Matthew 5:43-48
Love for Enemies
43 "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be sons 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. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
St. Matthew tells us about two difficult teachings of Jesus...The first is about loving our enemies...The second is about be perfect, as God is perfect...
To love your enemy goes beyond loving your neighbor...Praying for those who persecute you is very difficult...Jesus could forgive and love anyone...Judas comes to mind...Jesus was a continuously praying...We know He prayed for His disciples, and Judas was one of the original Twelve...We know God loves all things...God is love...Jesus tells us the God sends the rain and sun on good as well as the evil...Jesus tells us this is hard...It is easy to love family and friends...Anyone can do that...But loving enemies takes time, practice, prayer, and forgiveness...
How can we be perfect like God?...The more we think like this (be more like God and Jesus), the better we will get at it...We can act, as if, we are like the Father and Son...This makes it easier to love our enemies, if we can follow this teaching...
I think Jesus did want us to love our enemies...He does not want us filled with hate, and hating someone or some group...To much hate can bring us down, and lead us into a negative life, if that is what we are focused on (hating our enemy)...Negativity can lead to more negativity...It is good to be a positive thinker...Keeping one's head full of positive thoughts, is a good and healthy thing...Love is a positive force...If we focus on love, we are more likely to be thinking about God...
Jesus wants us to put love and God in our hearts...This is how He wants us to lead our lives...True followers of Jesus want and try to follow His teachings and commands of love of people and love of the Father...When we love the Father, we try to be holy like the Father...This was written in Mosaic Law in Leviticus 11:46...It is also written and said by St. Peter, "be holy, because I AM holy" (1 Peter 1:16)...Love flows in our souls to everyone, when we are one with God, even to our enemies...