Matthew 5:43-48 | Enemy Love is a Test of Your Maturity

No matter who you are, Jesus’s teaching on loving your enemies is jarring. It feels foreign - our natural impulse is to “love your neighbors (those who love us), and hate your enemy (those who hate us)”. But, Jesus of Nazareth has lived in a radically patient and merciful way toward those who hate him, namely, you and I. His instruction - both in his life and his teaching - is consistent with the way of the Father. In Matthew 5:43-48 Jesus gives more than a foreign command, he gives application. The “next step” to aligning our hearts and lives with God. “Pray for those who persecute you”.