(Matthew 5:43-45 KJV) 43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is continuing to describe Kingdom thinking. In the 5 corrections of contemporary expressions of that day, one of the most radical is in our verses for today. If you have not recognized that you are poor in spirit, this might help you see the truth. Love your enemies. The society was saying to love your neighbor and hate your enemy. Jesus would later redefine what a neighbor is. He will include anyone that we run into that has a need. Such is Jesus value of human life. When you find someone working to destroy you in repayment for your kindness, you will find out whether or not you have adopted Kingdom thinking. Man doesnt have the ability to love and pray for his enemy. It just isnt in him. We can teach it, but when it comes down to personal experience, personal loss and pain, it breaks down into gut reaction. Their stinging words wont stop playing in our mind. We dwell on how we can respond in a way that will wound them and damage their credibility. That is the way of the flesh. If we are to be like our heavenly Father, we must learn to sow good into lives that are loving as well as those that are captured by sin. Heavenly thinking looks beyond the physical and sees the pain and spiritual bondage of the one who is trying to harm us. Hurting people hurt people. God has been patient and loving with each of us, even when we dont deserve it. A transformed heart, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, will be towards others as God is to us. In heartfelt understanding, and appreciation for Gods goodness to us, we will sow the fruit of the Spirit to those who have not yet received the love of God. What they do with it is up to them. Consider: Our responsibility is to sow His love, regardless of anothers response. Then you can be assured that you are sons of your Heavenly Father.
Posted on: Sun, 05 Oct 2014 23:03:22 +0000
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