Dr. Bradford Reaves
Crossway Christian Fellowship
Hagerstown, MD
www.mycrossway.org
We are continuing today with a portion of the Sermon on the Mount that probably challenges the believer more than any other section. I believe if the rest of Jesus’s sermon is going to make sense, then we have to grasp this part and take it to heart.
Over the last several weeks, we’ve covered a series of statements that are aimed at correcting the whole interpretation of the law by the Pharisees. These six statements follow a format of “You have heard it said… but I tell you.” The intention of these statements is to expose the corruptness of the human heart because that’s where sin originates. Jesus is telling the Jews who are bound by obeying the Law of Moses, that sin is not merely in the external things that you do. Rather sin is an issue of the heart and that is where is needs to be dealt with.
Murder begins with anger, adultery begins with lust, and so on. Last week we looked the fifth of these statements with the phrase, “An Eye for an Eye and a Tooth for a Tooth.” The idea is that revenge and retribution are not in our hands, but we give them over to God. It is rooted in the idea of radical forgiveness. I shared with you an illustration of how the Amish demonstrated that kind of forgiveness after a man shot 10 Amish girls in the Nickel Mines Amish School near Lancaster, PA, killing five. Following the incident, the Amish community demonstrated incredible forgiveness to the family of the shooter.
This week we are continuing along that theme with the final of these six statements. Let’s read it together:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’ 44 “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 “And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:43–48 LSB)
We are living in a time when aggression toward our adversaries is at an all-time high. We are living in a day of hostility and it stands to reason that the Kingdom of Darkness is leading the charge of people's hostility, aggression, hatred, and retaliation. That is never more true than Satan’s battle against the Church, especially the churches that are holding fast to the truth. In Canada, Pastors James Coats and Derek Reimer have faced or are currently facing criminal charges for speaking out against evils in our society. Here in the US, nearly a dozen Pro-life advocates like Mark Houk are being arrested in their homes by FBI Agents in full tactical gear for supposed violations of the FACE act, while pedophiles, murderers, and rapists are released without bale hours after their crimes.
Today what is right is hated and what is wrong is celebrated and those who speak out against evil are villainized as those who hate. Meanwhile, the nation continues to advocate the legalized murder of the unborn, the sexualization of children through drag shows is celebrated and their sexual mutilation through surgeries and hormone treatments is promoted, even when it is opposed by the parents.
Our children have grown up in a society that glamorizes violence. They see it on TV, hear it in music, and play it out in video games. We sexualize our children through media, even commercials. The family order is being systematically destroyed, our social order is being dismantled, and our nation is becoming a place of increasing lawlessness. Everything that is an abomination by God is promoted as good and everything that is righteous is socially evil. It is as the Prophet Isaiah wrote:
"Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness, Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!" (Isaiah 5:20 LSB)
These liberal agendas are being driven by a vocal and increasingly powerful minority who are gaining increasing support from misled and misinformed people who think they are doing the right thing by following the current “trends.” What is even more concerning is the number of churches and church leaders joining the parade, not wanting to be labeled as a hater. Which begs the question, in light of the Scripture we just read, how should we respond to the evils of our day and the people who lead these evils?
When Jesus said that we are to love our enemies, does that include drag queens and those who arrest pro-life advocates and pastors? Well, I think you already know that answer to be ‘yes’ so the next question is how do I show love to someone like those in the LGBTQ community who hate me simply because I’m a Bible-believing Christian? How do we show love in a world that is showing increasing hostility toward God and the Bible?
For the Jew in Jesus’ day, they looked at Gentiles - people like you and me - in the same way, we may look at someone wearing a rainbow flag, a drag queen, or an abortion clinic worker. They looked at a Gentile with disdain, hatred, and indignation. Moreover, they justified that hatred with commands from Scripture. So Jesus begins this last of six statements with a quote from Scripture in Matthew 5:43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.”
Jesus is quoting from Leviticus 19:17
‘You shall not hate your brother in your heart; you may surely reprove your neighbor, and so not bear sin because of him. 18 ‘You shall not take vengeance, and you shall not keep your anger against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am Yahweh. (Leviticus 19:17–18 LSB)
The Jews believed that anyone who was outside of Judaism was an enemy of God and therefore deserved God’s wrath because of how He executed that wrath when Israel took over the promised land. For instance, in Deuteronomy 23, they were told that the Ammonites, the Moabites, and the Midianites were not to be treated with kindness, but they were to be executed (MacArthur).
"May their table before them become a snare; And when they are in peace, may it become a trap." (Psalm 69:22)
"Do I not hate those who hate You, O Yahweh? And do I not revile those who rise up against You? 22 I hate them with the utmost hatred; They have become my enemies." (Psalm 139:21–22)
So when the Law said that they were to love their neighbor, it stood to reason that the neighbor referred to someone who was like them - Jewish - or at least someone who was a friend of the Jews. And therefore, there is righteous justification to hate those who hate God. But that’s really how the world operates, doesn’t it? Those in the LGBTQ community, our political arenas, our social constructs - and that is also why they revile us. They are friendly to those who are friendly to them, or at least are permissive of their lifestyle, and they hate those who openly disagree with them and their agendas.
Jesus says the Kingdom of God goes far beyond the standards of the world.
“But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, (Matthew 5:44)
This is closely connected to the last beatitude in Matthew 5:10-12
"Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:10–12)
As we will continue to see. Loving our enemies is following the same standard that our Heavenly Father uses toward us when we were his enemies, as indicated in verse 48. Loving our enemies is more than just taking the high road, being nice or cordial, or pretending something is wrong. Loving our enemies is connected to the people who have wronged us personally and those who are living in opposition to the values we hold dear. Yet loving our enemies is not turning a blind eye to the evil in this world and the wrongs people are doing. And so, this command to love our enemies seems like an impossible dichotomy that often troubles me.
In his book ‘My Utmost for His Highest” J Oswald Chambers hit the mark of this when he wrote, “The Sermon on the Mount is not an ideal, it is a statement of what will happen in me when Jesus Christ has altered my disposition and put in a disposition like His own. Jesus Christ is the only One Who can fulfill the Sermon on the Mount."
In order to fulfill this, we need the radical work of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit leading us. Because when Jesus said that we love our enemies, he meant that we are to truly love our enemies. That includes all the people who have wronged us: the neighbor who let his dog go in our yard, the racist woman, the spouse who cheated on us, the drag queen reading a book to kids, the boss who wrongfully fired us, the drunk driver who killed our friend, the person who is politically on the polar opposite of our views, the man who shot in a school. Like the Amish who not only verbally demonstrated forgiveness, but lived out that forgiveness after the West Nickel Mines shooting, that is the life we are to live as well.
Right now, many churches are confusing loving our enemies by embracing their sins. On the other hand, there are churches that are confusing the reproofing of sin with cursing the sinner. Neither is correct. Friends, I believe soon the time will come when the American Church is going to have to demonstrate radical love to the world. The reason is found in Matthew 5:45 “so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.” Loving our enemies is manifested in our citizenship as Kingdom Citizens; it is the fruit of our salvation. You will never be more like God than when you forgive your enemies.
"Instead, be kind to one another, tender-hearted, graciously forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has graciously forgiven you. 1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, 2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved us and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma." (Ephesians 4:32–5:2)
That is the only place in the New Testament where it tells us to be imitators of God, forgive each other, and love our enemies. Someone said it this way, [To repay] evil for good is evil, good for good is human, and good for evil is Divine.” (Jeffery Anselmi, Sermon Central).
"Never paying back evil for evil to anyone, respecting what is good in the sight of all men, 18 if possible, so far as it depends on you, being at peace with all men, 19 never taking your own revenge, beloved—instead leave room for the wrath of God. For it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord." (Romans 12:17–19)
The purpose of this is that we love our enemies in such a way that God will use our love demonstrated to them to soften their heart toward Him and they may turn to God. The idea here is the realization of God’s common grace.
"for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 “And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:45–48)
Jesus is saying to us that we are to love each other and our enemies in the same way God shows His love for us because before our salvation we were enemies of God.
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. (Romans 5:10)
(The following 4 points are credited to John MacArthur)
So how does God love the enemy? First through common grace. God’s goodness is extended to all. As verse 45 says, he makes the sun rise and fall on the good and the righteous. He doesn’t give us what we deserve. He is constantly extending His grace and withholding His justice so that we may come to know His love. We are blessed with all the good things of life, despite our failures, our rebellion, and our sin.
Secondly, God gives compassion to the sinner.
"Yahweh is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. (Psalm 103:8)
"Let the wicked forsake his way And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to Yahweh, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon." (Isaiah 55:7)
Compassion will cure more sins than condemnation
Samuel Chadwick said, “Compassion costs. It is easy enough to argue, criticize and condemn, but redemption is costly, and comfort draws from the deep. Brains can argue, but it takes heart to comfort.” (Sermon Central)
Third, God gives us warnings. God has provided us with a clear picture of the world ahead of us with the coming tribulation and the means to escape His wrath. The prophets were Harolds of God’s warnings to turn away from sin and God’s wrath. Jesus too provided numerous warnings for his followers to heed.
“But keep on the alert at all times, praying earnestly that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:36)
“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be proclaimed in the whole world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:14)
Lastly, God continually offers the Gospel. God’s love for His enemies and for mankind is His incessant offer of salvation. All throughout history He uses His people to share the good news of his forgiveness
“Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; (Acts 3:19)
"But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” AND THEY CAST LOTS, DIVIDING UP HIS GARMENTS AMONG THEMSELVES." (Luke 23:34)
"Who rescued us from the authority of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (Colossians 1:13–14)
So if you want to love your neighbor the way God loves, show kindness, and compassion, warn them of the wrath to come, and share the gospel. That is the greatest way we can show love to our neighbors and enemies.
ABC’s of Salvation
