What does Matthew 5:45 have to do with loving our enemies? Well our heavenly father is our example and if we are His children then we ought to be act the way He does. So the first thing we must ask ourselves is how does He love?
• His love for us has never been dependent upon what we do for Him. His love is not reciprocal in nature He does not love us because of who we are or what we do. The fact is He loves us in spite of us! If He loved any other way then it would be wages not grace. Now that is not to say that He is not grieved over our behavior, but clearly Rom. 5: 8 says; that “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
• “..for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” So what does this mean? It shows that God loves not based upon His need but rather our need. This is common grace, God does not just bless the Christian ball team, or the Christian business. No! He bless all bringing sun and rain to both not based upon merit but rather need! Why? Because He sees their need and He loves them so He gives the sun and rain; the sustenance of life. Gods love is generated out of the nature of His character not the nature of ours. Do you love that way?
This appeared some time ago in the Reader’s Digest:
• People are unreasonable, illogical and self-centered. Love them anyway.
• If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Do good anyway.
• The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
• People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs. Fight for the underdogs anyway.
• What you spent years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway.
• Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you’ve got anyway!
The simple truth is that those who deserve love the least need it the most. Is not that the story of you and I and Christ’s love for us?