Get the appThe Sermon on the MountSample
Love
The teaching of the Old Testament was falsified by adding a phrase to the commandment that distorts its true meaning: and hate your enemy. The quote from the Old Testament is from Leviticus 19:18, and the preceding verse is very clear: "Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart." (Leviticus 19:17 NIV). The parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) shows that from God's point of view, everyone should be treated as a neighbor, even those who act as enemies towards us.
The law taught to treat "enemies" well (Exodus 23:4,5). Jesus goes further - instead of merely avoiding harm to “enemies”, he teaches us to pray for them. Jesus did this while they were nailing Him to the cross (Luke 23:34) and Stephen also prayed while he was being stoned (Acts 7:60). Prayer enables God to alter our attitude.
God is love (1 John 4:8), and if we are His children, this characteristic must not be lacking. God's love is not expressed only towards the lovable; rather, God loved us while we were still His enemies (Romans 5:8-10). The blessings given by God to people are not based on their relationship with Him ("He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous" - Matthew 5:45 NIV), and we shouldn't distinguish between people we consider more or less likeable. True Christian love should not be confused with the solidarity that exists among certain social classes. Christian love is proactive, not reactive, in that we don't love people because they love us, but rather because God the Father loves us and makes us capable of doing so.
Perfect in Matthew 5:48 means "complete" in the sense that the love we are to show is to be manifested to all. This verse does not imply that a perfect Christian life can be achieved on this earth. This goal is unattainable from a human perspective (Philippians 3:12), but we shouldn't give up growing in God's grace (2 Corinthians 13:11).
- What is your response to the Bible's call to love our enemies?
- Are you seeking God's help to deal with "difficult" people?
About this Plan
“The Sermon on the Mount” is the title often given to chapters 5-7 of the Gospel of Matthew. It is a summary of the teaching of Jesus. Although the other Gospels present some similar passages in other contexts, it is likely that Jesus actually delivered this speech on only one occasion, but then repeated the same concepts several times on other occasions as well. Matthew Henry, the great Bible commentator, says that the purpose of the Sermon on the Mount is “not to fill our heads with notions, but to guide and regulate our practice”.
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