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Writings of David Chadwell Matthew 5:43-48, 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 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. For if you love those who love you,
what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you
greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the
Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father
is perfect.
Jesus made this statement to the 12 Jewish disciples who had likely spent their
entire lives in a Jewish community in a Jewish household as members of Jewish
families. He said this to men who knew Jewish tradition and Jewish customs in
the heart of Jewish culture.
Perhaps you ask, “David, why all this emphasis on ‘Jewish, Jewish, Jewish?’” For
this reason: it was too easy for them to place confidence in the fact that they
were Jewish. “We are the right people! We do the right things! That is what
makes us God’s people!”
Jesus said, “Wrong! There is an artificial distinction, and there is a godly
distinction. To place spiritual confidence in ancestry and procedures is
artificial. Rightful confidence comes from allowing God’s nature and character
to become our nature and character. When we allow God’s nature and character to
determine our nature and character, we will be different. It will not be
produced by isolation, ancestry, or unique customs!
“Even the people you regard to be the height of wickedness (Jewish tax
collectors collecting for Roman interests; idol worshippers)—even they like
people who like them and greet people who approve of them. If we are kind only
to people who like us, how are we different from people we regard to be wicked?
“Do we not realize that God is not that way? He lets the sun shine on and the
rain water the crops of those who do not even acknowledge His existence. Let God
be our guide and example! Let God determine how we act! Do not place confidence
in human identity! Who we are is important, but what we are is even more
important!”
How is Jesus’ statement relevant to Christians today? It is scary to see how may
of us place our confidence in ‘where my membership is.’ It is scary to see how
often we allow the foundation of our faithfulness to stand on our preferences or
on identity marks that are rooted in our past and not in scripture. It is scary
to see how often we make scripture fit our convictions rather than allowing
scripture determine our convictions. It is scary to see how often we use only
scriptures we are convinced support our convictions.
Jesus told the 12 not to do such things. Allow God’s nature and character to be
your guide and example. That makes you radically different! Different enough to
treat enemies with a kindness that rises from love! That’s hard! The objective
of being Christian is to reflect God in whom and what we are. That’s hard! We
praise God because He gives us this opportunity in Jesus Christ! Accepting that
opportunity is demanding! It is easy to rest on the past! It is demanding to be
a spiritual being!
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Writings of David Chadwell