Son did. We pray in his precious name. Amen.