God’s Constitution, Pt 18: Loving
Matthew 5:43-48 43“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Luke 6:27-28, 32-36 27“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you….32“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Verse 43 can easily be said to apply to the world at large but especially to American culture. While many nations of the Middle East have cultures based on honor, respect, and ‘face’, the American culture is defined by justice, and rule of law. So a major tenet of our culture is being fair, and our legal system metes out punishment intended to fit the crime. Thus the idea exists that retribution is permissible as long as it is fairly proportioned. But Jesus is pointing out a fallacy in this concept: In a society not ruled by courts of law, or at least incompletely so, the tendency exists for retribution to beget retribution in a cycle of violence. Think of the feud of the Hatfields and McCoys for example.
But there is a better way. So much of the time our love is based on emotion: We love other people because they are kind to us and do good things for us. But God doesn’t love that way does he? After all,
We love because [God] first loved us. (1John 4:19)
When each of us first came to salvation, we were living lives rejecting God. But He loved us in spite of that lifestyle and brought us to eternal life through His Son Jesus. So we came to eternal life because Someone loved an enemy. The result is that love should be based not on situational ethics like the world teaches, but on heavenly precepts like God teaches. What is special about only loving people that already love you? Loving a parent who already shows unconditional love really is nothing special; it is easy to love someone who already loves you.
Really, love should be based on decision, not emotion. And here is where the rubber meets the road. It is not easy to loved an opponent, let alone love an enemy. But if we have accepted Jesus as our Savior and joined the family of God then we have a higher standard to achieve than the standard of the world. After all, if cycles of anger and retribution and violence are to be broken someone must go first. That first person to change will not be the person of the world because, honestly, they don’t know any different. But we, who know Jesus, have been shown what true love is like. Now you might say, “I’m not like God; I don’t know how to do that.” But God has shown us how.
31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. 1Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 4:31-5:2)
14As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” 17Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. 18For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. 22Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. 23For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 24For, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, 25but the word of the Lord endures forever.” (1Peter1:14-24)
1Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1-2)
But remember one thing: Nobody said loving your enemy is an easy thing. It might be the hardest thing one ever has to do. But in the long run, it brings blessings. Just looking at the practical results of these things, let alone the spiritual, shows good things will come. Ridding oneself of anger and malice lowers blood pressure and anxiety. Loving, and praying, and forgiving brings contentment and peacefulness. No matter what your station in life these are good things.