MATTHEW 5:38-48 

Jesus said to his disciples: “You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one as well. If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand over your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow. 

 “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 makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.  

For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. 

JESUS ASKS THE IMPOSSIBLE 

Jesus commands his followers to do what seems to be impossible. How can we ordinary people, “love our enemies”? It’s hard enough to deal with the emotions of being hurt or humiliated without trying actively to love those who have harmed us. 

Jesus does not back down from this command. He gives us a detailed explanation. We are to pray for those who persecute us so that we may be children of our Father in heaven, and even be perfect as He is. 

Jesus’ explanation of how to turn the other check is more than just about not striking back at the other person. Jesus illustrates with specific examples, giving more to someone who is suing us than they ask for, going the extra mile when they ask for help, and giving to all who ask. 

In the Old Testament, God taught his people to, “Love your neighbours” (Leviticus 19:18). This was a first stage in inviting us to go out of ourselves for others. But in the New Testament we are asked for more. 

Jesus asks us for something only because God has shown us how. The Apostle Paul writes, “For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life.” (Romans 5:10) 

When Jesus tells us, his disciples, to love our enemies, he is inviting us to be like our Father. But how can we love our enemies? How can we be perfect like God? To be perfected is the work of a lifetime and beyond. Finding ourselves able to love our enemies is surely the action of God’s grace, which we receive as we are being saved. The abundant blessings God has planned for us in this life and in the life to come, are given to us as we become more like God. God’s blessing on us shows us his love, but as he blesses us, we are changed, and shower God’s blessings on others. We can love our enemies because we belong to God.