A fun commercial from years ago showed how a child would play dress-up as he tried to look like his father going to work. He wore a tie, a loose coat, baggy slacks, and carried a suitcase. His dad came down and smiled because he found his son cute.
You might say that this is how others know who your father is, or at least what your father is like – by appearing somewhat similar to him. Not only in the way you look, but also through your behavior, and sometimes by how you treat others. This reality shares the same thought when it comes to loving our enemies. Jesus said, in Matthew 5:44-45a “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.” Jesus is not saying to “love your enemies” so that you can be adopted into God’s family. Rather, Jesus is speaking of the evidence of those who are identified as children of the Father.
As I’ve mentioned in our previous articles, it is not easy to love our enemies. However, Jesus wants us to reflect on something that has been in effect since long ago. He continues from verse 45b, “For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”
God knows the hearts of every people, does He not? But He allows the sun to rise even on the wicked, even to those who are unloving. Does God not have more right to pour wrath over the wicked than we do? He has more right, and yet He chose to make the sun rise and to send rain even those who are unworthy. This is God’s common grace, a grace that He provides for everyone. And this is something we should consider. Christ said, “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?” (Matt 5:46)
Loving the lovable isn’t anything new. It’s not even remarkable. It is so easy that even the tax collectors of Jesus’ day, who are branded traitors for their lack of loyalty to the Jews, can show love. There is no reward in the kingdom of Christ for something that others are already doing. Christ said, “And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?” (Matt 5:47)
Jesus is teaching to extending love to their enemies, even if it’s difficult. It is as simple as greeting them. Have you greeted the person who owes you? Have you greeted the masungit na ale and prayed for them? Have you praised your leaders for a small good thing they accomplished? Greeting is a simple task, yet we do it only to those whom we have good relationships. Everyone knows how to love. The problem is, everyone only does it to those whom they will have something to gain. Even politicians seem loving during election period. Love in the world’s operation is always transactional.
But followers of Christ are not of this world. Those who are children of the Father will imitate the love of the Father. And how do we know the love of the Father toward His enemies? It is because we ourselves were once His enemies. Therefore, we realize that we do not have any reason at all to hate anyone but show them the kind of love that we have graciously received from God. The world can never cause us to hate the wicked more than how we should have been hated by God. But He loved us, not because of anything we have done but only because of His mercy. It was grace that He provided, therefore we can also share the same grace.
