Matthew 5:43 – 48

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’

44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,

45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?

48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Jesus is still comparing the old law with the new law.

Love is a word in the English language which is used in different ways in the New Testament. We think of love as being an emotion, and feelings between, a man and wife, parents and children, or the closeness of good friends. But the word at times in the Bible means having care and concern for others. Hoping and helping them do well, to help them out of distress.

This care and concern is basically the topic of these verses. He says the old law was OK with one having concern for neighbors but not for enemies.

He tells us under the new law we need to have care and concern for those who are mean and cruel to us. We are not to pray to God to rain down his fury on them but ask God for them to be blessed and for them to receive the knowledge of how to save his soul from eternal damnation, while he is making our life miserable, we are to pray for him to find salvation.

In verse 45 it tells us that as God's children we need to imitate Him. He allows nature to work for both those who obey him but also for those who are wicked and evil. He doesn't endorse their behavior by letting the sun and rain effect them. We are not to endorse evil behavior either, but we are not to seek revenge for their behavior and we are treat them as we would our friends.

Verses 46 & 47 tells us if we only are good to our friends then we are no better spiritually than the evil ones who may be oppressing us.

We do not want to be like the evil ones on earth, but we should model our behavior like our Father in Heaven. He is perfect and when are able to love everyone we come in contact with, to have care and concern for all then we are like God, perfect.