On Sunday mornings, we have been going through the Sermon on the Mount. I have been struck with how Jesus contradicts the pharisaical teaching of His day by correctly interpreting the Law. In the last portion we studied, Jesus dealt with loving our enemies.
Matthew 5:43-44 You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy’. But I say to you, love your enemies,
Jesus gives a surprising reason for loving our enemies and not just our neighbors. We often think that we love our enemies in order to convert them or if we love our enemies they will love us in return. Exhibiting godly character in order to see a result is pragmatism and not the motivation Christ gives. The reason that Jesus gives for loving our enemies is that we are to be sons of God, reflecting the character of our Father in heaven. God demonstrates love to His enemies, so we should love our enemies because we are to be like Him. While we recognize that there is an end to His longsuffering, and even though judgment will come upon all the enemies of God, the example that Jesus gives of God’s care and compassion for all mankind is a wonderful example of God’s goodness.
Matthew 5:45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
There is also a secondary application to this text for there is an entire worldview found in this verse. It’s His sun. He owns it. He spoke it into existence through His own will. He gives His sun and continues to allow His sun to be shared with the world through His goodness and kindness. The sun warms the earth and lights our world. Earth would be a cold dark place without it. Not only do we enjoy the physical benefits of the sun, we also enjoy its beauty. All of this is available to the evil and the good.
Now a distinctly Christian worldview will see the sun differently than the rest of the world sees it. We will see the goodness of God in every sunset, every sunrise, and every touch of warmth that we feel on our skin. Our hearts overflow with worship and thanksgiving for His goodness to us each day. Our response to the sun is different from the world. They do not worship God as the creator nor are they thankful.
The same is true with the rain. We understand that it is a gift from God. We see a testimony to the goodness of God in every spring rain, in every afternoon shower that waters the earth, and in the joy of knowing our fields in which we labor will be fruitful.
As Christians adopt the thinking of the world they tend to overlook God’s blessings they experience every day. It is common to hear Christians talk of God as being distant and indifferent towards them. They feel this way because they have been overshadowed by the blindness of this world and they do not have eyes to see.
A comprehensive understanding of the sun, the rain, and its relationship to our God is essential to faith unfeigned.
Faith Unfeigned 