Love Your Enemies

An old rule. Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth’” (5:38). God gave that rule to the judges of Israel. It kept a punishment the same size as the wrong, never bigger. Not for getting even. Some people used the rule to pay others back on their own. Jesus said, “But I tell you not to resist an evil person” (5:39). He meant: do not try to get even. The other cheek. “Whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also” (5:39). In Bible times a slap like that was an insult, a way to shame someone. Jesus said we do not have to insult them back. God is the Judge. We can leave the wrong with God. He sees everything, and He is always fair. Being safe. Not paying back is not the same as keeping quiet. Telling a parent or teacher when someone hurts you is wise and right. What we learn. Jesus does not want His people to live to get even. He wants us to answer meanness with kindness, the way He does.

A rule for the courts (5:38). “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” comes from the Law of Moses, where it guided Israel’s judges (Exodus 21:24; Deuteronomy 19:21). It made the punishment match the crime. It also protected people from revenge that grew bigger each time. Turned into a right. Over time people treated a rule for judges as permission for private payback. Jesus answered, “But I tell you not to resist an evil person” (5:39). Here He means: do not strike back to get even. The right cheek. A slap on the right cheek was probably a backhanded slap, an insult more than an injury. Jesus tells His followers they do not need to defend their honor by hitting back. Leaving room for God. Paul teaches the same thing: “Repay no one evil for evil” and “do not avenge yourselves” (Romans 12:17, 19). Justice belongs to God, and He will repay. Refusing revenge, not hiding harm. Turning the other cheek means giving up payback. It never means keeping harm secret from a parent, pastor or teacher. Asking for help is right. Jesus first. Jesus, “when He was reviled, did not revile in return” (1 Peter 2:23). Reviled means insulted. He never asks us to do what He did not do Himself.

Jesus was teaching about getting even. The rule “An eye for an eye” was for judges. It made sure a punishment was fair. It was never a rule for paying people back ourselves. Jesus said, “Don’t stand up against an evil person.” He meant, do not fight back just to get even. A slap on the cheek was a big insult in Bible times. Jesus said to turn the other cheek. That means you do not need to hurt them back. God sees what happened, and He is fair. Not hitting back does not mean keeping quiet. You can always tell a grown-up you trust.

Jesus said not to hit back. Be kind instead. You can always tell a grown-up you trust. God sees you and cares.

The shirt and the coat. “If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also” (5:40). A tunic was the shirt worn underneath. A cloak was the warm coat on top, and it was a blanket at night too. The second mile. “And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two” (5:41). A Roman soldier could make a Jewish man carry his heavy pack for one mile. Most people did the one mile. Jesus said to choose the second mile, and to do it gladly. Giving and lending. “Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away” (5:42). Jesus wants us to have open hands, not tight fists. Why give more? When we do more than we have to, people see that our hearts belong to God. Kindness can soften an angry heart. Using wisdom. Being generous does not mean giving people things that would hurt them. Parents can help you know how to give well. What we learn. Jesus wants us to give more than people expect, because God has given us so much.

The tunic and the cloak (5:40). The tunic was the inner garment and the cloak the outer one. The Law of Moses said a poor man’s cloak taken as a pledge had to be given back by sunset, because he slept in it (Exodus 22:26-27). Jesus says His followers can give up even what the law let them keep. Compelled (5:41). The Greek word is angareuō (say: an-gar-YOO-oh), to force someone into service. Roman soldiers could press a local man to carry their gear for a mile. Matthew uses the same word when soldiers compelled Simon of Cyrene to carry Jesus’ cross (Matthew 27:32). The second mile. The first mile was forced. The second mile was a gift. Doing more than is demanded shows a heart that has been set free from bitterness. Open hands (5:42). “Give to him who asks you” describes a ready, giving heart. Giving with wisdom means giving in ways that truly help a person and never feed what harms them. One pattern. In each picture someone takes, forces or asks. In each one Jesus calls His people to answer with more than is required. Why? “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21). God gave us far more than we asked when He gave His Son.

Jesus gave three more pictures. The first picture was about a shirt and a coat. Someone might take you to court for your shirt. Jesus said to let him have your coat too. The second picture was about a soldier. Roman soldiers could make people carry their heavy packs. A soldier could force someone to carry his pack. Jesus said to go two miles! The third picture was about giving. When people ask, we can give and share. Jesus wants us to be ready to give. Parents can help us know how to give well. God has given us so much.

Jesus said to give more. Share with people. Help even more than they ask. Jesus gave everything for us.

An added rule. People had heard, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy” (5:43). God’s law said, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18). The part about hating enemies was added by people. Four things to do. Jesus said, “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” (5:44). Love is a choice. Loving an enemy does not mean you feel happy about what they did. It means choosing to want God’s best for them. Bless and pray. To bless means to speak good words instead of mean ones. Praying for someone who hurt you is hard, but it changes your own heart too. Like Father, like child. We do this “that you may be sons of your Father in heaven” (5:45). Children often look like their parents. God’s children act like Him. Sun and rain. “He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (5:45). God is kind to everyone, every day. What we learn. God loves people who do not love Him. He wants His children to love that way too.

Who is my neighbor? (5:43). Leviticus 19:18 commands, “You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Some teachers in Jesus’ day treated neighbor as fellow Israelites only, and counted everyone else as fair to hate. Later a lawyer asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29), and Jesus answered with the good Samaritan. Chosen love (5:44). The verb is agapaō (say: ah-gah-PAH-oh), the love that chooses to seek another person’s good. It is a decision, not only a feeling. That is why Jesus can command it. Four actions. Love, bless, do good, pray. Each one answers a different attack: hatred, cursing words, harmful acts and unfair treatment. Family likeness (5:45). “That you may be sons of your Father in heaven” does not describe how to become God’s child. It describes how God’s children show whose family they belong to. We become His children by receiving Jesus (John 1:12). Kindness to all. Sun and rain fall on farms owned by good and evil people alike. Every meal anyone eats is a gift from God’s kindness, whether they thank Him or not. Prayer changes things. “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse” (Romans 12:14). When we pray for an enemy, we invite God to work in their heart and in ours.

Some people thought it was fine to hate enemies. Jesus said, “Love your enemies.” An enemy is someone who is against you. Loving them does not mean you like what they did. It means you want good things for them. Jesus said, “Pray for those who hurt you.” You can ask God to help them and change their hearts. God makes the sun rise on good and bad people. He sends rain on all of them too. God is kind even to people who never thank Him. When we love like that, we look like our Father.

Jesus said, “Love your enemies.” We can pray for people who are mean. God is kind to everyone. We can be kind too.

Easy love. “For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?” (5:46). Tax collectors worked for Rome, and many took more money than they should. People counted them as enemies. Only your friends. “And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others?” (5:47). To greet means to say hello and be friendly. Anyone can be nice to their own group. Something more. Jesus wants His people to be different. Say hello to the kid nobody talks to. Sit next to someone who is alone. Be kind to the one who is unkind. Be perfect. “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (5:48). Here perfect means full and complete. God’s love does not leave anyone out. Too hard for us. None of us loves like that. We all fall short. That is why we need Jesus. He loved perfectly, and He gives His love to us through the Holy Spirit. What we learn. Jesus calls us to a love that reaches past our friends. He gives us the help to do it.

What reward? (5:46). Jesus is not saying that love earns heaven. He is asking what makes His followers different. If our love only pays back love, it is no different from anyone else’s. Tax collectors. Tax collectors were Jews who collected money for Rome, often adding extra for themselves. Many people saw them as traitors. Yet Jesus called one of them, Matthew, to follow Him (Matthew 9:9), and Matthew wrote this Gospel. More than others (5:47). A greeting in that culture meant wishing someone peace and blessing. Jesus asks His people to give that blessing outside their own circle. Perfect (5:48). The Greek word is teleios (say: TEL-ay-oss), complete or full-grown. Here it means love that is whole, reaching friend and enemy alike, the way the Father’s love does. In Luke, Jesus puts it this way: “Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful” (Luke 6:36). The standard and the Savior. The standard is God Himself, and no one reaches it on their own: “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Jesus kept this love perfectly, and those who trust Him are made right with God through Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). Growing up. The Holy Spirit grows this love in believers over a lifetime: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love” (Galatians 5:22). We do not become perfect overnight, but we do grow.

Jesus said loving your friends is easy. Even tax collectors did that. Tax collectors took tax money for the Romans. Many of them cheated and took too much. People did not like them at all. Still, they loved their own friends! Jesus wants His people to love more than that. You can say hello to the new kid. You can be kind to someone who is left out. Jesus said, “You must be perfect.” Nobody can do that alone. Only Jesus loved perfectly. He forgives us and helps us love like Him.

It is easy to love our friends. Jesus wants us to love everyone. God’s love is perfect. Jesus helps us love.

Love Your Enemies

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