February 11, 2025

Matthew 5:43-48  (HCSB)
Love Your Enemies
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 so that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. For He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing out of the ordinary? Don’t even the Gentiles do the same? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Tim Kirkup
I would venture to say that we all struggle in this area of our walk. But we can’t just pick and choose the parts we want to follow and overlook the parts that we wrestle with in hopes that it goes away. That wonderful gift of the Holy Spirit is right there to shake up our thoughts and emotions and help guide us through these challenges. In Matt. 5:43-44, Jesus has asked us to love our enemies with unconditional love so that when they look at us they see a reflection of his character. Now this does not mean we have to be a punching bag for someone, and it is ok to put boundaries in place. But I will say this, forgiveness is also for you not just the person that hurt you. These verses are some of the most challenging aspects of Jesus teachings which demands a certain level of selflessness and forgiveness which can be difficult to achieve. I know that one of the things that has always got me through these situations is prayer. The key point from these verses is to forgive those who have wronged you, do good to those who hate you, pray for your persecutors and, most importantly, seek help from God.