Why Does Jesus Want Us to Love Our Enemies?
In Matthew 5:43-48, Jesus shares his sixth and final case study based on the wisdom of the Torah, and it may be the most challenging one yet. The first three case studies focused on treating others as sacred image-bearers of God. The fourth and fifth case studies offered guidance on how to handle conflict. And in the final case study, Jesus concludes with wisdom on how to respond to people who not only dislike us but even desire our harm. In this episode, Jon and Tim discuss one of Jesus’ most famous teachings: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
Why Does Jesus Want Us to Love Our Enemies?
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Episode Chapters
Scripture References
Matthew 5-7Matthew 5:21-26Matthew 5:29-30Matthew 5:43-48Matthew 5:21-30Matthew 5:38-42Matthew 5:33-37Leviticus 19:18Luke 10:29Leviticus 19:17-18Leviticus 19:33Exodus 23Psalms 139Psalms 139:21-22Genesis 3:15Genesis 4:71 Peter 5:9Matthew 5:44-45Matthew 5:48Ephesians 41 Corinthians 14Colossians 1Leviticus 21:8Matthew 19
Referenced Resources
Check out Tim's library here. You can experience our entire library of resources in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.
Show Music
- Original Sermon on the Mount music by Richie Kohen
- BibleProject theme song by TENTS
- “Better Days” by Evil Needle
- “Inner Glow” by Bao & Packed Rich
Show Credits
Jon Collins is the creative producer for today’s show, and Tim Mackie is the lead scholar. Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer; Cooper Peltz, managing producer; Colin Wilson, producer; and Stephanie Tam, consultant and editor. Tyler Bailey, Frank Garza, and Aaron Olsen are our audio editors. Tyler Bailey is also our audio engineer, and he provided our sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Today’s hosts are Jon Collins and Michelle Jones. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.