Photo: Crater Lake, Oregon. United States. ©1998-2023 R. John Anderson
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for 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
«Ustedes han oído que se dijo: “Amarás a tu prójimo y odiarás a tu enemigo”. Pero Yo les digo: amen a sus enemigos y oren por los que los persiguen, para que ustedes sean hijos de su Padre que está en los cielos; porque Él hace salir Su sol sobre malos y buenos, y llover sobre justos e injustos». – Mateo 5:43-45
In the “Sermon on the Mount” (Matt. 5-7), Jesus gave instructions on how to live as Christians in the New Testament age of grace. Many of the Old Testament commandments were reiterated in what Jesus said, but even further, when Jesus gave them, He raised the bar even higher as to the conduct and behavior that is expected from a Christian. Not only is committing adultery a sin, but just looking at a woman in lust is a sin (Matt. 5:27-28). And similarly, as opposed to taking vengeance into our own hands at the direction of the Lord as King David did during the Mosaic Law dispensation, we are to “never pay back evil for evil to anyone” (Rom. 12:17), and even further, we are even instructed to “love our enemies” and “pray for those who persecute you”! Now, I admit this commandment of Jesus is set hard against the nature of our flesh, and it’s not easy to do in practice. But we must strive to be obedient to Jesus, even when it is difficult or uncomfortable to do so (Matt. 5:48; John 14:15). A Christian is actually called to a much higher standard of conduct than the Old Testament Saints were as we have a much fuller revelation of truth given to us, along with the example(s) set by Jesus Himself.