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Mt 5:43-48
[Jesus said to his disciples,] 43“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, 45that
you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise
on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the
unjust. 46For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? 47And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? 48So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Reflection:
Be perfect.
To be perfect is “to be complete, to be full-grown, or to lack
nothing.” God’s perfection is manifested in his complete goodness,
unconditional love, and constant compassion. To imitate God’s perfection
we must not be selective in our love of people or choosy about whom we
want to help. Doing good cannot be limited to those who are good to us.
To be like God is to love even those who betray us, to understand those
who make our lives hard, and to forgive those who hurt us. Jesus is
asking not tolerance but love for our enemies, in the measure that God
has shown his love to us.
God does not discriminate against
anyone. God loves and gives to all. God makes his sun rise on the bad
and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. To
imitate God’s perfection is to accept and welcome all.
We do not divide
or make distinctions. We seek reconciliation and unity.
Have you experienced living Jesus’ mandate of loving your enemies?
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