Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20120801.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Matthew: Jesus As Israel's Messiah And His Kingdom
Part XI: Christ As Israel's Messiah By His Surpassing Righteousness
I. The Biblically Consistent Righteousness Of Christ's Subjects Regarding Love Of Enemies
(Matthew 5:43-48)
  1. Introduction
    1. When Jesus said that one's righteousness had to exceed that of the scribes and the Pharisees if he were to be a part of the Kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:20), He had to clarify to His Hebrew listeners how that could be, for the Pharisees adhered to the principle of Halacha, "concern for every jot and tittle of performance" regarding the Mosaic Law, Zondervan Pictorial Ency. of the Bible, volume Four, p. 748.
    2. Matthew 5:21-7:6 provides many illustrations of Jesus' point, with Matthew 5:43-48 commenting on how His kingdom righteousness regarding loving one's neighbor far surpassed that of the Pharisees:
  2. The Biblically Consistent Righteousness Of Christ's Subjects Regarding Love Of Enemies.
    1. The Mosaic Law taught the people of Israel to love their neighbors as themselves, Leviticus 19:16-18b.
    2. The Pharisees believe that though this meant one should love his neighbor, "Israel's enemies should be hated" since their "hatred was God's means of judging their enemies," Matthew 5:43; Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 31. This idea likely grew out of an awareness of the Abrahamic Covenant where God promised to bless those who blessed Abram's seed and to curse those who cursed it, Genesis 12:1-3! The Pharisees wanted to help God perform the cursing part against their foes!
    3. However, such a concept of "love" fell far short of Christ's standard of righteousness (as follows):
      1. Jesus introduced the idea that love of one's enemies was not to be an exclusive kind of "love" like the Pharisees taught, but that God meant it to be inclusive , that one was to love not only his immediate neighbor, but all men, including his enemies, Matthew 5:44a. [Note: this does not mean our spiritual fellowship is to include all men, for light has no fellowship with darkness, Christ has no harmony with Belial, a believer has nothing spiritually in common with an unbeliever, and there is no agreement between the temple of God and idols, 2 Corinthians 6:14-16 NIV. However, our one-directional ATTITUDE TOWARD all men is to be unconditional love!]
      2. Indeed, Jesus told His listeners to pray for the welfare of those who persecute them, Matthew 5:44b!
      3. The example behind this inclusive kind of love came from the Heavenly Father Himself, Matt. 5:45:
        1. God in heaven is the believer's heavenly Father, so His children should act as He does, Matt. 5:45a.
        2. That heavenly Father makes His sun that gives light and causes man's crops on earth to grow to rise on evil enemies of God as well as on good men Who revere Him, and God sends nourishing rain on the crops for both just men who revere Him and the unjust who oppose Him, Matthew 5:45b!
        3. Thus, God's children should treat their enemies just as lovingly as does their heavenly Father!
      4. After all, taking the position of the Pharisees to love only those who love us in return wins no reward from God, for Jesus clarified that the sinners the Pharisees hated did that, Matthew 5:46-47:
        1. Jesus noted that even the tax collectors loved those who love them, Matthew 5:46. This was a very critical revelation about the Pharisees' standard of "love," for such men "often overcharged people and pocketed the surplus" in order "to make money at the expense of their own countrymen" by way of the power of Roman law, Ibid., Z. P. E. B., volume Five, p. 606. For this reason, "the rabbinical writings . . . classified" such men "with robbers," Ibid.
        2. Also, taking the position of the Pharisees to greet only those who greet us is to do no better than the pagans who do the same thing, Matt. 5:47! This was "a cutting remark for Pharisees!" (Ibid.)
      5. Rather, God's true children must be "perfect," the Greek N. T. word being teleioi, or "mature," as is their heavenly Father in having an inclusive, unconditional love for all men, Matthew 5:48!
Lesson: Jesus calls us as children of our perfectly righteous Heavenly Father to have as He does an unconditional, inclusive, one-directional love for ALL people, friend or foe alike, or be no more righteous than the wicked who also love only those who love them!

Application: May we love all others just like our Heavenly Father unconditionally loves all people!