Biblical Text

“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 children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.” (Matthew 5.43-45, NRSV)

Reflection Video

For the video with the reflection on Matthew 5.43-45 click here.

Questions

• How seriously have you taken these verses before? Did you entertain the idea that Jesus was not being entirely serious or that he had given us instruction impossible to follow?
• Have any people made you their enemy because of your faith? If so, how have you responded to them in the past? How would your responses align with Jesus’ instruction? If there are any discrepancies between Jesus’ words and your response, how do you explain them?
• Do you think Jesus was laying down a blanket statement of response to enemies or are there exceptions? If so, what are the exceptions and where in scripture do you find support for them?