Why love our enemies? Because of how deep the Fathers love for us.
This past Sunday in our Matthew series Nick covered Matthew 5:38-48, and I wrote a follow up article as well. Those are well known passages that can be convicting for anyone, where in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus is pointing out that God’s standard of love looks like loving your enemy and turning the other cheek to any offense. While many will want to debate the nuances of how far Jesus really means for his words to be taken, they’re missing the point. If the standard of what love looks like is personified in Jesus Christ, then arguing the minutiae of how much or who to love is clearly off the mark.
I would think looking at any of Jesus’ interactions with religious leaders would make that clear, take the parable of the Good Samaritan to see He puts no limits on who to love or how much. That’s why his words should be clear but yet are still difficult in Matthew 5:39, and 44-45
39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is 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.
“We love because he first loved us.”
We know that the standard of righteous love is Jesus, and that standard is shown in him humbly emptying himself in obedience to the Father’s will to reconcile us back to Himself through the death of Jesus paying the penalty for our sin on the cross (Phil. 2:3-8). So if that’s what He did on our behalf, turning the other cheek and loving His enemies all the way to death in their place, how dare we try to justify not loving others, regardless of who they are or what they’ve done, just as God does. This is pointed out in 1 John 4:19 “We love because he first loved us,” in that because of the righteous, extreme depth of His love, we too are empowered through the Spirit and compelled by His love for us and our new identity as sons and daughters (Matt. 5:45) to in turn love others.
The song “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us” comes to mind when thinking about this spiritual reality. We sang it this past Sunday for this reason, to remember that while we were still yet sinning, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). As the second verse of the song says: “Behold the man upon a cross, My sin upon His shoulders; Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice call out among the scoffers.” But yet He stayed there enduring that suffering on our behalf to pay the price for our sins and in return give us the reward of an imperishable inheritance to be sons and daughters of the King. It’s truly unfathomably amazing the sacrifice we can freely benefit from, because of “How deep the Father’s love for us, How vast beyond all measure, That He should give His only Son to make a wretch His treasure.”
Instead of hearing the verses from the sermon on the mount or the lyrics from the song and feeling beat down over unloving attitudes and actions we’re all guilty of, I pray we instead feel the invigorating hope from faith in Christ that washes away that shame and empowers us to live a life marked by the love of Christ in and through us as peacemakers (Matthew 5:9).
Hebrews 12:1–2 “1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Bridge Worship - "How Deep The Father's Love For Us/Deeper Still"
Verse 1
How deep the Father’s love for us,
How vast beyond all measure,
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure.
How great the pain of searing loss –
The Father turns His face away,
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory.
Verse 2
Behold the man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders;
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers.
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished;
His dying breath has brought me life –
I know that it is finished.
Verse 3
I will not boast in anything,
No gifts, no power, no wisdom;
But I will boast in Jesus Christ,
His death and resurrection.
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer;
But this I know with all my heart –
His wounds have paid my ransom.
Bridge 1
How deep my sin, yet deeper still
The love of Christ for me
That he would live, that he would die
And leave the grave empty
How deep my sin, yet deeper still
The love of Christ for me
That he would live, that he would die
And leave the grave empty
Bridge 2
Ascended high, He is alive
He will return again
The risen son, the lamb of God
Who takes away my sin
Verse 4
How deep the Father’s love for us,
How vast beyond all measure,
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure.
In case you missed it, we have playlists of all the songs in the CityPoint worship rotation:
YouTube:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-bPsWWflG_VC2M-AdhOPWv1ZHt_WACG_