“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. Matthew 5:43-47
I always read this passage in astonishment. The God that many people fear for His supposed judgment and wrath against evil, tells us, through His Son, that if we pray for our enemies, then we will be acting as true children of God.
What an incredible statement about the breadth of God’s love for all of us, good and bad!
