10/31/2024
I’ve been focusing most of my Bible reading on the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), reading it from various translations.
Today I was reading from the New American Standard Bible (2020), and here’s how 5:43-45 is translated:
“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 prove yourselves to be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”
Did you catch that? We PROVE we are children of God when we show love to those we would call enemies - including political ones.
It’s easy to CLAIM to be a Christian - but one of the ways we PROVE it is to show demonstrable love to those we oppose or disagree with.
Jesus said people would know we are His disciples because of our LOVE, not because of our work, family, possessions, or who we’re voting for.
This is waaaaayyy beyond surface “Oh yeah, I love everyone.” That’s easy to say. But if someone you disagree with were asked how they were treated by you, would they say they were treated with love and kindness?
If not, you are in direct violation of Jesus’ command here.
I’ve had to repent of this many times over the years. Thankfully, God continues to put things in my life like this Scripture as well as loving input from others.
“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 prove yourselves to be s
