Matthew 5:43 “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 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? Do not even tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even Gentiles do the same? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.”
Jesus spoke these words to a crowd of several thousand people, and many of those people must have wondered what on earth he was talking about! When Jesus was giving this teaching, the Romans ruled Israel. There were advantages to being part of the Roman Empire; the roads were better, new cities were built, and the Romans brought in strong administration. But the Romans also imposed heavy taxes and sternly enforced the payment of those taxes. As far as the Jews were concerned, every Roman soldier who strode down the street served as a constant reminder that they were second class citizens in their own country. There is nothing new about colonialism; it’s been around for thousands of years.
Even the Jews themselves had many social distinctions. There were the working class fellows, the carpenters, the fishermen, and the farmers.There were the tradesmen, who generally felt themselves to be a cut above men who worked with their hands. There were the religious scholars who felt that they were definitely in a higher class. And then there were those who had sold out to the Roman regime and become tax collectors. The tax collectors were wealthy, but their fellow citizens hated them.
As if these distinctions weren’t enough, there was also the constant tension between Jews and Samaritans. When most of the Jews were carried off into Babylon, the remainder fled to Egypt. The Babylonians brought in poor people from other lands to settle in Israel so that the land would remain fertile and productive. These people brought their own gods with them, but also began serving the God of Israelas well. As far as the Jews were concerned, the Samaritans were a mongrel people who were pagans with a thin veneer of Judaism. To the Jews, there was little difference between a Samaritan and a dog, and they might even have favored a dog over a Samaritan. And yet, it’s possible that there were even a few Samaritans hanging around at the back of the crowd, waiting to hear what this strange teacher had to say.
When Jesus began telling this huge crowd of people that they were to love their enemies and pray for those who persecuted them, this teaching was revolutionary. It’s likely that while Jesus was speaking, each individual in that crowd was envisioning the people they most hated or feared or looked down upon. One fisherman might be thinking, “You want me to forgive Isaac? That no – good loafer who spoiled my best net without so much as a word of apology?” And one of the ladies might have thought, ”Humph! Forgive Mariam? After what she was saying about me the last time I fetched water from the village well? Well! I know what I’m going to do about Mariam and her lies!” And if there were any Roman soldiers standing back and watching to make sure that everything remained peaceful, it’s likely that many of those sitting close to the soldiers were looking at them out of the corners of their eyes. “Well, there’s Claudius! The last time he sauntered down the street, he picked up some of my oranges and never even paid for them! And now you want me to forgive him?”
But Jesus never bothered saying what people wanted to hear. Jesus was teaching about the kingdom of God and what men and women should do to become part of that kingdom. And even today “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” is still one of the foundational teachings about the Kingdom of God and also one of the hardest things to actually do. Frankly, none of us can forgive and pray for our enemies on our own; it takes the grace of God. But praise God, He will give us that grace if we ask.
PRAYER: Father God, please give us your grace so that we can love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. We can’t possibly do this on our own. Help us to truly become citizens of your heavenly kingdom. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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