SERMON ON THE MOUNT
42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Lev 19:18, and Ex 23.4-6, Prov 24: 17, 25:21 In all these verses even in the old testament it does not say hate thine enemies. But by the time of the Lord, it is changed and said hate thine, enemies.
In the new testament the Lord’s teaching for us is in Rom 12:14, and also in verse 44, Love your enemies and bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.
1 John 4:16-18, When we love the way the Lord loved us, the Love of the Lord is made perfect. 1 John 3:16. we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
Lord encourages us that the way our heavenly father rise sun on all, He loved all. If you love them which love you what reward have you? 1 Cor 4:9-12, How in the life of Paul, he loved despite persecution.
1 Pet 2: 23, How our Lord committed himself to suffer and leaving us an example. Lord gives another example in a parable in Matthew 21: 33-41.
Verse 48, perfect means those who have fully grown and reached full purpose in their lives
1 Cor 3: 1-3 is an example of carnal believers not matured. Lord wants us to grow into maturity, full grown. Instead of jealousy, hatred but filled with love shows the character of fully grown.
1 Cor 14:20 Ephe 4: 13, Col 1:28, Heb 5:14 In all these places the word is fully grown man that is perfect as here in verse 48. If we can love even those who persecute is a sign of a perfect or full-grown stage.
The Lord may help us to reach that perfection.
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