Matthew 5:44 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Matthew 5:44

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We are therefore not to hate our enemies but to love them. Is this the way the world treats its enemies? No, and this gracious response marks out Christians as so very different from those without Christ. The world runs out of capacity when it comes to such a command, and here again it is obvious that the Sermon on the Mount is not a moral lesson for people in general, but an instruction manual for Christ’s disciples which only those who are born again are able to follow. For our part we must do nothing that gives any excuse to our enemies, but must ‘follow peace with all men’ (Hebrews 12:14) and ‘recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord’ (Romans 12:17-19). Where our enemies curse us and wish for the greatest evil to overwhelm us, we do not respond in kind but we instead bless them, making it clear that we are willing to overlook all their hostility if they will only come to Christ for forgiveness. Their curses we know cannot harm us for God will not allow that curse to alight on us.Not only are we to ignore their malice but we are to positively do them good. The unbeliever is troubled by such a response. First it tells him that his antagonism has not had the effect he expected. He was not looking for kindness or good will from us, and assumed we would behave towards him as he behaved towards us. But no, we have been able to overcome his enmity. By not responding in kind we have avoided descending to his level. That alone fills him with amazement because he knows how powerful within him is the urge for revenge. Furthermore he is compelled to ask what motivates us; what is it that we stand to gain? Such a response is a powerful testimony. The believer is willing to forfeit his good in this life just because he expects his good things in the world to come. He can afford to do good to his enemy because he will be recompensed by the Lord. But going further, the Lord says we are to pray for those who treat us badly and who positively do us evil. Do they deserve such a response? Of course not, and they are well aware of it. It may be that our behaviour infuriates them, for they recognise the ineffectiveness of their malice to do any real damage. They want to see us respond in kind because they want to get under our skin, but if we pray for them, then we prove that their need is greater than ours; that there is something deeply wrong with them; that they are in need of the help of God. That disturbs them. Are those they treat worst of all, in return doing them the greatest good? Men do not like to be in debt to those they have mistreated. Have their enemies become their benefactors? And what are we to pray? Clearly not just for their material good on earth. That is not their greatest need and our prayers aim higher. We are of course to pray for their salvation, knowing that God alone can give this. For our part, there is no more effective resistance to evil than to overcome it with good. We will not always be heard, and it is in the hands of a sovereign God who saves one and not another, according to his will, but in some cases, it will be through those prayers that change begins. In all this Christ was our perfect example, for he prayed on the cross for those who had put him to death and he brought before the Father the strongest argument that was available in mitigation of their terrible crime, ‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do’ (Luke 23:34). He bore no grudge and was happy that they should escape freely from their debt to the Father at his expense.

Application

Love does not necessarily mean hold them in esteem; it does not necessarily mean respect them. It does not necessarily mean have strong affection for them. All those things may be impossible. They are all necessary ingredients of love when it comes to loving your wife or your husband, when it comes to loving one another as Christians, but they are not necessary ingredients of love when it is a matter of loving the unbeliever or the persecutor or the evildoer. We cannot have the same feelings towards those who hate us as we do towards parents, spouses, children or friends. We are to love them all, but love expresses itself differently in each case. Love desires the best for the object of love. It is thoughtful about how it acts. It takes account of the needs and sees beyond the stated needs to the real needs. Love is taught by God to understand the greatest needs of all men and women; it wants them to escape the judgment of God, and it knows this is only possible if they are truly converted. Love is a uniting affection, but in this case there can only be unity if we are of one mind with them and that means that they must be changed by the power of God.

How can you love your enemy? We say love the sinner and hate the sin: that is a grand statement, but it is hard to do. Try to see yourself in your enemy. See your traits in others and look mercifully on them as you do on yourself. Learn to love in different ways. Love towards an enemy may take the form of compassion, or pity; love is ready to pray for them. It may be no more than pity until we begin to see a change in them. See everyone as a potential convert to Christ. God loves us for what he will make out of us, and we love others in the hope that they will be brought to know Christ. Somebody has had a vendetta against you in the office, somebody hates you for your testimony, but eventually they will come into need or they will need your help. Do not withhold it. It may be something within the work context, or something personal, but you do not say, ‘That person has been against me, I harden my heart towards him or her.’ Now is the opportunity for testimony. Now you show what Christians are made of, you show Christian character.

Loving our enemies does not mean that we always give way to them. There comes a time when it is right to stand your ground and politely, but firmly, put your foot down. Slaves in the ancient world could not have done that, but you may have scope to do so. Perhaps much of the hostility we experience from enemies is only an unpleasant way of testing us, because we are Christians. Some are vindictive towards us, but do not take revenge.

Sometimes, hopefully rarely, we have very sad incidents in church life and we have to separate ourselves from someone for great evil and you cannot love what they have done, and there is a great blot on your affection for that person. But you can still pray for their repentance, and you can still desire their restoration, and that is a form of love.

Questions

Should the Christian speak of having enemies? Perhaps he is inclined to say, ‘I have no enemies, but love all men. Why speak of enemies?’ Yet even if the believer has no enmity towards others, they certainly have enmity towards him, for the gospel causes offense. If they have hated Christ, they will hate his disciples also; if the Master was not able by his gracious behaviour to stem the flow of hostility, then neither will the servant be able. But, for our part, we are to love them.

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Matthew 5:44 Commentary and Bible Study