On Sunday we continued with our series on discipleship from The Sermon on the Mount. This week we are looking at Jesus’ teaching regarding love.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 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. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:43-48)
It’s most easy to love people who are most like us. This world is divided into many ‘tribes’ but they all have some kind of glue that creates loyalty. In our passage, we see that ‘tax collectors’ love other tax collectors. ‘Pagans’ love other pagans. We could go on adding other groupings. These groups operate along the worldly principle of ‘You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.’ The church should not be like this! We are not to imitate the world, but the Father and the Son. Alfred Plummer wrote,
“To return evil for good is devilish; to return good for good is human; to return good for evil is divine.”
RESPONSE
Earlier in this Sermon on the Mount Jesus had defined our purpose as ‘salt and light’,
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:13-16)
If we fail to love we have lost our saltiness and let our light go out. Love for our enemies shows what the Father is like and what the gospel message is all about.
COMMUNITY GROUP STUDY - LOVE WITHOUT BOUNDS
Notices
It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News.
Suggested opener/Ice-breaker
When have you ever received undeserved love in your life?
Recap of Sunday's message - please share in your group
On Sunday we continued with our series on discipleship from The Sermon on the Mount. This week we are looking at Jesus’ teaching regarding love.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 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. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:43-48)
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