Matthew 5: 43-48 (NASB)

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 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 do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 Therefore, you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Let’s be honest. At least if I can speak for myself, when I think of people I love, my close family and friends come to mind. Never in the history of mankind has the name of someone who I don’t particularly care for or who doesn’t care for me come to mind. It’s just not normal. What is normal is to love those who love you……period!

However, in this passage, we see Jesus saying to flip the script. He starts off saying this is what you have heard, this is what has been said, but let me show you a different way. Society says it is normal to hate your enemy and love your neighbors……the word neighbor here is used to categorize those people in your circle, your tribe, your family, and your friends. Still, Jesus is saying let me show you an even better way of what true love looks like. 

True love is not convenient; neither is it conditional. Jesus took what we know to be expected, based on our flesh and human conditioning, and He said, “I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Boom! I sometimes imagine what was going through the disciples’ minds when Jesus said these words. The Bible says Jesus is the Way, Truth, and Life. These words from Jesus represent the “truth.” Jesus is saying, “THIS IS LOVE,” when you choose to not only love those who love you but when you look beyond yourself and love those who don’t love you. 

Phew, I don’t know about you, but I need to process this with God in prayer. The first time I meditated on this passage from Matthew 5:43-48 it challenged me; the more I sat with it, the more I realized that there was more loving to do. My prayer for you is that you sit with this passage over the next few days, ask God to breathe life into it in your heart, and give you the grace to love as He desires you to love.

Read and Meditate: 

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

4 Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant. 5 It does not act disgracefully, it does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, does not keep an account of a wrong suffered, 6 it does not rejoice in unrighteousness but rejoices with the truth; 7 it keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Write:

1. What is God saying to me?

2. Write out the names of people the Lord is bringing to your heart to show more love to.

    

Pray:

Dear Lord, thank You for Your love for me. Thank You for flipping the script. Thank You that You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Thank You for always pointing me to a better way. Lord, please help me understand the Truth in Your Word about what it really means to love and help me fully embrace this Truth and walk in it. In Jesus' name, amen.

Romans 12:2 (NASB)

2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

One of the things I love about a relationship with Jesus is its evolving nature. It doesn’t get boring or stale; there is always progress in our relationship as we journey through life. Our text for today says to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. This passage speaks to the ever-changing nature of our relationship. God doesn’t want us to remain in the same place. He wants us to evolve in our way of thinking from the way of the world to the way of the Kingdom.

The world has a lot of prescriptions and ideas of what love is what it should be and what it should look like; if I am to be honest, some of them make perfect sense. But let’s check the Scripture. Matthew 5:46 says if you greet your brother only, then you are not showing the love of Christ; you are just being like everyone else. 

What Jesus is speaking of in the passage in Matthew 5 is not just loving in the general sense but the act of showing love as well. Jesus used a simple example of greeting one another to show love in action. He is saying even in the small things, find small moments to reflect the love of Christ by going beyond the average. The world says if someone doesn’t hold the door open for you, you should not hold the door open for them. Jesus is saying to be transformed in your thinking and show love to them regardless. Still, in Matthew 5, verses 38-42, Jesus said 38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, do not show opposition against an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other toward him also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41 Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.

In this passage we see Jesus speaking of a different kind of love, He is saying “THIS IS LOVE,” a love that requires more from us, a love that reminds us of the scripture “My ways are not your ways, and my thoughts are not your thoughts.” Jesus is saying let me show you a better way, one that seems contrary to the way of the world but a better way all the same.

Read and Meditate:

Read: Psalm 25:4-5

4 Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths.

5 Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long

Proverbs 14:12

There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.

Write:

What is God saying to me?

Pray:

Dear Lord, thank You for reminding me today that there is a better way. Thank You for leading me in Your way, which is everlasting. Lord, I pray You will help me not to be conformed to the way of the world but to be transformed daily by the renewing of my mind so I may walk in Your perfect and acceptable way. In Jesus' name, amen.

Job 42:8-10

8 So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has.” 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite did what the Lord told them, and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer.

10 After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before.

Have you ever tried to pray for someone who doesn’t like you or that you don’t get along with? Let me take this question a step further: Have you ever tried to pray for someone who has wronged you? I am sure we can admit praying for our friends and loved ones is already something we don’t do often enough, much less praying for someone who is not on good terms with us. 

I believe something powerful happens in the spirit when we do this, and this is a key to unlocking some things in our lives. In Luke 6:28 the Bible says, "bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Jesus is trying to show us something here by letting us know there is merit and a lot of gain from praying for people who do wrong to us. When I say pray, I am not speaking about praying concerning what they did to you or for God to intervene in the wrong. While that is good, God didn’t say pray “about,” He said pray “for.” It is a call to bring the person before God and instead of focusing on the wrong they did, God is saying pray for the person. For instance, when a boss is being mean to you, yes talk to God about the situation, but Jesus is saying a further step will be praying for the well-being of your boss, pray that it will be well with him or her, pray that God will watch over their family. This is the love Jesus is pointing us to; one that is not self-focused but focused on others. 

I love the story in Job when God told him to pray for his friends and we can see something powerful that happened there. From verse 10 we see that it was after Job prayed for his friends, that God restored him. Wow, can you see how prayer unlocked his restoration? I always wondered if Job decided not to pray for his friends would he have been restored? This is one of those moments that affirms what we read on Day 2, that God’s ways are not our ways. God is calling us to pray for those who wrong us, God is saying “THIS IS LOVE” can you join me today and think of one person who has wronged you and pray for them?

Read and Meditate:

Isaiah 55:8-9

8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.

9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Write:

Write the name of one person who has wronged you and write out things you know about them…….for instance is the person married, are they working, are they in school, is the person single and wanting to be married, is the person sick etc. and take each thing you have written out, make it a point to pray for the person every day this week using the things you have outlined about them. For instance, one day your prayer can be focused on success in their academics, another day it can be for God to bless their marriage.

Pray:

Dear Lord, thank You for giving me the ability to pray. Lord, I know Your Word says I should pray for those who persecute me, while it is not easy and not my default I pray Lord that You will help me fully obey, even when it is not easy. Help me choose to do what You have asked, help me to walk fully in the love You have called me to and to not hold on to the idea of what I think it should be. In Jesus name, amen.

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor (fellow man) and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for] your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may [show yourselves to] be the children of your Father who is in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on those who are evil and on those who are good, and makes the rain fall on the righteous [those who are morally upright] and the unrighteous [the unrepentant, those who oppose Him]. 46 For if you love [only] those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do that? 47 And if you greet only your brothers [wishing them God’s blessing and peace], what more [than others] are you doing? Do not even the Gentiles [who do not know the Lord] do that? 48 You, therefore, will be perfect [growing into spiritual maturity both in mind and character, actively integrating godly values into your daily life], as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Our focus for today continues with prayer as we delve into what prayers point us to. I love the words of Jesus because He always knows how to get through to us. I truly believe these words of Jesus in Matthew 5:43-48 are a call to forgiveness as well. The truth is, in order to show love to someone who has wronged us, a willingness towards/measure of forgiveness has to be present. 

I mentioned yesterday that when you pray for someone, it unlocks something in the supernatural that, with our own understanding, we do not see or know. You see, Jesus spoke a lot about the principles of the Kingdom and came to show us the way of the Kingdom. Praying for people also unlocks forgiveness. I have seen this take shape in my own life. There are times when people have hurt me. To be clear, I am not speaking of when someone got on my nerves, irritated me, or annoyed me; I am speaking of deep hurt. The type of hurt that has brought physical pain to the heart, the hurt where seeing the person or hearing their name feels like I am reliving the experience all over again.

The message version of Matthew 5:44-48 says, “I am challenging you……when someone gives you a hard time, respond with the supple moves of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves.” The passion translation says, “respond to everyone who persecutes you by praying for them, for that will reveal your identity as children of your Heavenly Father.” This passage reminds us that the act of praying for those who have wronged us produces forgiveness in us. It allows us to tap into our identity as children of God. He is a forgiving God, and so we, too, get the opportunity to forgive like our Father. 

When I choose to pray for those who wrong me, something happens inside of me. It is almost as if the choice to submit to praying for the person releases me from holding on to the hurt and invertedly turns my heart towards forgiveness. When we pray for others, God also does a work in us and releases us from the stronghold of unforgiveness, bitterness, and pain as though each prayer is a dose of medicine for us to not only get relief from the wrong but also help us to love. “THIS IS LOVE,” that our prayers lead us to forgiveness and that forgiveness produces God’s version of love in us.

Read and Meditate:

1 John 4:18

18 There is no fear in love [dread does not exist]. But perfect (complete, full-grown) love drives out fear because fear involves [the expectation of divine] punishment, so the one who is afraid [of God’s judgment] is not perfected in love [has not grown into a sufficient understanding of God’s love].

Write:

Yesterday, you wrote down the name of someone you wanted to pray for. Today, spend some time thinking about someone you need to forgive. It could be someone you may have forgiven to some extent, but you know in your heart that it is only a measure of forgiveness and not full forgiveness. Write that person’s name down.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, thank You that You know what is best for me, thank You that even when I don’t fully understand why You require certain things from me, I can trust that You know what is best for me. God help me to always respond in prayer when I am hurt by the actions of others, help me to always respond in prayer when I am persecuted. Lord, I pray that Your identity and true character will be produced in me in those moments when choosing love is not easy. Help me to choose it regardless. In Jesus name, amen.

2 Corinthians 5: 14-15

14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

Today is the last day of this devotional and I have enjoyed meditating along with you. Over the last few days, we have unpacked Matthew 5:43-48; my prayer is that you continue to meditate on it and ask God to reveal His heart to you through it. I want us to take a shift from seeing what God is speaking about us to focusing on what God is revealing about Himself through these words of Jesus. 

Matthew 5:35 says “God is kind to all by bringing the sunrise to warm and rainfall to refresh whether a person does what is good or evil.” The amplified version says, “for He makes His sun rise on those who are evil and on those who are good, and makes the rain fall on the righteous [those who are morally upright] and the unrighteous [the unrepentant, those who oppose Him].” What does this speak to us about the nature of the God we serve? God is showing us here that He is a God who loves all people and pours His love out on all. This shows us that God loves each person and is able to separate the person from their action. This shows us that God is not partial but has a loving nature rooted in His faithfulness, patience, and consistency, at all times. 

So, if we are to live like our Father, grow into spiritually mature people both in mind and character and integrate godly values to reflect the nature of Him who has called us, then let us be compelled by the love of Christ to also show His love. When we recognize that God loved us in spite of us, then we too will learn to love people and show love to them in spite of them. Ultimately this passage reveals to us the character of God that His love for us is not conditional, He loves us and loves all. So, our decision to show His love to all is not made out of compulsion, but His love instead compels us, controls us, constrains us, and guides us to love and show love according to the way of Christ. “THIS IS LOVE,” God is not calling us to do anything outside of Himself, but as followers of Christ and as His disciples, it is born out of our intimacy and relationship with Him, and we strive to be like Him and live as “Kingdom subjects” as the message translation puts it. 

As we close out this devotional today, I pray God will give us the grace, ability, and capacity to live contrary to the way of the world and the flesh and to challenge ourselves to grow as spiritually mature people to love the way Christ called us to. Christ says, “THIS IS LOVE,” 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 prove yourselves to be sons of your Father who is 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 do you have? Even the tax collectors, do they not do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Even the Gentiles, do they not do the same? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.

Read and Meditate:

1 John 4:19

We love each other because he loved us first.

Write:

What is God saying to me?

Prayer: 

Dear Lord, thank You for pouring out Your love so freely towards me. Thank You that Your love for me is not conditional but You loved me before I loved You. Lord, I pray that You will help me to fully understand the depths of Your love and show this love to others in a way that honors You and points people back to You. Thank You again for loving me with a love I can never comprehend. In Jesus name, amen.