The Most Difficult Way
What Reward Will You Get? – Part 1
Scripture Reading: Matthew 5:43-48
Key Verse: Matthew 5:46
If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
I believe it is an interesting and important question Jesus is posing in our printed key verse: What reward will you get? Do you ever think in terms of what the Father in heaven is planning for you? Do you ever contemplate what rewards you are accumulating? Take a moment and calculate what you come up with in your own opinion. I hope you will make your judgment based on the Bible and not your own wish list!
In today’s passage of scripture, Jesus explains one way to accumulate rewards in heaven: Love your enemies. In your calculations did you consider how you treat the people around you that either are different from you or simply don’t treat you well? The Greek word used for enemy is “echthros” and refers to hostility…one opposing another. It is used to describe the devil as an enemy of God and His kingdom.
When someone opposes you and strongly disagrees with you about an issue, how do you react? God is watching your reaction and is ready to reward you if you show love during those interactions. You may show great love to those who go along with you and treat you well. Jesus said, in essence, “So what, even cheating tax collectors do that.” God calls us to do a very difficult thing: Love those who are very unloving! It is only possible by His love working in and through us!
Father, I want to want this divine love for my enemies. Please grant me grace and strength to act out your kind of love! In Jesus’ name, amen.