Christians who have realized their spiritual bankruptcy are God’s kingdom people. As kingdom citizens, we are commanded to love our enemies. In today’s passage, Jesus shows his disciples how to love our enemies. For clarification, there are plenty of circumstances where we must fight and defend ourselves against our enemies (home intrusion, war, etc.). But our Lord commands Christians to love our enemies actively to follow how God loves his enemies (v 27-28).
Christians are distinct from the world in how they love their enemies. The unique duty to love our enemies commanded by our Lord Jesus Christ. Loving the enemy is not for everybody. The ability to do such a thing is granted by God after becoming a Christian.
Jesus gives three illustrations how the world loves and how Christians are to be different in how they love.
32 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount.
The sinner has no desire nor the capacity to obey the Lord (1 Cor. 2:14). Second, unbelievers express their love in two ways, eros (erotic/passionate love) and philia (friendly/brotherly), which falls short of agape love (goodwill, benevolence, and willful delight in the object of love) that can only be given by God.
Stark contrast between Christians and unbelievers is their spirit. Christians’ spirits are made alive to God. In spirit, we are able to love the way he loves. Unbelievers view everything externally, but Christians look at the heart as the Lord does (Matt. 5:27-28). In addition, the Christians love positively and other-worldly. This causes unbelievers to wonder what kind of love it is. As the Holy Spirit dwells in the believer’s heart, he causes them to be different. The Spirit cannot help it. This supernatural transformation is the work of God. We must ask ourselves if we go with the flow of the world or against it. This shows where our love and allegiance lie.
Moreover, it is worthy of loving our enemies (v 35). Loving our enemies is worthwhile because our reward will be great in heaven. The Lord says our reward in the future tense but more importantly it implies that it is guaranteed. It is a good fight for Christians to love their enemies. The Lord knows this and rewards us for this work we do here on earth.
Another worthwhile truth is that we will be sons of the Most High God. God himself is kind to the ungrateful and evil men. One way God demonstrates this truth is common grace. In the same way, as children of God, we are to also be kind to our enemies. If this is not found to be true, we have a different Father. “The driving force of our life must be agape love. We must check our motive. If we’re driven by anything else, we are nothing” (John MacArthur).
Lastly, the most important matter in loving our enemy is to be merciful as our Father is merciful (v 36). What is mercy? God doesn’t give to us what we deserve. Difference between grace is that God gives to us what we don’t deserve. To be merciful in this passage is in the imperative (ongoing). Christians are chosen by God to love. This is worthwhile and it matters because it is a direct command from our Lord who also demonstrates this kind of love faithfully each passing day.
BIBLE COMMUNITY CHURCH 
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