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THE HARDEST LOVE OF ALL
Matthew 5:43-47
2
Open your Bible and read with me from Matthew 5:43-47.
These are some of the heaviest words Jesus ever spoke. Yet,
because He spoke them, we must listen.
You have heard that it was said, "Love
your friends, hate your enemies." But
now I tell you: love your enemies and
pray for those who persecute you, so that
you may become the sons of your Father in
heaven. For He makes His son to shine on
bad and good people alike, and gives rain
to those who do good and to those who do
evil. Why should God reward you if you
love only the people who love you? Even
the tax collectors do that! And if you
speak only to your friends, have you done
anything out of the ordinary? Even the
pagans do that!? (Matt. 4:43-47 TEV)
You and I are made to love and to be loved. Love is the
one thing we really need. The Bible tells us we are made
like God, made in His image. Our heartbeat here is at least
a feeble echo of His heartbeat there. We are made like God.
What is God like? He is love.
In Charles Shultz's book entitled, I'Need All The Friends
3
I Can Get, Charlie Brown says to Lucy, "I don't have any
friends ... I don't have one single person I can call a
friend." Lucy says, "Define 'friend'!" Then a number of
striking definitions of friend-are given:
"A friend is someone who will take the side with the sun
in his eyes." (He has a tennis racket in his hand and is
looking across the net.)
"A friend is someone who's willing to watch the program
you want to watch." (on T. V.)
"A friend is someone who can't stand the same sort of
music you can't stand."
"A friend is someone who sticks up for you when you're
not there."
"A friend is someone who accepts you for what you are."
At that point Lucy says, I think you try too hard, Charlie
Brown. Be like me, I don't need any friends ..-. I'm self-
sufficient!"
"Not me," he says, "I need all the friends I can get! I'd
even settle for a ' ...
THE HARDEST LOVE OF ALL
Matthew 5:43-47
2
Open your Bible and read with me from Matthew 5:43-47.
These are some of the heaviest words Jesus ever spoke. Yet,
because He spoke them, we must listen.
You have heard that it was said, "Love
your friends, hate your enemies." But
now I tell you: love your enemies and
pray for those who persecute you, so that
you may become the sons of your Father in
heaven. For He makes His son to shine on
bad and good people alike, and gives rain
to those who do good and to those who do
evil. Why should God reward you if you
love only the people who love you? Even
the tax collectors do that! And if you
speak only to your friends, have you done
anything out of the ordinary? Even the
pagans do that!? (Matt. 4:43-47 TEV)
You and I are made to love and to be loved. Love is the
one thing we really need. The Bible tells us we are made
like God, made in His image. Our heartbeat here is at least
a feeble echo of His heartbeat there. We are made like God.
What is God like? He is love.
In Charles Shultz's book entitled, I'Need All The Friends
3
I Can Get, Charlie Brown says to Lucy, "I don't have any
friends ... I don't have one single person I can call a
friend." Lucy says, "Define 'friend'!" Then a number of
striking definitions of friend-are given:
"A friend is someone who will take the side with the sun
in his eyes." (He has a tennis racket in his hand and is
looking across the net.)
"A friend is someone who's willing to watch the program
you want to watch." (on T. V.)
"A friend is someone who can't stand the same sort of
music you can't stand."
"A friend is someone who sticks up for you when you're
not there."
"A friend is someone who accepts you for what you are."
At that point Lucy says, I think you try too hard, Charlie
Brown. Be like me, I don't need any friends ..-. I'm self-
sufficient!"
"Not me," he says, "I need all the friends I can get! I'd
even settle for a ' ...
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