The law commanding love for our neighbour, Luke 6:27 / Matthew 5:43, is found in Leviticus 19:18, but the law to hate our enemies is not found explicitly in God’s Word.
However, the Hebrews were forbidden to make peace with the people of Canaan, Exodus 34:11-16 / Deuteronomy 7:1-6, and the bloody wars which were waged by God’s own command inevitably taught them to hate their enemies.
This was even the feeling of their most pious men, 2 Kings 13:19.
In contrast, Jesus desires His disciples to practice love rather than revenge. He wants us to have a selfless concern for the ultimate good of others, Luke 7:27-36 / Luke 10:25-37.
He wants us to love our enemies, Luke 6:27 / Matthew 5:44, not in an emotional sense, which would be impossible, but in the sense that we seek what is in their best interest. It’s in this manner that we can and must love our enemies. Jesus’ life perfectly illustrated this principle of righteousness, Luke 10:25-37 / Acts 7:60 / 1 Samuel 24:13.
We love our enemies when we bless them, do good to them, and pray for them, Luke 6:27-28 / Matthew 5:44. These things are not possible if hatred resides in our hearts. Even if these activities don’t change them, they will help us develop love like God’s. Truly, this is how we should properly respond to persecution. This should deepen our sense of awe concerning divine love.
Imagine how putting into practice Jesus’ teaching would affect the world we’re living in now. Imagine a world where good was returned for evil! What if we practised what Jesus did? In what way would Jesus’ teaching on loving and praying for our enemies help us in our outreach efforts?
It certainly tells us that we will have enemies and we will be persecuted at times, but it also teaches us to continue to love them and pray for them. Remember that prayer may not change their attitude towards you, but it may change your attitude towards them, John 15:18-21.
1. Jesus shares an example of non-resistance to personal insults, Luke 6:29 / Matthew 5:39.
Rather than resist an insult, such as a facial slap, 2 Corinthians 11:20, we should meekly endure it and suffer another rather than resisting evil with evil, Proverbs 15:1. It’s better to suffer ill-treatment than to resist or retaliate against those who would persecute us, 1 Peter 2:18-20.
2. We see an example of non-resistance to judicial injustice, Luke 6:29 / Matthew 5:40 / Exodus 22:26 / Deuteronomy 24:13.
Disciples need to remember that physical things, such as clothing, are replaceable and truly insignificant in the big picture. Wasting precious time fighting over matters such as these isn’t helpful for the follower of Christ; rather, it is a hindrance.
If someone is in need and asks for help, we should not refuse to give what we can, Luke 6:30 / Matthew 5:42 / Romans 12:21. The disciples shouldn’t retaliate by withholding from those who would ask of them, Deuteronomy 15:8-10 / Galatians 6:10 / James 2:14-17. The disciples must willingly give when compelled by those who would demand of them according to law, Luke 6:30.
Jesus’ words in this section are perhaps best understood as general principles of non-resistance and not as absolute commands to always be applied literally, just as Matthew 5:29-30 are not to be applied literally. After all, did the Lord really intend that evildoers be free to slap or insult us over and over again? Are we always to give to those who ask of us, turning no one away? The answer is no, John 18:20-23 / 2 Thessalonians 3:10.
Jesus’ point is that small injuries or offences are to be gracefully passed over. If someone slaps us, we’ve been insulted, but it’s not an assault on our lives. We shouldn’t feel humiliated but should rejoice in the opportunity to return good for evil, Matthew 5:10-12, assuming that we didn’t deserve the slap.
To let someone have your coat or other possession or to go with them two miles is to show in attitude, word, and deed that you are not filled with covetousness or hatred but with a spirit of love. This is the type of righteousness Christ expects of His disciples, Romans 12:17-21. This type of response will have the best chance of touching the hearts of others for the Lord.
To insist on every individual right or to retaliate against every personal injury is to dispute continually with all men. Such actions describe one filled with selfish pride, not humility, Matthew 5:3-5.
This type of response glorifies Satan, not God! Wrongdoing that is committed against Christians originates from Satan, but Christians must resist the temptations of Satan, James 4:7.
However, be careful not to misapply this passage. Jesus never said not to restrain the murderer’s hand. He never said not to oppose the wicked tyrant. And, He never intended for our behaviour to encourage greed or laziness in others.
‘Do to others as you would have them do to you’, Luke 6:31 / Matthew 7:12, is often referred to as the Golden Rule. This is the principle of loving our neighbour as ourselves. Jesus shows that this simple principle, which summarises all the Law and the Prophets say about how we should treat others, Luke 6:31 / Matthew 7:12.
This is a fundamental principle of the Christian life that manifests one’s relationship both with his fellow brother in Christ, as well as non-Christians. This isn’t a selfish motivation for being kind to others, but a mental check by which we can continually guard our behaviour in relation to others. This fundamental principle is the foundation upon which is built all that God would have us do in our relationships with others, Romans 13:8-10 / Galatians 5:14.
If the way we go about sharing the Gospel with others is a reflection of what God has done in our lives, what does this tell us about how we should share the Gospel with others? We need to remember how the Gospel was shared with us, with love, patience, compassion and understanding of where the other person is at, 2 Timothy 2:23-26.
This principle that Jesus sets forth touches every aspect of our lives and is the best moral rule we can live by. It far exceeds its declaration in the negative sense, that is, ‘do not do to others what you would not want them to do to you,’ which was taught by men such as Socrates, Buddha, Confucius, and Hillel.
The rule, as stated by Jesus, is supreme in that it requires doing good to others and not merely refraining from doing them harm. It is not always easy to see things from another’s perspective, but one should always try to do so and then direct his conduct accordingly.
This verse, Luke 6:31 / Matthew 7:12, is certainly an appropriate conclusion to any instruction on moral duties because of its exceedingly broad scope. Interestingly enough, Jesus comments that this principle is really nothing more than a summary of the Old Testament!
A person who is practising the Golden Rule will not murder, lust, commit adultery, divorce unscripturally, make false promises, hate others, judge unrighteously, etc, Matthew 5:17-48.
For a Hebrew of Jesus’ day to faithfully obey the Golden Rule was for them to live obediently under the Mosaic law. In so doing, they would exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, Matthew 5:20. But, what about today? Let us consider some practical examples of how the Golden Rule should be applied in various circumstances of life.
1. We want to be able to trust in and confide in a friend.
Thus, we should be trustworthy and never betray something told to us in confidence, Proverbs 10:9 / Proverbs 27:6.
2. We do not want to be misquoted.
Thus, we will be very careful not to misquote another person or take out of context what they have said or written, Genesis 2:17 / Genesis 3:2-3 / Matthew 4:1-11.
3. We would like others to give us the benefit of the doubt.
Thus, we must be inclined to believe the best about others and give them the benefit of the doubt, 1 Corinthians 13:5.
4. We don’t like for anyone to hurt our feelings, mock, or ridicule us.
Thus, we will be very careful not to do such to others, Matthew 22:39 / Luke 6:31-36.
5. We like for our friends and family to show an interest in what we’re interested in.
Thus, we will genuinely reciprocate that behaviour, even though their interests may be unimportant to us otherwise, Philippians 2:3-4.
6. We should treat every woman with the same respect we would want other men to give to our wives, Ephesians 5:25-29.
7. We do not want others to listen to us with the idea of catching us in a mistake.
Thus, we will not listen to others with that kind of critical attitude, Psalm 31:14.
8. We should be as sympathetic to someone mourning the loss of a loved one as we would wish others to be sympathetic toward us in those circumstances, Romans 12:15.
9. We should show the same interest in saving a lost soul as we would want them to show us if we were lost, Luke 15:1-10.
10. When necessary, we will correct and rebuke others in a way in which we would want to be corrected or rebuked, Ephesians 4:15 / 1 Peter 3:15.
We could go on and on, for certainly there are an infinite number of applications for the Golden Rule in everyday life. There are numerous topics that we haven’t even mentioned in regard to this principle.
Take some time to really think about how we would like or expect to be treated, and then make sure we’re living up to our own standards in the way we behave toward others. It’s not enough to simply avoid doing something wrong or harmful to another. We must also desire to do that which is good for them! James 4:17.
There is no reward in a love that acts out of selfish motives to do something for others for the purpose of receiving something in return, Luke 6:32-34. True love must be unconditional; it mustn’t seek a reward.
God loves sinners, Luke 6:33-34, even dying for them while they were yet in sin, so Christians should love all men, sinners included, even their own personal enemies! God’s love is impartial; He loved us when we were His enemies, Romans 5:8.
The character that Jesus has just explained identifies those who are of the spirit of the Father, and thus, sons of the Father, Luke 6:35. Christians are to be merciful just as their Father is merciful, Luke 6:36. Christians should show mercy to others because they need mercy so much themselves. Mercy toward all people should mark disciples’ attitudes and actions as it marks God’s.
Matthew’s account tells us to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect, Matthew 5:48. Can we be perfect like God? This question, Can we be perfect like God is based on the verse from the ‘Authorised Version’, where the first four words suggest that ‘perfection’ is a goal which we are urged to attain.
The later revisions, however, offer us renderings in which the language isn’t only much plainer and therefore easier to understand, but which also reveal that the verse relates to an imperative, to something that is to be obeyed and is therefore much more daunting!
The Revised Standard Version, for example, reads, ‘You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect’. In other words, what we are facing isn’t a request or an exhortation, but a command that is as plain as any other command found in the Word of God.
Can we possibly obey this command, or is it a demand that is too exacting? Does it impose upon us an unrealistic standard? In short, is this something we can never realise this side of Heaven? Or, is it perhaps not meant to be taken seriously?
I suspect that we are inclined to take the latter view! Whenever we encounter difficult verses, we are likely to tell ourselves that they aren’t meant to be taken literally, and then we hurry on to look at something in the Scriptures that is less demanding!
Not surprisingly, Matthew 5:48 has prompted a wide range of interpretations and explanations. At one extreme, there is the ‘idealistic’ explanation of those who tell us, ‘it is not to be taken seriously’, whilst, at the other extreme, there is the view of those who teach that believers are required to attain a state of ‘sinless perfection’, in which they don’t and even can’t commit sin.
I’m sure most of us have met people who have claimed that they have reached a stage in their spiritual growth when they never sin. And, of course, the notion is utterly ridiculous! It is summarily dismissed by the apostle John in 1 John 1:8 and 1 John 1:10. You will, however, find that the response that the ‘sinless perfectionists’ make to this argument is erroneously based on 1 John 3:9.
But, when they use this verse, they fail to recognise that the words ‘cannot sin’, in the Greek text, represent the ‘aorist tense’, which is the tense that describes something that is ‘ongoing, continuing, or incomplete’.
The N.I.V. renders this verse a bit better: ‘No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.’ For this reason, some translations read, like the N.I.V. ‘he cannot keep on sinning.’
In other words, the child of God doesn’t habitually sin. Whilst he may be exposed to temptation and may even fall, he doesn’t continue to commit the same sin over and over again. Sin isn’t his normal way of life.
He doesn’t practice sin. He doesn’t live in sin. And what is more, when he realises that he has been ‘caught in a sin’, to use Paul’s words in Galatians 6:1, he knows that, because he is sincerely repentant, he may seek the forgiveness that is always available, 1 John 1:9.
Look carefully at what the Lord says. He doesn’t say, ‘You must be sinless as God in heaven is sinless,’ because at that time, He wasn’t discussing either sin or sinlessness. There are two words in the verse that are supremely important, the words ‘Father’ and ‘perfect’, and we need to look at them in that order.
This is the more important of the two because ‘Father’ is the word which immediately speaks to us of relationship. What Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:48 rests on the principle that every new relationship brings new responsibility.
Test this statement! Examine it from whatever angle you please. Consider it in connection with any human relationship into which we may possibly enter, and you will find that the principle remains true and unshakeable.
In the ‘Sermon on the Mount’, Jesus has been speaking to His disciples about their relationship to the heavenly Father. He has said, in effect, ‘God is your Father, and because this is so, it follows that you bear the responsibility of children, to be like your Father’.
Notice that He says, ‘as your heavenly Father’, or ‘like your heavenly Father’. He presents the Father as our model, our example. Now, this is the essence of true worship. It has been said that ‘the sum of true religion is to imitate the God whom we worship’. This is why Paul wrote, ‘Therefore be imitators of God as beloved children’. Ephesians 5:1.
There are four New Testament words which have been translated by this word, and, unfortunately, we often make the mistake of failing to understand its true, biblical meaning. How often have you heard it said, ‘There is nothing perfect in this world!’ Such expressions have become almost proverbial, and we are inclined to accept them as though they express an infallible truth, which they do not!
There are things in this world which are ‘perfect’ in the sense that they can’t be improved upon. And there are certain matters in which we may become perfect if we have the desire. Think about the meaning of that word. We all know the meaning that we attach to it today. The modern definition of ‘perfect’ means ‘without flaws or faults’. But, when the New Testament was written, the word had a quite different meaning.
In Matthew 5:48, ‘perfect’ is the translation of the Greek word ‘teleios’, and means, ‘full-grown, mature, or complete.’ Sometimes it means ‘an end’.
1. Do you remember the story of the rich young ruler who came to Jesus asking about eternal life? Matthew 19:16-22.
He had done so very much and was admirable in so many ways, but he was conscious of a lack in his life. Jesus said to him, ‘If you want to be perfect…’ Matthew 16:21. In other words, ‘If you wish to be complete…’ Referring to teachers and teaching, James 3:2, uses the same word when it reads, ‘We all make mistakes, but if anyone makes no mistakes in what he says, he is a perfect man’. This means being fully mature in this respect.
2. 1 Corinthians 2:6 reads, ‘yet among the mature (Greek- ‘perfect’) we do impart wisdom.’
Other passages to look at are Hebrews 5:9, where the writer says, ‘once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him’. And 1 Corinthians 14:20, ‘Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults,’ and, especially, 1 Corinthians 13:10, ‘But when the perfect comes…’ The word, again, is ‘teleios’, ‘the complete’.
In all of these passages, the word ‘perfect’ doesn’t mean ‘perfect’ in the sense of ‘sinless’, but means ‘fully-grown, mature, or complete’, so, with this in mind, let’s return to Matthew 5:48, and look at it in its original context.
You will notice, I am sure, that Jesus speaks these words found in Matthew 5:48, as He deals with the Christian law of forgiveness. He is speaking about love, and we must, once again, pay special attention to the name He uses for God.
It’s the name ‘Father’. He is saying that as a Father, God is our example, our model in the exercise of love, and as His children, we must be complete, full-grown, and mature in this aspect of our own character.
He is saying, in effect, it is easy for you to love those who love you! But for you who call God, ‘Father’, the standard is much higher. I say that because of the love of your Father, and with His help, you must not only love your friends but also those who even hate you.
And when you have reached the point where you can love those who are unkind to you, or speak evil about you or treat you badly, you will, in this aspect of your character, be like your heavenly Father. You will have become spiritually mature. Perfect!
You see, then, that the principle presented by the Lord Jesus in Matthew 5:48 applies to every possible aspect of human life. But here it is expressed in connection with the great law of love. To love only those who love us is to be imperfect in love. But to love those who do not love us in return is to be perfect in love.
In conclusion, we need to remember that when we read such words of the Lord Jesus, we mustn’t turn away from them as though they have no message for our time, or as though they demand that we attempt the impossible. It’s fatal at any time to read His words and then say, ‘This is demanding perfection from me, and perfection is impossible’.
We should read the New Testament Scriptures with this fact fixed in our minds: the Lord, Jesus, always means what He says! And He never demands the impossible!