Daily Word Of God
Matthew 5:38-42
Jesus said to his disciples, ‘You have learnt how it was said: You must love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I say this to you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you; in this way you will be sons of your Father in heaven, for he causes his sun to rise on the bad men as well as the good, and his rain to fall on honest and dishonest men alike.
‘For if you love those who love you, what right have you to claim any credit? Even the tax collectors do as much, do they not? And if you save your greetings for your brothers, are you doing anything exceptional? Even the pagans do as much, do they not? You must therefore be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.’
Today's Pointers on God's Word
As you read the passage what words, phases or meanings caught your attention?
- Jesus exhorts us to love our enemies just as our heavenly Father cares for everyone – the bad as well as the good.
- It is easy to love those who are deserving of our love. The test of the depth of our love for God is in whether we are able to love those who are not lovable or those who have done us wrong.
- Jesus asks us to go beyond loving, not only those we think are worthy of our love. We need God’s help. When faced with such difficulties, let us always pray for the divine grace and assistance we need.