Mateus 5

How to treat enemies

43 "You have heard that it was said: ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’*Leviticus 19:18 says to "love your neighbor", but not "hate your enemy". The scribes had added an unwarranted inference. 44 But I say to you: love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you,*Less than 1% of the Greek manuscripts, of inferior quality, offer a truncated form of this verse (as in NIV, NASB, LB, TEV, etc.). 45 that you may prove to be sons of your Father in the heavens; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and He sends rain on the just and the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your friends,*Perhaps 4% of the Greek manuscripts have ‘brothers’, as in many versions. what are you doing extra? Do not even the tax collectors do so?*The reference to "reward" and "extra" suggests that the procedures previously enjoined are demonstrations of practical righteousness—we are to be examples, rise above the level of the surrounding society. Tax collectors were Jews, part of the community, but despised as traitors. 48 Therefore, you be perfect just as your Father in the heavens is perfect.*"Perfect"—the Father is our point of reference; we are to be like He is. A standard is a standard; it is not invalidated just because we may feel that it is unattainable. Comparing this passage with texts like Deuteronomy 7:10, "He repays those who hate Him to their face", and Psalm 5:5-6, "You hate all workers of iniquity", I take it that we must distinguish between personal enemies (those who oppose us for personal reasons) and enemies of God and His truth. To be like the Father we also must hate workers of iniquity (because of the consequences to others).