By Alissa Larsen, missionary to Romania
Love Your Enemies: Matthew 5:43-48
“Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love yourneighbor as yourself.” Leviticus 19:18
This is the verse Jesus was referencing in Matthew 5:43 when He said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’”
Did you notice what was missing?
“Hate your enemy.”
Leviticus 19 has several commandments about loving, being kind to, or forgiving their fellow Israelites, but says nothing about enemies.
Jesus was actually summarizing and confronting the beliefs of a growing sect. We are called to follow God’s example (Leviticus 19:2), but this sect used Nahum 1:2 which says, “The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord is avenging and wrathful…” as evidence that God hates and takes vengeance on His enemies. Surely, if God hates His enemies, we are to do so as well!
This sectarian view most likely gained traction as the Roman occupation and oppression strengthened—something that Jesus confronted the Israelites’ hardened hearts about many times. But I think Jesus also phrased it this way because He knew the state of ourhearts. We hate so easily. Why else are there verses spread throughout the entirety of theBible telling us to love our brothers, who should be easy to love?
“Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called…” 1 Peter 3:9
If God blesses the righteous and the evil alike with the sun and rain (Matthew 5:45), and if we are to “be perfect, therefore, as [our] heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48), then that means following in His steps: love and bless our brothers, and our enemies.
But this is two-fold. 1 Peter 3:9 continues with “…that you may obtain a blessing.” Not only are we called to be a blessing—this is also how we are blessed. This is where growth happens, where we are refined.
And this blessing? It is praise, consecration, mercy, and grace that come from the very One we aim to be like: God.
“In love He predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace, with which He has blessed us in the Beloved.” Ephesians 1:4b-6
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