Resisting Revenge and Loving Enemies

Passage: Matthew 5:38-48

It's easy to love your family and friends and to want to do things that bless them. But what about those who do you wrong, who take advantage of you, who actively seek your harm? When we are wronged, when we are slighted, when someone does something to harm us, our natural response is to think what can I do to get them back, and often to get them back bigger and better than they got me. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus has already told his followers that they will be reviled and persecuted because of him (Matt. 5:11). The question is not if we will experience that, but how will we respond when we do. Jesus' continues to challenge us with a heart-focused view of the law that guarantees that his followers will stand out as different than the rest of the world. He says kingdom life involves resisting revenge and loving your enemies. Indeed, he calls us to literally go the extra mile and love even those who do not love us. For after all, isn't that what our heavenly Father has done for us. Join us Sunday as we consider how to love with the same love that our King Jesus has loved us.