Love Your EnemiesLove Your Enemies

Matthew 5: 44-48Matthew 5: 44-48

In this passage from Matthew’s Gospel, we hear about the way in which God loves people and about the importance of forgiving.

““Love your Love your enemies and pray enemies and pray for those who bully for those who bully you. If you do this, you. If you do this, you will be sons you will be sons and daughters of and daughters of God your Father in God your Father in heaven.heaven.

God’s love is like God’s love is like the sun which the sun which rises each day rises each day and gives warmth and gives warmth and light to and light to everyone, not just everyone, not just to good people.to good people.

God sends rain God sends rain to water the to water the earth and that earth and that rain falls on rain falls on dishonest as dishonest as well as honest well as honest people, on people, on people who are people who are fair as well as fair as well as people who are people who are mean.mean.

Don’t just love people who love you. Is there Don’t just love people who love you. Is there anything special about that? Why, even sinful anything special about that? Why, even sinful people do this.people do this.

Don’t just talk to your friends, anyone can do Don’t just talk to your friends, anyone can do that. No, I tell you, your love must be like God’s that. No, I tell you, your love must be like God’s love.love.

God loves everyone, no God loves everyone, no matter who they are or matter who they are or what they do. You must what they do. You must not put any limits on your not put any limits on your love, for the love of your love, for the love of your Father in heaven is never Father in heaven is never ending, never changing.ending, never changing.”

Matthew 5: 44-48Matthew 5: 44-48

•What this passage tells you about God’s love.

How you feel as you read it.

What makes it difficult to love our enemies?

What do you think Jesus means?

With your partner, discuss:

Love your enemies and pray for those who bully youLove your enemies and pray for those who bully you..

Jesus says we must love our Jesus says we must love our enemies. What does that mean? enemies. What does that mean? Does it mean we must feel affection Does it mean we must feel affection for them? for them?

No, it means that we must treat No, it means that we must treat them as well as we treat people we them as well as we treat people we like. We must be kind and respectful like. We must be kind and respectful to them. We must put their needs to them. We must put their needs before ours. We must not treat them before ours. We must not treat them badly. badly.

God’s love is like the sun which rises each day and gives God’s love is like the sun which rises each day and gives warmth and light to everyone, not just to good people.warmth and light to everyone, not just to good people.God sends rain to water the earth and that rain falls on God sends rain to water the earth and that rain falls on

dishonest as well as honest people, on people who are fair dishonest as well as honest people, on people who are fair as well as people who are mean.as well as people who are mean.

Jesus teaches that to be like God, we have Jesus teaches that to be like God, we have to do more than what comes naturally to to do more than what comes naturally to us. We all love people who are nice to us. us. We all love people who are nice to us. But it isn't easy to be nice to those who are But it isn't easy to be nice to those who are mean to you. But that's what God did. He mean to you. But that's what God did. He takes care of everyone, and sent His son takes care of everyone, and sent His son to die for all, even though they did not all to die for all, even though they did not all treat Him well. treat Him well.

Don’t just love people who love you. Is there anything Don’t just love people who love you. Is there anything special about that? Why, even sinful people do this.special about that? Why, even sinful people do this.

Don’t just talk to your friends, anyone can do that. No, I tell Don’t just talk to your friends, anyone can do that. No, I tell you, your love must be like God’s love.you, your love must be like God’s love.

It is difficult for someone to continue being It is difficult for someone to continue being mean to you if you don't let it get you mean to you if you don't let it get you angry. It takes away their fun in it. So angry. It takes away their fun in it. So God's advice is not only the better way to God's advice is not only the better way to handle the situation from His end, but from handle the situation from His end, but from ours also.ours also.

Use the worksheet to read the passage Use the worksheet to read the passage again. Make a note of:again. Make a note of:

what surprises youwhat surprises you

what makes you stop and thinkwhat makes you stop and think

how you feelhow you feel

words or phrases you likewords or phrases you like

what is important to youwhat is important to you

Activities:Activities:1. Make a list of all the positive things you 1. Make a list of all the positive things you

can do to love your enemies. can do to love your enemies. Design a poster to show how “God’s Design a poster to show how “God’s

love is like the sun which rises each day love is like the sun which rises each day and gives warmth and light to everyone, and gives warmth and light to everyone, not just to good people.”not just to good people.”

2. Write a prayer asking God to help you 2. Write a prayer asking God to help you be more loving toward your enemies be more loving toward your enemies and others. and others.

3. 3. Drama: in groups act out one of the Drama: in groups act out one of the stories from the sheet. Now try to make stories from the sheet. Now try to make up a scene of your own to show how up a scene of your own to show how you could behave towards your you could behave towards your enemies.enemies.