If you love those who love you

“If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?” (Matthew 5:46)

 

The title of this sermon is ‘If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?’ The words to love enemy is a familiar verse to hear for Christian, but it hadn’t been carried out in practice almost. As always, preaching has to be not only given to the listener, but for the speaker oneself. Do you think how much try to love enemy according to Jesus’ order? Maybe we wouldn’t had the will to carried out it from the first. It is the general principle of worldly life to love one’s neighbors and hate one’s enemies, but Jesus oppositely ordered us to love enemies and pray for those who persecute oneself.

 

People often seek for the name God Father. They call the name to seek for help when they are in a crisis, or shout the name in the way of complaint when they are annoyed and tired. Their basic purpose of calling God’s name is almost entirely for getting the blessings of the bodily life. Such the intention of desire is neither strange nor wrong. But if their thinking stays only there, they would not be the pure people of Christ yet. We must go much further than to search for God on account of bodily desires.

Being a Christian means the same thing to become children who calls God a Father. Then we need basically to understand what the general grace God gives for all people. To be sorry, but may I point out one thing of Christian thinking way in general something wrong? Many members of church think that should enjoy privileges unlike other people living outside church because they were given a special choice by the grace of God what it called. It’s not easy to say it briefly now because each person has a different opinion on what the privilege they think is. But one thing definite, the characteristic of those who are obsessed with the sense of privilege is to be selfish. In other words, they don’t try to understand in other people’s situations. Now let’s think carefully the matter through listening to Jesus’ words.

It says in the Bible Matthew 5:45, “He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” And “If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?” Jesus said this. That the sun shines on everyone is such an ordinary truth of nature. However I have not well realized God’s universal love even though I have seen it every day. Or sometimes I had realized it by head, but I haven’t actually applied it to my life. Then I’m no different from other people the non-Christians who don’t believe in God. Nevertheless I can’t comprehend a fact I have been caught up in an arrogant consciousness! After all, I find that I am the sinner who does not deserve the Lord’s reward at all. “O, Lord, have mercy on me!”

People usually make an effort on taking care of own family and the brothers. It’s deservedly excellent deeds as man. However, Jesus pointed out a special thing that what to do good only for own brothers is no different from the action Gentile can do. If you care about own brother and know how to love him, should do the same to that also to others. Otherwise, it is no different compared to actions of those who do not believe in Christ.

And Jesus said to become complete, just like the completeness of the Father God. But is that a possible thing to be fulfilled so really? No matter how much I think, it seems to be impossible at all. How can a man become complete like a perfect God? But if so, it gets a conclusion that Jesus asked us for the impossible. Yet to think again, there is no reason at all Jesus would have said about anything false or impossible. Here we find in the end there is a secret of faith behind. The key to the secret we find is a fact that we can move a mountain through God’s hand with even a little faith.

 

It is harder for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven than for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, but God can do even this. Because even if what is impossible to man is possible to God. When we say the Lord of faith Christ, it means a fact that Christ is the object of faith, and also that He is the Master leading the faith. So when I rely on Christ really, even loving enemy will be possible within the power of Christ the Almighty. Amen!

 

(Written by Koonoh, the pastor of JDO church, on Mar 21st in 2021)