A lesson in God’s love

Matthew 4:23-5:12
¶ And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. 24 And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them. 25 And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan. 1 ¶ And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: 2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,: 3 ¶ Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. 10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for Jesus’ sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven.

Jesus teaches us that God blesses and cares for the righteous and those who live a righteous life in the true spirit of God’s idea of righteousness.

God blesses one who is contrite or humble, God blesses those who mourn or are in anguish, God blesses those who yearn greatly after righteousness. God blesses the merciful, God blesses the pure-hearted ones. God blesses the peacemakers and those who work for ending conflicts. God blesses those persecuted for their righteousness. God blesses those persecuted for the reason they believe his Son, Jesus, and do his works as Christians.

Jesus tried to teach us that God has love and cares deeply about all these things.

Jesus also taught about God’s love for us and how he loves all his creation, both the good and the bad.

In the next scriptures Jesus shows how he wishes man to live and act before God in trying to become more like God.

Matthew 5:38-48
¶ Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. 41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. 42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. 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.

It is evident that God loves man, both the bad and the good. God also has quite a different way of thinking towards his creation than man.

Jesus teaches us that we should resist not evil.

What does Jesus mean by "resist not evil?"

Jesus gives us an example “whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.”

Jesus is saying you do not fight back, you do not resist back in as Jesus said quoting the Old Testament law, “an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.”

There is no, as they say today, “tit for tat,” no retribution for being the victim of an assault, no vengeance upon one’s adversary.

Jesus is trying to teach us to take the blows and while he does not state it here, he knows God will avenge us of our wounds.

Psalm 94:1
O YHWH God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew thyself.

Christ’s apostles also taught the same idea.

Romans 12:17-21
Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. 18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. 20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

Jesus gives another example, “if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.”

Jesus teaches again non-resistance to as painful as it maybe to accept the loss and more “let him have thy cloke also.”

Jesus gives another example less hard to follow, but the same idea, “whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.“

Then Jesus begins to teach something rather radical to human nature, for us to “love” our “enemy.”

Matthew 5:43-48
¶ 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.

Could it be this radical sounding love of God is exactly the same love that Jesus himself possesses and the same way he views those of his people around him?

Jesus was teaching us to be like himself.

Jesus was reviled against, verbally attacked, persecuted, even put to death, yet he resisted not, nor was guile witnessed in his mouth, nor did he revile back at his persecutors or accusers.

He even forgave his persecutors and accusers on the cross as he was dying and bleeding a painful and horrific death.

Luke 23:34
Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

Jesus’ apostles also taught about Jesus’ example of a lack of resistance to his persecutors.

1st Peter 2:18-24
Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. 19 For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. 20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. 21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

1st Corinthians 4:9-13
For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. 10 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised. 11 Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace; 12 And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: 13 Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.

As one in Jesus Christ we are to follow after Jesus’ example as painful as that may be for us at times.

“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”

Why did Jesus teach us to love our enemies?

Is it because as they say today, “Love conquers hate?”

Or is it because our enemy one day may become the very child of Christ the next or one day in the future?

I was an enemy to the Lord once when I walked in unbelief and was one who advocated for vengeance against others who assaulted (myself or my ideological ideas).

I was once an “enemy” of God.

I spent many years with hatred and vengeance in my heart involved in a worldly un-Godly political and violent cause.

But now through the power of Jesus the Christ and his universal gift of salvation and love for me and my failings against God and my fellow man, God forgave me of my sins, God filled me with his Holy Spirit and cleansed my heart and mind of the nature I once was before I came to believe in Jesus Christ. Jesus gave me a new purpose in life.

Jesus taught his disciples that all men would know a disciple of Christ by a very telling mark or trait.

John 13:35
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

John 15:12
This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

Jesus’ disciples learned closely and taught the same doctrine.

The apostle Paul wrote:

Romans 12:9-21
Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. 10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; 11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; 12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; 13 Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. 14 Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. 15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. 16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. 17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. 18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. 20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

Christ’s apostle John wrote of the love of God:

1st John 2:7-11
¶ Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. 8 Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. 9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. 10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. 11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

1st John 3:13-16
Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. 14 ¶ We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. 15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. 16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

1st John 4:7-13
¶ Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. 13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

1st John 4:17-21
¶ Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 19 We love him, because he first loved us. 20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

2nd John 1:5-6
¶ And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. 6 And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.

We, as Christians, are to love one another as God loved and loves us. We should love in our deeds and by our actions.

God loves us with a powerful love and we as Christians and believers in Christ should try our human best to Love as God loves. We must try as humanly possible to obey and pursue in our lives Jesus’ commandments and his example.

We know that God is watching always. He is always there, and Jesus is in control of the larger picture though we ofttimes don’t know what is going on.

We know also that God is there for our good and should we be attacked or persecuted he will avenge us of our enemies.

Our fight is not with carnal weapons of warfare, but spiritual weapons of Holy Spirit of God.

We therefore do not curse our enemies; we bless, and we don’t revile against evil, we submit and turn the other cheek.

We pray for those who revile against us and pray for those who persecute us.

For our enemies, very possibly, could by the Power of God and our example, and spiritual warfare, be brought to the truth in God, in His Son Jesus the Christ.

Today’s enemy of God can be tomorrow’s child of God.

It’s for this reason we “forgive those who trespass against us” drop our grudges and do not seek revenge.

This is the love of God that we should learn in our daily lives.

For this world is full of evil and we have to deal with evil people and evil events. We deal with both our friends and our enemies. We overcome evil with good, we overcome the evil one, the Devil, by Jesus the Christ who dwells as the Holy Spirit within our body and in our changed hearts.

Won’t you follow Jesus the Christ's example today and live a life toward his example of Love, to love God with all your heart, mind and soul and love your neighbor as yourself.

Mark 12:29-31
And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: 30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

Try loving your fellow man, or stranger, or enemy, as the love that God loves you with, the same love God performed when he gave his life on cross and died for you and me and all his friends.

I thank God I serve a wonderful God who loves his enemies and loves those who fall short of God’s glory, a sinner, a transgressor against God and his holy laws and righteousness.

I thank God that he is merciful and has merciful love.

I thank God that he has shown me to love my enemies and pray for those who may oppose, attack, torment and persecute me.

Thank you, Jesus, for your amazing radical love!

Would you like to know Jesus’ radical love?

Would you like to learn about the man who gave all for you and me?

Do you know Jesus? Learn of him now.

He died for your sins that you might be made free.