Matthew 5:43-48 (NIV): “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Conventional wisdom, even in the Church, urges us to love our neighbor, but says that it is okay (or at least not condemnable) to withhold love from those who have actively set themselves against us (as long as we don’t actively HATE them). Even in the Church this non-loving attitude extends out into the religious arena, the political arena, and the social arena. Every day God witnesses hateful words being exchanged between Christians who disagree in these areas. Every day He sees a lack of love, even among His own people, for those who hold different theologies or different opinions. Every day He watches disagreements and arguments flare among those who have been tasked with the job of showing His love to the rest of the world. (If we can’t even demonstrate love to each other who are supposed to be on the same side, how can we possibly show love to our enemies?!)
Love is also much more than most people think. The love that God requires of His people is not merely feelings – feelings are useless to those in need. It is not merely good intentions – good intentions never warmed a cold body or filled an empty stomach. Love is positive action. Jesus gave a wonderful example in these verses: God causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends life-giving rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. In other words, He demonstrates love daily by positive action that benefits people, ALL people, whether they deserve it or not, whether they will be grateful or not. He even gives life-producing sun and rain to provide food and water to atheists who, far from thanking Him, will not even acknowledge that He exists! And He gives, not for any benefit of His own, or to receive acknowledgement or thanks, but simply out of love. And that is the model that His people are to follow as well. If someone is really in need, true love does not evaluate the kind or degree of help needed based on relationship with the one in need – it simply helps as much as possible. True love doesn’t even wait to be asked, but intentionally looks for opportunities to show self-sacrificing love to those who are truly in need.
God’s standard for His people in this area is simple: we are to be perfect in showing this kind of love, just as God perfectly shows it. Some may think that this is unreasonable, far too high a standard for mere mortals. But God does not set this standard for “mere mortals,” normal human beings. When a person comes to God for forgiveness and cleansing, He comes to live in our hearts, and makes us much more than normal. He pours out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit that He has given us (Romans 5:5), and he makes it eminently possible for His people to show this kind of active love every day, to every person. If we try to work up this kind of love, we will fail, because it is not natural, but completely supernatural. (And if we have to try to work up this kind of love, it betrays a problem in our relationship with God – a vital disconnect between our heart and His!) But if we will cling to Him as a branch clings to the vine, if we will live in complete obedience to His command, if we will live in Him 24/7, then He will actually produce this love in our hearts, and will continue to pour His love through us all the days of our lives.
Father, thank You for Your love for us. Thank You for Your love that operates in us and through us, so that we can love others perfectly, just as You do, just as You commanded us to. Forgive us for not allowing Your love free reign in our hearts, for trying to love this way with our own, tainted, purely human love. Fill us to overflowing with Your love, now and always. Amen.