So, how does God love His enemies? There are a number of ways, but in Matthew 5:45 Jesus gives two practical examples. For instance, James and John were called “sons of thunder” (Mark 3:17) probably because of their potentially hot tempers they had “thunderous personalities” or perhaps “thunderous tempers.” The Contemporary English Version brings out this meaning of Matthew 5:45: “Then you will be acting like your Father in heaven.” To the extent that a person exhibits a certain characteristic of God, to that extent he will be considered a child of God. To be a “child” of someone (literally, in the Greek, a “son”) did not necessarily mean that a person was literally a member of the family rather, a “son” was someone who acted like another person or thing. We do not earn a place in God’s family by doing this or any other kind of good work. We must not misunderstand Jesus’ statement to mean that one can become a child of God by loving his enemies. Then, in the first half of verse 45, Jesus gives the rationale behind the command: “That you may be children of your Father in heaven.” ![]() ![]() In the verses immediately prior to verse 45, Jesus notes a popular sentiment and then gives a countercultural command: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (verses 43–44). ![]() As always, context is the key to understanding this passage. In Matthew 5:45, as part of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says this about God the Father: “He makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (ESV).
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