Love Your Enemies

Love Your Enemies
Matthew 5: 38–48

INTRODUCTION: A truck driver is sitting in a crowded roadside diner ready to eat his lunch. It’s not just ANY diner and ANY lunch. It’s his FAVORITE diner on the road and his FAVORITE lunch.

Just as the waitress brings the meat loaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, and green beans to the trucker’s table, a motorcycle gang swaggers in the door.

Most of them seat themselves at the table next to the trucker but there’s not room at that table for all of them.
The gang members left standing turn to the truck driver and bark, “Move! We want that table!”
The truck driver calmly says, “I haven’t finished my meal.”
One of the motorcycle leaders takes his dirty finger, swipes it through the mashed potatoes and gravy, sticks his finger in his mouth and says, “Hey, not bad grub.”

Another gang member takes the trucker’s cup of coffee and slowly pours it over the remaining food on the plate and snarls, “You’re finished now!”
The trucker stands, takes his napkin, wipes his mouth, walks to the cash register, pays for his meal, and silently walks out the door.
All the bikers are laughing now.
One of them says, “Ain’t much of a man, is he?”
The waitress says, “And he’s not much of a truck driver, either.
He just backed his rig over your motorcycles.”

How do you react to people who make life difficult for you?
We all encounter people who are hard to live with.
How do you treat the “brutes” in your life?
We have some direct instruction on this particular issue.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus raised the bar for those who followed Him.

Jesus taught His followers that they should respond differently than the world.
You have to admit the teachings of Jesus in this section are very tough to keep, UNLESS we are energized inwardly by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus’ words recorded in Matthew 5:38-48, are in contrast to how his audience lived their lives and certainly not what they expected to hear.

Matthew 5:38-39 – “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
But I tell you not to resist an evil person.
But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.”

“An eye for an eye” was the Old Testament system of justice.
It was the principle of exact retribution mentioned in Deuteronomy 19:21.
It was meant to :

• prevent crime – by providing the knowledge of punishment before the crime occurs.

AND

• establish justice – was not for personal retribution but was designed to be administered by legal authorities like judges and other governmental leaders

The core message of Matthew 5:38–48 is that Jesus calls His followers to a love that goes beyond fairness, beyond mutual benefit, beyond human instinct.
It is a love that mirrors the Father’s heart.

1. The Old Rule — “Eye for Eye” was never about revenge; it was about limiting retaliation.
It prevented escalating violence.
But notice that here Jesus says:
“You have heard… BUT I tell you…” He’s revealing a higher righteousness.

The old rule restrains the hand.
Jesus’ new rule transforms the heart.

2. The New Way — “Turn the Other Cheek”
This is not weakness. This is strength under control — the same strength Jesus showed on the cross.

3. The Hardest Command — “Love Your Enemies”
Jesus doesn’t say:

• Tolerate your enemies
• Avoid your enemies
• Endure your enemies

He says:

• Love them.
• Pray for them.
• Bless them.
• Do good to them.

Why? Because this is how God treats His enemies.
“He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good.”

Jesus is saying:
“When you love like this, you look like your Father.”
God’s children don’t just avoid hatred — they practice a pure and perfect love.
This is the mark of true discipleship.
The word perfect (teleios) means complete, mature, whole.
Jesus is calling us to:

• A complete love, not a selective one
• A mature love, not a childish one
• A whole love, not a fragmented one

This is not achieved by human effort.
It is produced by the Holy Spirit.

I like the story of an Irishman who was a boxer but left the ring to become a preacher.
He was setting up his tent in one particular town.
Some of the local toughs began to jeer and sneer as the preacher set about his business.
Eventually, one of them came over and physically challenged the preacher to a fight.
The preacher said, “So, you’d like to take a swing at me, would ya?”
The local tough guy just sneered.
So, the preacher stuck out his jaw on the right side and said, “All right then, have at it.”

At that the local tough took a swing, connected his fist with the preacher’s jaw, and the preacher went down to a knee.
The preacher stood up, shook his head to clear the cobwebs, and turned his left jaw to his opponent and asked, “Would ya like to try it again?”
The local tough takes another swing, connects with the preacher’s jaw, and the preacher went down on his other knee.

Then the preacher stood up, took of his suit coat, rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, and said, “The Lord has not given me any more instruction.”
As the local tough guy took his next swing, the preacher taught him a little bit about boxing and the subtle details he just encountered.
I’m not exactly sure that’s what Jesus was talking about.

I am sure that He meant that we would be more Christ-like if we absorb insults rather than retaliating.
If all we ever did was to continually seek retribution from those who injure us with insults, we would probably be walking around black-eyed and toothless.

To Avoid this Type of Mindset We Can:

• Start praying for the person who hurt you. Prayer softens the heart
and aligns it with God’s mercy.
• Respond to hostility with surprising kindness. It disarms conflict.
• AND, Ask: “How can I show God’s incredible love today?”

I read a story about a traveler, who between flights at an airport, bought a small package of cookies.
She then sat down in the busy snack shop to glance over the newspaper. As she read she became increasingly aware of a rustling noise.
Peeking over her newspaper, she was shocked to see a well-dressed gentleman sitting across from her, helping himself to a familiar package of cookies.

Half-angry and half-embarrassed, she reached over and gently slid the package back towards herself as she took one out and began to munch on it.
A minute or so passed before she heard more rustling.
The man had gotten another cookie!
By now there was only one left in the package.
She didn’t want to make a scene there in the airport so she said nothing.

Finally, as if to add insult to injury, the man broke the remaining cookie into two pieces, pushed one piece across the table to her with a frown, gulped down his half and left without even saying a word.
She sat there dumbfounded. “Of all the nerve!”
Later when her flight was announced, the woman opened her handbag to get her ticket.
To her shock, there in her purse was her package of unopened cookies. And somewhere in that airport was another traveler still trying to figure out how that strange woman could have been so forward and insensitive!

But he didn’t insist on his right to eat the cookies he bought.
He shared with someone who demanded that she eat them.
Matthew 5:41 And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.

The word “forces” is a word that means, “press into service.”
There was a Roman law that gave their soldiers the right to force civilians into service for a period.
You couldn’t refuse or you would be severely punished But there were limitations.
For example, a Roman soldier had a right to make you carry his pack for one mile, but not any further.
Jesus said, “If a soldier demands you carry his equipment for a mile go with him two miles.”
We all have people who have authority over us.
If they are infatuated with their power, they can make life miserable.

The natural instinct is to find some way to resist.
But Jesus raised the standard, don’t just go a mile, go two miles.
It’s amazing how much better we feel about ourselves when we go the extra mile.
It’s amazing how quickly most relationships are smoothed over when we do more than expected.
What a testimony to the work of Christ in our life when we perform the extra-mile service with a smile instead of grumbling and complaining the whole time and stop at the exact mile marker.

Matthew 5:43-48
43 “You have heard that it was said,
‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
44 But I tell you, love your enemies
and pray for those who persecute you,
45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven.
He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good,
and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?
Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
47 And if you greet only your own people,
what are you doing more than others?
Do not even pagans do that?
48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Even the best of Christians are going to have some enemies.
Some people are just mean, nasty, and hateful.
There is not much you can do about it but be a good servant of Christ and to pray for them.
Jesus said, treat your enemies with compassion.
Your instinct tells you to lash out and do to others
before they do it to you.

BUT, Romans 12:14-21 tells us
14 Bless those who persecute you;
bless and do not curse them.
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice,
weep with those who weep.
16 Live in harmony with one another.
Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.
Never be wise in your own sight.
17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do
what is honorable in the sight of all.
18 If possible, so far as it depends on you,
live peaceably with all.
19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves,
but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written,
“Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink;
for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

I came across a story about a burly platoon sergeant who could be arrogant and rude to his soldiers.
However, he had become a Christian and turned his life around.
When asked about what made the difference, he related a story of a private in his platoon that was courageously Christian in his outlook and behavior.
This private was frequently harassed by others but was faithful to Christ.
One night this private came into the barracks quite late.
It was a very rainy night. Before getting into his bunk, he knelt, as was his custom, to pray.
The sergeant in a foul mood picked up one of the private’s boots, which was heavy with wet mud, threw it across the room and hit the private on the side of the head.
The private said nothing. He wiped the mud from his face and crawled into bed.

The next morning, however, when the sergeant woke up, he found his own muddy boots cleaned and polished and placed by his bedside.
The Sargent then stated : “It broke my heart.”
Jesus requires us to pray for those who behave like enemies toward us.

Luke 6:28 – “Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Pray for you enemies.”

It has been said that: “Prayer is the forerunner of mercy. ”
We’re also told to forgive one another
Ephesians 4:31-5:2 – “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”

CONCLUSION: Jesus Himself is the perfect example
for us to follow.
1. He was arrested, roughed up, insulted by the police.
2. The authorities spat on Him, blindfolded Him, and slapped Him in the face.
3. Then the Roman soldiers mocked Him by crowning Him with thorns and putting a purple robe on Him, and a reed in His hand as a make-believe scepter.
They jeered at Him, “Hail King of the Jews!”
Then they scourged Him.
Jesus had the power to strike them blind, to paralyze their hand, to choke them on their own spit, to condemn them to hell, but, with the divine dignity,
He held His peace.
1^st Peter 2:23 – When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, Jesus prayed, “Father forgive them.”

He didn’t return evil for evil, but He silently turned the other cheek.
He did all that for you and me.
And, he asks us to follow in His steps.
When the world strikes ….. we bless.
When the world demands ….. we give.
When the world hates ….. we love.
When the world persecutes ….. we pray.

This is how darkness is pushed back.
This is how hearts are changed.
This is how the Father is revealed.

Lord, make us people of radical love —
the kind of love that looks like Jesus.