Embrace the Within no. 134

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor (fellow man) and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, [The key to understanding this and other statements about love is to know that this love (the Greek word agape) is not so much a matter of emotion as it is of doing things for the benefit of another person, that is, having an unselfish concern for another and a willingness to seek the best for another] love [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for] your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may [show yourselves to] be the children of your Father who is in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on those who are evil and on those who are good, and makes the rain fall on the righteous [those who are morally upright] and the unrighteous [the unrepentant, those who oppose Him]. For if you love [only] those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do that? And if you greet only your brothers [wishing them God’s blessing and peace], what more [than others] are you doing? Do not even the Gentiles [who do not know the Lord] do that? You, therefore, will be perfect [growing into spiritual maturity both in mind and character, actively integrating godly values into your daily life], as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 5:43-48 AMP

It is easy for me to love the people that love me. The people that treat me well and want the best for me are easy to love. BUT I need to love the folks that want the worst for me most of all. The folks that hate and despise me need my love even more. The folks with whom I disagree, the folks that are evil, the folks that are mean, the folks that are sinning, these are the people I need to love a lot more than I typically do. How do I show that love? Well, I don’t show it by calling the names. Christ already said not to do that. I don’t do it by being mean and evil and sinful. That isn’t very Christlike. I don’t do it by ignoring them. Christ did not avoid those who hated and persecuted him. How do I show that love?

“Your ancestors have also been taught ‘Love your neighbors [The Aramaic is “your relatives.” This phrase is found in the Torah; the following phrase is from oral tradition. See Lev. 19:18] and hate the one who hates you.’ However, I say to you, love your enemy, bless the one who curses you, do something wonderful for the one who hates you, [As translated from the Aramaic. The previous two clauses are not found in some reliable Greek manuscripts] and respond to the very ones who persecute you by praying for them. For that will reveal your identity as children of your heavenly Father. He is kind to all by bringing the sunrise to warm and rainfall to refresh whether a person does what is good or evil. What reward do you deserve if you only love the loveable? Don’t even the tax collectors [The Hebrew Matthew is “transgressors”] do that? How are you any different from others if you limit your kindness [Or “ask for the peace of your brothers” (Hebrew Matthew and Aramaic)] only to your friends? Don’t even the ungodly [Or “gentiles” (who worship other gods)] do that? Since you are children of a perfect Father in heaven, become perfect [The Greek and Aramaic words for “perfect” can also mean “whole, complete, fully mature, lacking nothing, all-inclusive, well rounded, and spiritually mature”] like him.”

Matthew 5:43-48 TPT

I need to become more like Him. I need to “do something wonderful” for those that hate me. I need to be “praying for them” and not in an angry psalmist way for vengeance BUT in a sincere way of wanting them to live a better life.

They are image bearers as I am. They were lost as I was. And when I was lost God loved me enough to make a path out. And when I was lost there were plenty of folks that showed me love.

I need to act like a complete, mature, perfected example of Christ and that means doing things completely different from others. It’s easy to love the folks that treat me right. BUT it is something else entirely to love those that lie, cheat, steal, oppress, hate, and sin.

'Ye haue heard that it hath bin said, Thou shalt loue thy neighbour, and hate your enemie. But I say vnto you, Loue your enemies: blesse them that curse you: doe good to them that hate you, and pray for them which hurt you, and persecute you, That ye may be the children of your father that is in heauen: for he maketh his sunne to arise on the euill, and the good, and sendeth raine on the iust, and vniust. For if ye loue them, which loue you, what rewarde shall you haue? Doe not the Publicanes euen the same? And if ye be friendly to your brethren onely, what singular thing doe ye? doe not euen the Publicanes likewise? Ye shall therefore be perfit, as your Father which is in heauen, is perfite.'

Matthew 5:43-48 GNV

So, I get to choose to be like my neighbors and love just the folks that are easy to love or love the folks that make it difficult to love them. And let me tell you, the difficult folks do not make it easy on you. I am in an ongoing struggle to love through a relationship with a relative that is stiff-necked about his faith BUT fails to forgive. I know from experience that this is not an easy task.

BUT it is what God wants me to do because it is what Christ would do. And I think all too often I forget that example. Christ didn’t spend all day talking to His disciples, He was out spreading love to the folks that needed it. The folks that were stiff-necked in their self righteousness and sinful ways. And He didn’t come to flame or troll or own them, He came to save them.

“Again Yeshua [God is Salvation] said to his disciples: “You have heard what was said to those of long ago that you shall love the one who loves you and hate the one who hates you. But I say to you, love your enemies, do good to the one who hates you and vexes you and pray for those who persecute you and oppress you, in order that you might be sons of your Father Who is in heaven Who causes His sun to shine on the good and evil and causes it to rain on the just and the unjust. If you love those who love you what is your reward? Do not the Goyim [Gentiles] love those who love them? And if you greet your friends only, what do you do more than others? Do not the Goyim [Gentiles] do the same? Be you perfect as your Father Who is in heaven is perfect”.

Matthew 5:43-48 NMV

If I am to be an Ambassador of the Kingdom of Heaven then I need to be a son of my Father. And my Father causes it to rain and shine on the just and unjust, on the righteous and unrighteous, on the saint and the sinner, on the friend and the enemy. So, I need to ignore the labels that the world and I heap on others. I need to look beyond how the world would categorize folks and look at each and every person as the image bearer of the Father that they are.

I am not here to judge. I am here to offer the love of Christ by being His representative, His Ambassador. I am here to walk in the Way of the Lord as a model for others. And I can’t do that in hate or judgment or self righteousness. I can only do that in spiritual maturity. And that means not going low, not being mean, not being vengeful, not being spiteful . . . It means a lot more of denying me and my ego in order to be obedient to His Will.

“But I tell you, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! “You have heard that our fathers were told, ‘Love your neighbor — and hate your enemy.’ Then you will become children of your Father in heaven. For he makes his sun shine on good and bad people alike, and he sends rain to the righteous and the unrighteous alike. What reward do you get if you love only those who love you? Why, even tax-collectors do that! And if you are friendly only to your friends, are you doing anything out of the ordinary? Even the Goyim do that! Therefore, be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

Mattityahu (Mat) 5:43-48 CJB

Today I pray that the Lord help make me perfect like Him in my love for the folks that want nothing BUT evil for me. I pray that I can show the love of Christ to folks that make me angry, folks that are stubborn, and folks that are downright nasty to me. I pray that I choose love and peace and mercy and grace like Christ. I pray that my example of God’s love is enough to help show them a path to salvation. I pray that my example leads them to a connection and a commitment to a relationship of love with Christ.

I love you. I forgive you. Have a blessed and abundant day!

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoGodsNoMasters #NoKingButChrist #EmbraceTheWithin #NotMyWayYHWH