Matthew 5:43 ¶ 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. 46 For if ye love them which love you, what
reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do
ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father
which is in heaven is perfect.
Commentators note that the addition to the end of verse 43 was a
tradition added by the Rabbis. This shows that Jesus was dealing not only with
the Law given to Moses but also tradition as He does elsewhere in Matthew,
chapter 15 and in Mark, chapter 7. Jesus is about to explain God’s standard as
we who are followers of Christ are dealing with eternity not some temporary
squabble.
Verse 44 is a standard that most of us Christians are unable to
comply with on a consistent basis without a great deal of prayer. But Jesus
says to be the child of God you are supposed to be you must think like God
Himself. He blesses the good and the bad just as we learned from Job that good
things can happen to bad people and bad things can happen to the good and the
innocent.
Other New Testament references to this include Christ’s plea from
the Cross;
Luke 23:34 Then said Jesus,
Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his
raiment, and cast lots.
…the martyr Stephen’s prayer;
Acts 7:60 And he kneeled
down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And
when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Paul told the Christian;
Romans 12:14 Bless them
which persecute you: bless, and curse not.
Publicans were tax collectors and Matthew was one. They were not
highly regarded, as tax collectors for the Romans, and were often extorting
money from the people making themselves rich.
Jesus makes a very important point here for us to understand,
about how God treats everyone. Just as the book of Job tells us how bad things
can come upon good people for no apparent reason Jesus here explains that God
is kind to the good and to the bad. Bad people derive joy from life and
blessings from nature. Does that not disturb some of us? God’s greater purposes
are often a mystery to us. That is a mystery we must accept.
Deuteronomy 29:29 The
secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed
belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of
this law.
Look at the command to be perfect like God is perfect. See here
for the definition of perfect, as in complete and lacking nothing..
2Chronicles
8:16 Now all the work of Solomon was
prepared unto the day of the foundation of the house of the LORD, and until it
was finished. So the house of
the LORD was perfected.
Colossians
4:12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ,
saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand
perfect and complete in all the will of God.
James
1:4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be
perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
It is so clear that God has tolerated so much of mankind’s
rebellion and yet given him good things when mankind has deserved only
judgment. Are we not to show restraint when dealing with the persecution we
might face? Is that too much to ask seeing how God has put up with you?
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