Matthew 5:44

Matthew 5:44

Thoughts from Josh Talbot

Dive Deeper

Swipe to read today’s written devo!

QOP- Swipe
Slide

“But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,”

Matthew 5:44

QOP- Behind the Scenes
Slide

Our verse today comes from Jesus’s famous “Sermon on the Mount”. In this lesson, Jesus is teaching the people that they were to be more than just what the law called for. The Law was given by God to Moses in the form of the Ten Commandments. And then it was added to over time, and that is what the Israelites were living by and what they were accustomed to. So, this is a radical change that Jesus is teaching.

Slide

Jesus explains that He didn’t come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. He takes each of the commandments and calls us to a higher standard than just the law. For example, in verses 21-22 Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.”

Slide

Jesus is giving a higher bar for us to live by – not more rules – but a standard that is undergirded by love. You see, if we love like Jesus loved, then we see that even anger is a sin. Man, that is a HIGH standard. I know I get angry with people a lot, and in the new covenant calling, that is equivalent to murder. OUCH. And on my own and in my own power, this would be impossible. But Jesus says in Matthew 19:26, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Slide

We are subsequently called to love and pray for others – and not just our friends. Matthew 5:44, “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,”. How is that even possible? Our enemies – those who have hurt us, taken from us, cheated us, broken us, stand against us, destroyed us – we’re supposed to love and pray for them? YES!

Slide

But here’s the beautiful thing about this – we’re not alone. We are to pray for others in community. We are to love others in community. We are to live in community. And then when we are called to love and pray for our enemies, we can reach out to our community and ask for help and support in that.

Slide

Even better, we not only have our community here on earth, but as believers we live in community with the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit. Through our Eternal Father, the perfect Lamb who died for our sins, and the Helper that Jesus sent for us, we CAN intercede on behalf of our enemies

Slide

Intercessory Prayer. That’s a fancy term, but it just means we pray on behalf of someone else. Just as we are invited to boldly approach the Throne of Grace on our own behalf, we are also called to approach the Throne on the behalf of others – even our enemies. We have a beautiful example of this. In Luke 23:34, we see Jesus asking for forgiveness for those who literally killed Him by hanging Him on a cross after brutally beating and mocking Him.

QOP- Make it Real
Slide

Several years ago, I had a “friend” who drove me crazy. When I say friend, I mean she was friends with some of my very good friends and so we were together in our friends group all.the.time. I really struggled to see what the women I loved so dearly saw in her. I couldn’t see past my own frustrations with her. So, I had another friend who suggested I start praying for her. I was like, “Are you crazy?!? I don’t even like her.”

Slide

Now mind you, I was very new in my walk with Jesus, but He made it clear to me that I was to pray regularly for her. So I began to pray for her – at first very reluctantly. “Dear Jesus, I don’t want to do this, but be with ______. Thank You. Amen.” Wow! That’s pretty sad. But what Jesus started doing in my heart while I walked day in and day out being obedient to pray for her was beautiful.

Slide

Did she change? No, not in the least! BUT I DID!! I started seeing her as my friends saw her – as God saw her. And what I saw was incredible. She had a huge heart with a lot of hurt. She had energy and verve. She had tenacity. She had faith. She had JOY. And then I had JOY. I’m so very thankful for that early lesson from Jesus my redeemer. He showed me how to love – even if I didn’t like. He showed me how He can change hearts. He showed me how much He loved me.

Slide

Here's a passage He gave me in that time. Luke 6:32-35, “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.”

Slide

You see, He was showing me how to live to a higher standard. Showing me the grace and mercy He had shown me and teaching me how to show that to others. That, my friends, is the power of intercessory prayer.

Slide

Who has hurt you in the past that God is calling you to pray for? Would you bravely step into that calling and see how Jesus changes your heart?

QOP- End in Prayer
Slide

Jesus, thank You that You don’t leave us where we are. That You call us to be better to walk more like You. You are the God who changes hearts, through Your grace and mercy. May we be people who show that to those around us. May we be people of prayer!! In Jesus mighty name ~ AMEN!

previous arrow
next arrow

“But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” 

Matthew 5:44

Behind the Scenes

Our verse today comes from Jesus’s famous “Sermon on the Mount”. In this lesson, Jesus is teaching the people that they were to be more than just what the law called for. The Law was given by God to Moses in the form of the Ten Commandments. And then it was added to over time, and that is what the Israelites were living by and what they were accustomed to. So, this is a radical change that Jesus is teaching.  

Jesus explains that He didn’t come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. He takes each of the commandments and calls us to a higher standard than just the law. For example, in verses 21-22 Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.”  

Jesus is giving a higher bar for us to live by – not more rules – but a standard that is undergirded by love. You see, if we love like Jesus loved, then we see that even anger is a sin. Man, that is a HIGH standard. I know I get angry with people a lot, and in the new covenant calling, that is equivalent to murder. OUCH. And on my own and in my own power, this would be impossible. But Jesus says in Matthew 19:26, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  

We are subsequently called to love and pray for others – and not just our friends. Matthew 5:44, “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,”. How is that even possible? Our enemies – those who have hurt us, taken from us, cheated us, broken us, stand against us, destroyed us – we’re supposed to love and pray for them? YES! 

But here’s the beautiful thing about this – we’re not alone. We are to pray for others in community. We are to love others in community. We are to live in community. And then when we are called to love and pray for our enemies, we can reach out to our community and ask for help and support in that.  

Even better, we not only have our community here on earth, but as believers we live in community with the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit. Through our Eternal Father, the perfect Lamb who died for our sins, and the Helper that Jesus sent for us, we CAN intercede on behalf of our enemies.  

Intercessory Prayer. That’s a fancy term, but it just means we pray on behalf of someone else. Just as we are invited to boldly approach the Throne of Grace on our own behalf, we are also called to approach the Throne on the behalf of others – even our enemies. We have a beautiful example of this. In Luke 23:34, we see Jesus asking for forgiveness for those who literally killed Him by hanging Him on a cross after brutally beating and mocking Him. 

Make It Real

Several years ago, I had a “friend” who drove me crazy. When I say friend, I mean she was friends with some of my very good friends and so we were together in our friends group all.the.time. I really struggled to see what the women I loved so dearly saw in her. I couldn’t see past my own frustrations with her. So, I had another friend who suggested I start praying for her. I was like, “Are you crazy?!? I don’t even like her.”  

Now mind you, I was very new in my walk with Jesus, but He made it clear to me that I was to pray regularly for her. So I began to pray for her – at first very reluctantly. “Dear Jesus, I don’t want to do this, but be with ______. Thank You. Amen.” Wow! That’s pretty sad. But what Jesus started doing in my heart while I walked day in and day out being obedient to pray for her was beautiful.  

Did she change? No, not in the least! BUT I DID!! I started seeing her as my friends saw her – as God saw her. And what I saw was incredible. She had a huge heart with a lot of hurt. She had energy and verve. She had tenacity. She had faith. She had JOY. And then I had JOY. I’m so very thankful for that early lesson from Jesus my redeemer. He showed me how to love – even if I didn’t like. He showed me how He can change hearts. He showed me how much He loved me.  

Here’s a passage He gave me in that time. Luke 6:32-35, “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.” 

You see, He was showing me how to live to a higher standard. Showing me the grace and mercy He had shown me and teaching me how to show that to others. That, my friends, is the power of intercessory prayer.  

Who has hurt you in the past that God is calling you to pray for? Would you bravely step into that calling and see how Jesus changes your heart? 

Colleen McGeorge

Colleen McGeorge

ACF First Impressions and Groups Coordinator

End in Prayer

Jesus, thank You that You don’t leave us where we are. That You call us to be better to walk more like You. You are the God who changes hearts, through Your grace and mercy. May we be people who show that to those around us. May we be people of prayer!! In Jesus mighty name ~ AMEN! 

Tagged