CHRIST’S COMMAND TO LOVE LIKE GOD
Matthew 5:43-48
Now our Lord comes to the
important teaching on love for our neighbours. No one among the religious
leaders of that day could deny the express command of God to love. It was
clearly stated and exemplified in the Old Testament. “Thou shalt love thy
neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD” (Leviticus 19:18). “And
thou shalt love him (the stranger) as thyself ... I am the LORD
your God” (Leviticus 19:34). A certain lawyer who came to Jesus
revealed that the religious leaders of his time knew this timeless command of
God. He asked the Lord, “Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
The Lord asked him, “What is written in the law? how readest thou?”
His answer reveals
his knowledge. “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with
all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all
thy mind; AND THY NEIGHBOUR AS THYSELF” (Luke 10:25-27).
The multitudes who
gathered before Jesus to learn from Him were ignorant of God’s standard and
divine requirement of love. They knew the word, love, just as they had always
heard the word, righteousness. Their understanding of righteousness and love
was far below or far removed from God’s expectation and demand.
Self-centredness, self-love and self-righteousness had corrupted their
interpretation of God’s Holy Word.
1. PERVERSION OF LOVE BY
CLERICS
Matthew 5:43; Leviticus 19:17,18; Deuteronomy
22:1-4; Exodus 23:4,5; Proverbs 24:17,18; 25:21,22;1 Samuel 24:16-19; Psalms
35:12-19; 139:21-24; Amos 5:14,15.
“Ye have heard that it hath been said,
Thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy.” As always, the
false teachers had perverted and corrupted God’s message to His people. It was
a twofold perversion - perversion by omission and perversion by addition. They
omitted the phrase, “as thyself ” and they added “and
hate thine enemy.” Their message was lifted from God’s Word and it
contained something from God’s revealed truth, yet there was a great departure
from true, divine revelation. Satan’s perversion of God’s revelation often
contains a little truth which makes his deception believable and so damns the
souls of multitudes who are ignorant of the truth.
Where could they have got the idea of being
commanded to hate their enemies? They confused God’s enemies, enemies of the
nation, enemies of mankind and enemies of God’s Kingdom with personal enemies
(2 Chronicles 19:1,2; 1 Kings 21:20; 2 Samuel 12:14; Psalms 37:20; 139:20-22; 2
Chronicles 20:29; Esther 3:8-10; Acts 13:8-10; Philippians 3:18,19; James 4:4).
They did not want to live up to God’s standard of loving their enemies as
themselves, so they gave in to confusion, perversion and false interpretation.
It is always like that. All who are full of self-love and self-centredness will
always get themselves into self-deception through false interpretation.
2. PERCEPTION OF LOVE BY
CHRIST
Matthew 5:44-47; Luke 6:27,28,32-36;10:25-37;
Romans 12:14,17-21; Galatians 6:9,10; 1 Peter 2:21-23; 3:9; Acts 7:54-60;14:17;
Ephesians 5:1,2; Romans 5:8-10; 2:4-11.
“But I say unto
you ...” What an authority! The emphasis is not only on what is said
but on Who said it. It was not just that His teaching was the standard of
truth; He Himself was the standard of truth. God’s love sent Him to save the
world; His love brought Him to redeem humanity. He was not just the Word
personified, He was Love in person. He came, full of pure, divine, infinite
love. His love overleaped all the boundaries of race, nationality, age, culture
and tribe. He had all authority to say, faithfully and forcefully, “love
your enemies.”
What He commanded seems impossible for the
natural man. It is contrary to human nature to love our enemies. The carnal
nature in man does not normally wish or seek the best for those who do the
worst to him. Christ’s command requires a great transformation of our heart and
nature. Genuine love for our enemies is one of sure evidences of true
conversion and salvation. Lack of love for our enemies is a great warning sign
that our profession lacks heaven’s approval. “But I say unto you, Love
your enemies.” This is the kind of love that seeks and works to meet
another’s highest welfare. This love involves both our attitude and our action
towards our enemies, all our enemies.
3. PERFECTION OF LOVE IN
CHRISTIANS
Matthew 5:48; 1 John 2:5,6; 4:12,17,18;
Genesis 17:1; James 3:2; 1:2-4; Colossians 1:28; 3:12-14; 4:12; 2 Corinthians
7:1; Luke 6:40; Hebrews 13:20,21.
“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your
Father which is in heaven is perfect.” The word, therefore, connects
this verse to the preceding verses on love. This is a call to perfection in
love, not perfection in knowledge, wisdom or power. ‘Be ye therefore perfect in
love, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect in love’. Impossible?
How can a loving Lord and Saviour demand and command what He knows to be
impossible and unattainable? Yet, we must be quick to say that this perfection
and the full scope of Christian perfection commanded in the Scriptures is
utterly impossible in man’s own power. Christ, who has commanded this
perfection, also assured us, “with men this is impossible; but with God
all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). That which God demands, He
provides the power to accomplish. The impossible becomes possible for those who
trust in Jesus Christ as Saviour and Sanctifier, because He gives them
enabling, abundant, sufficient grace. “Be ye therefore perfect, even as
your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
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