Matthew 5:43-48 (ESV)
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45 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.
46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Mr. Berry was my high school band teacher. We were in one of my first band practices when he stopped the class and said, "Practice does not make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect!" His point was that if we practiced it wrong, it didn't matter how much we practiced, we'd still play it wrong. The whole point of practice was to perfect our skill so that when we performed we would be flawless.
Matthew 5:48 challenges us to pattern our lives after God and live perfectly just as He is perfect. Is this really possible? Can we really be perfect? I know, some of you readers might be thinking, "Of course I'm perfect." But I'm not talking about looks or education or anything else that cause pride to swell in our hearts and heads. Can we really be perfect, patterning our lives after God?
It's easy to love those who love us back. We have no problem being a friend to those who are friendly toward us. We can even be cordial to strangers in the checkout line, or those whom we pass on the street. We might even be bold enough to chat with our neighbors. But, when it comes to our enemies, we love to hate them.
But Jesus teaches against the grain of our human philosophy. Rather than fight, maim, and kill your enemy, Jesus says to love them! Instead of cursing those who persecute, Jesus tells us to pray for them! And Jesus practiced what He preached.
One whom He had chosen - Judas Iscariot - betrayed Him, but Jesus washed his feet, ate supper with, and shared the covenant meal together him. In fact, up to the very last time Jesus and Judas talk, Jesus calls Judas "friend." While on the cross, Jesus prayed for His persecutors, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."
Yes, Jesus practiced what He taught.
But can we? Can we be perfect like He was perfect?
I think we can!
Stephen was persecuted for declaring the truth about Jesus Christ, and those who were supposed to be his very brothers and countrymen, took him outside the city and stoned him to death. Just prior to his death, Stephen prays, "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge."
Yes, it is possible to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. In fact, it's expected of true disciples!
Let's strive for perfection like Jesus. Let's love the unlovable, touch the untouchable, and forgive our enemies. While they "kill" us with their insults, let's "kill" them with kindness. Instead of returning evil for evil, let's return good for evil. Let's not be overcome by evil, but let's overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21).
