Matthew 5:43 “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 makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 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 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
There is a lot packed into this paragraph, but for the sake of our study today we want to focus in on verse 44: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. Pray for those who persecute you - not pray against them, but for them. This is part of loving them, seeking what is best for them, instead of seeking revenge against them. When I reread these words once again, I remembered that a friend of mine just watched the story of Corrie Ten Boom, who was imprisoned and terribly mistreated under Nazi Germany, yet learned to respond with love and grace. It sounds almost impossible, but it is not for the child of God. It is part of showing our family resemblance. He looks down and sees it all, good and bad, but He does not show partiality in His providence. To be sure there are special blessings only His children receive, but God loves the whole world; He is not willing that any should perish; His thoughts toward all are good and pure. That's a God worth talking to, crying out to, especially for and about your enemies.
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