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“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”
Matthew 5:44 NIV
More of the beautiful words of Jesus to study on this fine day. This verse is from the Gospel of Matthew, and is part of the Sermon on the Mount. Barb wrote a series of devotionals back in 2022 on this sermon; here’s a link to her introductory post.
At this point in Chapter 5, Jesus has delivered the Beatitudes (the “Blessed Are…” verses); called the believers “salt and light”; exclaimed that He had not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets, but to fulfill them; spoken out against murder, adultery, divorce, and swearing oaths; admonished the crowd to turn the other cheek; and now goes on to tell them that they must love their neighbors… and their enemies.
The verse begins with Jesus using the words “But I tell you”. By doing so, He is speaking in His own divine name and with His divine authority. At the time of the Sermon on the Mount, few — if any — of the disciples of Jesus really understood the divinity of their rabbi! In retrospect, these words lend credence and authority to what follows.
Jesus says “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” David Guzik of Enduring Word provides this commentary on what this means:
b. But I say to you, love your enemies: Instead, Jesus reminds that in the sense God means it, all people are our neighbors, even our enemies. To truly fulfill this law we must love, bless, do good and pray for our enemies – not only our friends.
i. Jesus understood we will have enemies, yet we are to respond to them in love, trusting that God will protect our cause and destroy our enemies in the best way possible, by transforming them into our friends.
ii. “The disciple’s attitude to religious persecution must go beyond non-retaliation to a positive love.” (France)
iii. “A hard task, I must needs say, but, hard or not hard, it must be done, be it never so contrary to our foul nature and former practice.” (Trapp)
This concept was, and still is, revolutionary! It goes totally against human nature, and we certainly don’t see the vast majority of the world choosing to follow these words of Jesus. He taught that we are to love (ἀγαπάω, agapaō) our enemies. Now, if you’ve read Heaven On Wheels for any length of time, you know that ἀγάπη (agapē) is the sacrificial type of love that Jesus wants us to have for everyone. The Bible Says has a very good explanation of how radical this kind of love is:
The term used for love is not among the Greek words commonly used throughout classical literature. It is not “philos” which means mutual friendship. It is not “eros” which means “strong desire,” and frequently used to describe sexual desire. It is “agape“ (G25). Agape is used to describe the Christ—like brand of love. Agape love is based on choices rooted in values, irrespective of emotions, appetites or affections. Jesus admonishes His disciples to make a choice that goes against affections.
Before the New Testament was written, agape was a rarely used word and was a generic term for affection. But the writers of the New Testament (following the translators of the Greek Septuagint of the Old Testament) made it their own and employed it to describe the kind of love God has for us and the kind of love He desires us to have for other people—neighbor and enemy alike.
Paul gives the fullest definition and description for agape in 1 Corinthians 13. To agape someone is to seek their best, patiently, kindly, and sacrificially. Agape is seeking the best for others rather than seeking an opportunity to brag or elevate self. Agape love is also given unconditionally, without demand for reciprocity. Agape love trusts God for His reward. None of these actions are natural, or feel good. Patience is choosing not to react to irritants, which is difficult. Kindness is experiencing trouble on behalf of someone who you don’t expect can return the favor. Sacrificing for others without hope of tangible and immediate return is hard. But a disciple is to look beyond what can be seen.
Agape is the lifestyle of a true and happy servant. It is the characteristic of a Christ follower (John 13:35). And Jesus’s disciples are able to have agape for others because Christ first had agape for us (1 John 4:19). In each case, the motivation for agape is because this sort of sacrificial behavior is in our long term interest, because God will reward us. The Apostle Paul stated that agape love of others is necessary for our actions to yield profit (1 Corinthians 13:3).
Persecution was rampant in the time of Jesus. The Romans persecuted pretty much everyone. The ruling Jewish elite persecuted non-believers as well as those who were members of the faith but didn’t live up to the complex system of laws and commandments. Many slave owners mistreated their slaves. So for Jesus to tell His disciples to “pray for those who persecute you” might have seemed counterintuitive, if not downright crazy, to the multitudes listening.
Once again from The Bible Says:
Jesus commands His disciples to agape (love) your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (v 44). Instead of wishing enemies harm and judgment, we are to intercede on their behalf to God, that He will show them mercy. This is what Jesus did when He was nailed to the cross, asking His Father to forgive those who crucified Him (Luke 23:34). When we do this our enemies cease to be viewed as enemies. It frees us from hate. We can see them as fellow travelers in need of mercy. When we agape (love) our enemies we become like Jesus who agaped (loved) us while we were still His enemies (Romans 5:7-10). And as we love and pray for our enemies who persecute us, we become more like Jesus the Son, which leads us to become sons of our Father who is in heaven (vv 44-45).
Jesus shares the reason His followers are not to treat others according to the world system—why it is in their best interest to be radically different and love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them (v 44). The reason is so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven (v 45). Loving one’s neighbor and one’s enemies is akin to being a peacemaker; both acts of love share the same blessings—”they shall be called the sons of God” (Matthew 5:9).
This verse ends at a somewhat awkward point, so I’ll follow with the rest of the sentence from Matthew 5:45 - “that you may be children of your Father in heaven.” Jesus is telling the crowd of followers that God will reward those who seek righteousness; they will be rewarded with God’s grace. Jesus was rewarded as a child of God for taking on human form and doing God’s will. By proclaiming our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, repenting of our sins, and being transformed by His love, we are rewarded with eternal life.
I’ll close today with some words of Charles H. Spurgeon regarding the message of Matthew 5:44 —
God constantly does that which many people regard almost as a crime, namely, doing good to the undeserving. It is the very genius of Christianity to help those who are utterly unworthy, — to be kind and generous even to those who are pretty certain to repay us with ingratitude and malice.
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Heavenly Father, help me to love my enemies, to bless those who curse me, and do good to those who hate me. Help me to pray for those who persecute Christians, in the hope that they will come to know your love and grace. Thank You for Your example of mercy and forgiveness, and transform me to be more like You. AMEN.