Love Your Enemies- Imitate Good

Jesus teaches us a very important lesson in Luke 6:27, “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you...” “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, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect,” (Matthew 5:43-48).

We cannot be perfect as long as we live with a nature to sin (which will be for as long as we live on this earth) but we still must “be imitators of God, as beloved children” (Ephesians 5:1).

Whenever anyone (Matthew 10:36) acts as an enemy toward us (for whatever reason), we need to respond in a way that is uncharacteristic of the world. The world’s way is to retaliate. Jesus’ way to respond, however, is to demonstrate love to those who mistreat us-- regardless of what that mistreatment may be. Jesus demonstrated love to those who both verbally and physically assaulted Him- even put Him to death. How can we justify an unforgiving spirit for far less offense than this? In Ephesians 4:30-32 Paul admonishes us with the following words, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

If we are not willing to forgive others their trespasses against us, we certainly cannot expect God to forgive our many trespasses against Him. In fact, it is made clear in Matthew 5:16 that “.. if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Jesus’ response to hate and mistreatment is the ultimate example of forgiving those who sin against us.

In Matthew 27:27-31 we read of the unjust manner Jesus was treated, “Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor's headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.” Yet in Matthew 27:12-14 scripture reads, “But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against you? But he gave no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.” He did not try to justify himself as we may do in situations of our own, nor did he lash out as we are tempted to do. Jesus’ perfect example is a forgiving spirit, as evidenced by his prayer to the Father for his persecutors, “And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. (Luke 23:34). We must not behave like those who treat us badly, but rather like Christ- who does good. John 1:11 reads, “Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.”

 

We can “imitate good” by looking to Christ- (who alone is good)-- through obedience to the teaching of His word. May we intentionally look to Him when tempted to “imitate evil”. May we find grace to imitate good- by loving our enemies and doing good to those who mistreat us.