There are people in this world that quite honestly just bug me. Usually, it is an attitude that they display. I can deal with pretty much any aspect of a person’s character and get along with almost anybody. But when someone has a bad attitude, I would just rather not be around them. They find the bad in every situation. I’m not talking about someone that is having a bad day or a bad week. I am talking about someone that lives their life like this. They seem to be having a bad life.
It is easy to get caught up in conversations about other people, especially people that are like this. It’s easy to get pulled into conversations about that co-worker that is frustrating everyone and doesn’t seem to understand their job. That co-worker that seems to be able to get by with whatever they want, or that I am constantly needing to come behind them and fix everything they mess up. That friend that wants everything to be done the way they want it done. It is easy to get pulled into gossip about people we know. I don’t want to be the only one that doesn’t know.
But what is my motivation? Why do I need to know? Why do I desire to be a part of those conversations? Why am I so drawn to the negative talk about other people? Why do those people with the bad attitudes bug me so much? It is because that is my human nature. That is the human nature in all of us.
Jesus starts off Matthew 5: 43 with “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’” I don’t know about you, but I don’t know that I have ever heard anyone actually say this. Our culture today says to “Love everybody.” We would never say that you should hate anyone, but the life we lead sometimes does not demonstrate that love for everyone. We should love everyone as long as they agree with me. Our enemies are not the people who are attacking us, rather our enemies have become people who simply don’t agree with my point of view. If you don’t agree with me, you must therefore hate me. How can you call yourself a Christian and still believe that some lifestyles are wrong? Isn’t a Christian supposed to love everyone?
This mindset comes from not understanding love. Just because I do not agree with you does not mean that I hate you. The love and grace of God covers everyone, even those who choose to not follow his teachings. God still loves them. There are lifestyles and practices that simply do not follow the Biblical teachings. As a Christian, I cannot support those lifestyles. That does not mean that I do not love those people. Our culture has adopted the mindset that to love someone means you must accept and approve of them. This is not the love of God.
To love someone who is not following God means that I desire for them to change and begin to follow God. I want them to experience the joy and freedom that can only come from following God. God’s standards are put in place to protect us, not to punish us. They are there so that we might have life to the fullest. But too many Christians have forgotten this and have adopted the world’s mindset of “hate your enemies.” I don’t agree with them, therefore I must hate them.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?”
Matthew 5: 43-46
Jesus gives us a different teaching. The love of God is not a love that picks and chooses who we love. It is not a love that requires everyone to agree. It is not a love that requires everyone to follow God’s teachings. It is a love that loves even if you do not agree with me. It is a love that says, “It does not matter who you are or what you have done, I will always love you.” That is a love that those apart from God have a difficult time understanding, and, frankly, it is difficult sometimes for those that do follow, God.
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 5:47
Be perfect. O.k. A little bit of deeper study here. That is not typically my thing, but this verse has been bugging me, especially in this context. It just seems fairly random and out of place. The Greek word in the original writings here means to be complete or whole. To be fully developed or having reached a goal. Jesus is not calling us to be “perfect” and never make a mistake. That is not an attainable goal. He is saying “grow up” and get it together. Act like a mature adult. Act like a true follower of Christ. It is easy to love the people that agree with you. Grow up. Be mature. Be above the pettiness of the world and love those who you do not agree with.
God “causes the sun to shine on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” “What are you doing more than others?” As Christians, we are called to be perfect, “to be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:4) and to rise above the ways and thinking of the world. We are called to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.”
