Sermon on the Mountainside Love Your Enemies

Sermon on the Mountainside

Love Your Enemies

One of the most challenging things God asks us to do is love

Although Jesus reveals how to love our enemies like

Do good to them, pray for them, bless them, etc.

Jesus also shows us why

Because love is more than grace for the things we like, it is mercy on what we hate 

Mercy makes provision to get things right

Our Father in Heaven is perfect and complete

Every day whether we see the sun or the rain

God’s love that is on us, is on our enemies

Reminding us to not only love ourselves, but our enemies

Being complete by not only looking to our own needs, but the needs of others

Who knows maybe your enemies will become like you

And recognize the Father’s good works by your good works

And receive more than the sun and rain

But the Son of Righteousness, the provision of eternal life

Love Your Enemies

One of the most challenging

things God asks us to do is love.

Everything we are to do in life

is summed up in two commands…

Jesus replied:

"'Love the Lord your God with all your heart

and with all your soul and with all your mind.'  

38 This is the first and greatest commandment.

39 And the second is like it:

'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 

 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang

on these two commandments."

Matthew 22:37-40

Total love for God

with my heart – feelings

 my soul – life (every breath),

my mind – thoughts.

Mark adds my strength-abilities and resources.

I get it and Love your neighbor as yourself.

All right I should not

hate myself or be egotistic.

I should take care of myself

because I am loved by God.

I, in respect of my needs, help

my neighbor with his needs.

 But what about Jesus’ words in

Luke 6:27, “Love your enemies”?

According to Strong’s definition

the word love here means

“to love much in a social or moral sense”.

Strong’s defines enemies as “hateful”.

Two words love and hate,

opposites of each other.

So what is Jesus asking us to do?

There are two things in

Luke 6:27-38 and Matthew 5: 43-48.

The first is a list of ways to love

our enemies, like do good to them,

pray for them, bless them, etc.

The second thing is very helpful in

order for us to do the first thing.

Luke 6:36 says…

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

There are two words throughout

the Bible that define love…

 Grace and Mercy

Grace means favor.

Favor is given when we are

proud or accepting of something.

We show favor on the

things and people we love.

Mercy is an act of love expressed upon

things and people we don’t approve of.

Mercy gives an opportunity

to make things right again.

Our Father in heaven is merciful.

Colossians 1:21…

Once you were alienated from God and were

enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.

Romans 5:9-10…

 For if, when we were God's enemies,

we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son,

how much more, having been reconciled,

shall we be saved through his life!

Romans 5:8…

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this:

While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

God’s love is demonstrated not only in grace

(when we make him proud)…

 But in His mercy as we do everything He hates.

Matthew 5:48 says…

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Our Father in heaven is perfect

something we find impossible to be.

The word Perfect according to Strong’s

means “complete, (in various applications of

labor, growth, mental and moral character, etc.)

We, too, need to be complete.

Our love for our enemies

will cause us to be complete.

But I tell you: Love your enemies and

pray for those who persecute you,

 that you may be sons 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.

Matthew 5:43-45

Like Father, like Son is the principle.

 Our Father in heaven makes no difference

between the righteous and the unrighteous

when it comes to daily provision.

The sun shines and the rains come to

make provision for the just and unjust.

Although Jesus reveals how to love our enemies like…

 Do good to them, pray for them, bless them, etc.

Jesus also shows us why.

Because love is more than grace for the

things we like, it is mercy on what we hate.

 

Mercy makes provision to get things right.

Our Father in Heaven is perfect and complete.

Every day whether we see the sun or the rain…

God’s love that is on us, is on our enemies.

Reminding us to not only

love ourselves, but our enemies.

Being complete by not only looking to

our own needs, but the needs of others.

Who knows maybe your enemies will

become like you and recognize the Father’s

good works by your good works.

And receive more than the sun and rain…

 But the Son of Righteousness,

 the provision of eternal life.

 

Scripture Reading

Luke 6:27-38 NIV

27 "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.

32 "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that.   34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

37 "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." 

Matthew 5:43-48 NIV

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 sons 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 brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.