A Huge Challenge

 Mt 5: 43-48

Love for Enemies

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶ If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? ⁴⁸ Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

These five verses might be the most challenging in all of Matthew's Gospel:  Love your enemies, those who challenge you, criticize you, find fault in everything you do, oppose you in everything, seek to discredit you and what you've accomplished, belittle you and insult you to your face.  Love this?  Is it humanly possible?  No, only with divine help. If we find ourselves in this position, let us pray for "that person",  and let us pray for ourselves, that we might bear the assaults without allowing them to destroy us and that we may be given the heart of Jesus which loves all his brothers and sisters.

Bro. Rene