Charles Spurgeon Commentary Matthew 5:44-45

"but I say unto you, love your enemies, and pray for them that persecute you; that ye may be sons of your Father who is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust." — Matthew 5:44-45 (ASV)

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 despitefully use you and persecute you; that you may be the children of your Father who is in heaven: for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

Ours it is to persist in loving, even if men persist in enmity. We are to render blessing for cursing, prayers for persecutions. Even in the cases of cruel enemies, we are to do good to them, and pray for them. We are no longer enemies to any, but friends to all. We do not merely cease to hate and then abide in a cold neutrality, but we love where hatred seemed inevitable. We bless where our old nature bids us curse, and we are active in doing good to those who deserve to receive evil from us.

When this is practically carried out, men wonder, respect, and admire the followers of Jesus. The theory may be ridiculed, but the practice is reverenced. It is considered so surprising that men attribute it to some Godlike quality in Christians and acknowledge that they are the children of the Father who is in heaven.

Indeed, he is a child of God who can bless the unthankful and the evil, for in daily providence the Lord is doing this on a great scale, and only his children will imitate him. To do good for the sake of the good done, and not because of the character of the person benefited, is a noble imitation of God. If the Lord only sent the fertilizing shower upon the land of the saintly, drought would deprive whole leagues of land of all hope of a harvest. We also must do good to the evil, or we will have a narrow sphere, our hearts will grow contracted, and our sonship towards the good God will be rendered doubtful.

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

God constantly does what many people regard almost as a crime, namely, doing good to the undeserving. It is the very genius of Christianity to help those who are utterly unworthy, – to be kind and generous even to those who are pretty certain to repay us with ingratitude and malice.

It is our part to persist in loving, even if people persist in enmity. We are to offer blessing for cursing, prayers for persecutions. Even in the cases of cruel enemies, we are to do good to them, and pray for them. We are no longer enemies to any, but friends to all.

We do not merely cease to hate and then remain in a cold neutrality, but we love where hatred seemed inevitable. We bless where our old nature prompts us to curse, and we are active in doing good to those who deserve to receive evil from us. When this is practically carried out, people wonder, respect, and admire the followers of Jesus. The theory may be ridiculed, but the practice is revered and is considered so surprising that people attribute it to some Godlike quality in Christians and acknowledge that they are the children of the Father who is in heaven.

Indeed, he is a child of God who can bless the unthankful and the evil, for in daily providence the Lord is doing this on a great scale, and only His children will imitate Him. To do good for the sake of the good done, and not because of the character of the person benefited, is a noble imitation of God. If the Lord only sent the fertilizing shower upon the land of the saintly, drought would deprive vast areas of land of all hope of a harvest. We also must do good to the evil, or we will have a narrow sphere, our hearts will become constricted, and our sonship towards the good God will become doubtful.