Love your enemies (Mt 5: 43-48)

1. Love your neighbour is found in Lev 19:18; There is actually no Old Testament saying which tell you to hate your enemies, this was only added from Qumran Scroll (hate all the sons of darkness – 1QS 1:10)
2. Loving enemies implies breaking through the limitations imposed on the object of one’s love
3. Tax collectors are suspected of dishonesty and collaboration with Romans, paired with Gentiles (Mt 18:17), Sinners (9:10) and Harlots (21:31-32)
4. The word perfect means ‘wholeness of God who cares for all people’
5. This first century Rabbai is more authoritative than Moses and seems to legislate with all assurance of the God of Sinai

All of us have one category of people whom we never like; we find pleasure in talking about their defects in their absence and will feel utterly uncomfortable in their presence. They many not be exactly our enemies, but just because we have had a bitter experience with them, we try to make it universal! Instead, Jesus is asking us to make our love universal! Isn’t it challenging?