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 Did Jesus Mean This Literally?

Mathew 5:43-45
You have heard that it was said, `You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.` But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain to the righteous and the righteous.

I this to be taken literally? Are we commanded by the Son of God to love our enemies?

Posted by Blaine Scogin

 2014/8/7 11:54
ZekeO
Member



Joined: 2004/7/4
Posts: 1014
Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

 Re: Did Jesus Mean This Literally?

The question is why would we not want to take it literally?


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Zeke Oosthuis

 2014/8/7 12:00Profile









 Re: Did Jesus Mean This Literally?

Pray tell dear brother, what are some of the non-literal explanations of this verse that you have heard...you have piqued my curiosity:)

 2014/8/7 12:02
MaryJane
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Joined: 2006/7/31
Posts: 3057


 Re: Did Jesus Mean This Literally?

Greetings Bear

Yes it is to be taken literally. We are told to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.In all my time walking with JESUS I have not heard any other teaching except to love our enemies.

I read testimony of a woman, she was a nurse and missionary who was held in a Japanese prisoner of war camp during world war two. She spoke about how she would pray for those who tortured and abused them. She said no matter how cruel they were to her she could not bring herself to hate them. She felt sorry for them and prayed for them to see their need for JESUS.

God bless
maryjane

 2014/8/7 12:25Profile
TMK
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Joined: 2012/2/8
Posts: 6650
NC, USA

 Re:

CS Lewis said something along the lines that if you cannot or do not love your enemy, then ACT as if you did and perhaps the feeling will follow.

We can't "try" to love someone emotionally. We either do or we don't. I think Jesus is talking about acting as if we loved them. We do not have to have warm fuzzy feelings. But the command is not to "feel" but to act.

That's my 2 cents.


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Todd

 2014/8/7 12:32Profile
jenny1234
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Joined: 2011/9/16
Posts: 68


 Re: Did Jesus Mean This Literally?

bearmaster,
Did Jesus Mean This Literally? Reply To This Post |

Mathew 5:43-45
You have heard that it was said, `You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.` But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain to the righteous and the righteous






The answer is yes.

I pray for my enemy the evil one his spirits all the time, and I Pray with my heart.becouse I get attacks.

John 5:39 King James Bible
Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me

John 5:40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have
life.

John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life






 2014/8/7 12:53Profile
MaryJane
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Joined: 2006/7/31
Posts: 3057


 Re:

by TMK on 2014/8/7 9:32:01

CS Lewis said something along the lines that if you cannot or do not love your enemy, then ACT as if you did and perhaps the feeling will follow.

We can't "try" to love someone emotionally. We either do or we don't. I think Jesus is talking about acting as if we loved them. We do not have to have warm fuzzy feelings. But the command is not to "feel" but to act.

That's my 2 cents.

______

Greeting TMK

We can love others emotionally and deeply if it is through the HOLY SPIRIT. If we try to do anything in our own strength you are correct it can not be done, but we can love others by the strength of HIM who lives in us.

Also if GOD looks at the heart and judges by what lies there in, isn't wrong to think JESUS would only be talking about external behavior here? We are told if you say your hate your brother you have murdered him,1 John 3:15, if you look at a woman with lust in your heart you have committed adultery Matthew 5:28. Considering these things don't you think JESUS meant to literally love, cause anything else would be of self and fake right?

God bless
maryjane

Edit: here is the quote from CS Lewis, “Do not waste time bothering whether you ‘love’ your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him.”

(In reading that I think it is saying that if you walk in faith demonstrating love to others you find in CHRIST that you soon do love them)

 2014/8/7 13:00Profile









 Re:

Saints did Jesus really mean that we are to.love our enemies? Or was He quoting a vague ideal? Something that is to be established in the millennium? He really cannot mean we are to love the Islamic Jihadist? Those who are beheading our brothers and sisters in foreign lands?

Certainly these verses cannot mean what they appear to imply?

Bearnaster

 2014/8/7 13:43









 Re:

A few weeks ago I was in a Sunday school class. The discussion had turned to persecution and suffering. One man said that if an Islamic Jihadist came to his home he would have his rifle ready and kill them and let God sort it out.

A ministry leader e as reported as saying if Federal authorities came to take his children he would defend his family with a 30/30 and let them and he answer to God.

So does Jesus really expect us American Christians to love our enemies.

Bearnaster

 2014/8/7 13:48
MaryJane
Member



Joined: 2006/7/31
Posts: 3057


 Re:

Love for Enemies

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[i] and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

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Greetings Bear

Read the rest of the verses in Matthew. Do you really think is is speaking of a vague ideal?? No HE is instructing us to love our enemies. Let me ask do you believe that JESUS does not love those who persecute brothers and sisters in other countries? If an Islamic Jihadist threw down his sword and turned to CHRIST and repented wouldn't he be just as accepted as you and I? For all have sinned and JESUS came to forgive us our sins. You and I were once enemies of GOD to until we came to JESUS and the cross.

God bless
maryjane

 2014/8/7 13:51Profile





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