Sunday, January 11- Matthew 5:43-47

"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
-Another command that seems to be common sense. would make sense to love your neighbor. Give the guy you know a break. It would also make sense to hate those who hate you. The first part can be found in Leviticus. The hate your enemy I'm not so sure about. That's probably just a societal law.

44But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
-This is totally different than what common logic would assume. Jesus was hard on the Pharisees, but this makes you wonder how much he prayed for them. Sometimes loving your enemy means being honest as Jesus was with his enemies. Compassion doesn't always hide sin.

45that 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.
-This marks us as sons of God as we love our enemies. If we don't we aren't.
-Talks about God's common grace where evil and good benefit from this grace. God loves both and shows his love to the evil by us loving them. Hopefully by this kind of love they can come to repentance.

46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
-This makes sense.

48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
-Reminds me of 1 Peter: Be holy because I am holy
-Being perfect here is loving those that love you and also loving those that don't.
-This is a pretty amazing kind of love. Very difficult. We need God's help to love like this.