Demand!

Demand!

You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy;  But I tell you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,  Matthew 5:43‭-‬44 AMPC

The Inspiration:

Jesus again teaches his disciples about the new standard he had come to lay down. The old way was fine for those who were under the dispensation of labour and effort, because it permitted you to love only those who deserved it, or who at least made loving them easy. There was plenty of room for pretence, hypocrisy or eye-service, because it was easy to go through the motions, do the basic minimum required, and get away with anything. The old dispensation even allowed you to hate your enemy, because it was more of the survival of the fittest. Men lived and died by the principles and processes of the old dispensation. It is not a wonder, then, that love was reciprocal and even difficult to determine its sincerity, because there was no standard to live up to. Well, until Jesus showed up. 

The Contention:

As Jesus called the disciples to himself to teach them about the principles of the kingdom, it was obvious He was quite different from the teachers of the law in His own time. He taught with authority, and His own personal life was a testament to the truth and possibility of what He is and demands of us. He will not place on me that which He has not first shown, and He will not demand from me that which He has not supplied grace for. His life ushers in a new dispensation; a new way of doing things. Gone are the excuses of the old dispensation, where you just had to strive by your own power to earn anything. With the new way of life made possible by Jesus, I can live out the life of Jesus and show Him off to the world around me. This is the entire focus of the new covenant- divine help to live right.

The Conclusion:

Now I know what God demands of me, and I also know He has supplied all that I need to live the right way. He does not leave me to do it on my own; He knows I will fail miserably. Only in Him is it possible for a man to love someone who hates him. Only in Him is it possible to pray for those who persecute you. Those are a few of the demands of the new life in Jesus; your desire to please God on a daily basis will motivate you to seek His help. Loving and praying for people who do not normally deserve these show your maturity and dependence on God. These may be the only message some will see, hear or experience, and you will have won them over. God will always play His part; grace is always available. Would you rely on Him? God's time of favour is here.