Matthew 5:43-48
Love Your 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 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. 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 own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
1 John 4:8
God is LOVE
8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
Luke 23:33-38
Jesus Forgive Those Who Would Hang Him on the Cross
33 And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. 35 And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine 37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”
When one reads this and studies this, one gets (at least I do) that Jesus is Divine...How does one love their enemies?...Isn't that an oxymoron?...But God is LOVE...And this is different in saying or writing that love is God...God has complete understanding, and Complete Understanding is LOVE...
And nowhere in the Bible does it say to only love your family and friends...No Jesus teaches us to go the distance and do just the opposite...We are even to love our enemies...And to add to that we are to pray for them and to pray for those who persecute us...God allows the rain to fall, the snow to come down, and the sun to shine on both our family and our friends and our enemies as well...So do not only greet and wave and speak to only your family and friends, but also to those you do not love...Anyone can greet and speak and love their family and friends, but it takes the followers of Jesus to love their enemies...To do this takes much love, much mercy, and much forgiving, but it is the right thing to do, or Jesus would not be teaching this...The world would be in harmony if everyone loves each and everyone on earth...So be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect...
These five verses are short but powerful in the sense that one can see that Jesus is Divine and Perfect...He may have disagreed with the Pharisees and the teachers of the law and those in charge of teaching the law and the Bible, but He LOVED them...He completely forgave them, for they did not know what they were doing...He has the great ability to LOVE His enemies...