The Third Mile Series

I. A Misrepresentation that Is Typical (43)

A. An Omission that was Considerable

1. How do we love our neighbor?

2. The OT admonition paralleled Jesus’

commandment to love our neighbors

as ourselves (see Lev. 19:18)

B. An Addition that was Convenient

1. Nowhere in scripture do you find the

admonition to hate your enemy

2. Consider Exodus 23:4-5, Proverbs

24:17-18, 25:21.

3. This is evidently a rabbinical tradition

II. A Clarification That Was Thorough (44-47)

A. Ideal Love (44)

1. Natural affection vs. supernatural affection

2. John 3:16

B. Indicative Love (45a)

1. Manifesting ideal love we show ourselves to

be a child of God

2. This is not what makes us a child of God; it is

the evidence that we are

C. Impartial Love (45b-47)

1. God doesn’t love them for what is in them, but

rather in spite of them

2. By the same token, our love for others is not to

be governed by what they are, or by what

they’ve done to us. We are to love them in spite

of who they are and what they’ve done

III. An Expectation That Is Tremendous

A. The Principle of Perfection

1. "Perfect" = complete. When something is

"perfect" that means that nothing is missing,

nothing is inferior, everything is flawless

2. Perfection, completeness, is our standard

B. The Pattern for Perfection - GOD