Matthew 5:43-45a
43 ‘You have heard that it was said, “Love your neighbour 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…
Jesus takes yesterday’s reading about loving those who seek to live amongst us and be part of our communities, and blows it wide open. Whereas before, the understanding was that they only need love those who respected them and wanted to be part of them, Jesus declares we should love everyone – even our enemies – because what’s what it means to be part of his family (or ‘to inherit eternal life’ as the expert of the law in the Good Samaritan puts it).
Father, by your Spirit, help me to see those that I do not treat with love, help me to identify those I hate, and those I simply treat with indifference, and give me the courage to love them as Jesus loved me.
Original photo by Gleren Meneghin on Unsplash
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