"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
Neither this phrase nor this sentiment is ever put forth in Scripture. Therefore, when Jesus uses the formulation "you have heard that it was said" He's talking about more than direct quotations from the Bible— He's also talking about the way the people were teaching and applying the Bible.
But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
This idea carries throughout the New Testament and is amplified. Note especially the admonition of Romans 12, "Overcome evil with good."
Romans 5:10
If while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.Romans 12:19–21
Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." To the contrary, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Though it may seem a hard commandment, the Lord Himself followed it while being crucified.
Luke 23:34
And Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."
so that you may be sons 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.
A son bears some resemblance to his father, whether in appearance or mannerisms. We resemble God insofar as we love even those who hate us and seek their salvation.
Whenever we are being persecuted, so is God. As Saul was ravaging the church, Jesus told him: "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting" (Acts 9:5). And although God is being persecuted, He still seeks the welfare of those who are persecuting Him, in the same way as He instructs us to "pray for those who persecute [us]."
God both blesses with the water crucial to life on earth and instructs with the patterns and glory of nature and its ongoing processes. He does all these things in the sight of every inhabitant of earth so that He may be known to each one of us.
Psalm 19:1–4
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.
[And yet] Their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
Acts 14:16–17
"...In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness."
For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
Christians go above and beyond in love. The rule to love our neighbors as ourselves means love originates from within us rather than merely being a reflection of any love we receive from others. Indeed, we show love to our neighbors regardless of whether our neighbors love us.
Compare the parable of the good Samaritan in Luke 10:25–37, where an argumentative scribe wants to know who qualifies as his neighbor (and therefore, to whom he must show love). The truth is especially clear in the way Jesus phrases His answer at verse 36, "Which of these…proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?"
Although tax collectors are hated in ancient Judea for their allegiance to Roman authority, Jesus's point is that they often are coin-operated, repaying favors for favors. Christians, on the other hand, are not keeping count.
And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
Every nation is its own identity and group. Even if a nation is at war with every other nation on earth its citizens still speak peacably with one another.
Christians recognize we are all humanity, all members of the larger group of created beings, answering to our Creator, the God of heaven and earth.
You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."
We shouldn't think of the Lord's requirement in the sense of some kind of sinless or flawless perfection on our part. The word translated "perfect" (τέλειος) here means full-grown or mature. This word comes from the concept of something coming to pass, a promise being executed, an outcome being reached—things associated with the kinds of ability and accomplishment adults exhibit (as opposed to children).
Its meaning is even clearer in certain other passages of the New Testament, for example:
1 Corinthians 14:20
Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.Ephesians 4:11–14
And he gave [spiritual leaders] to equip the saints for the work…until we all attain to…mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children….Hebrews 5:12–14
Though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
Maturity is not gained immediately upon obedience to the gospel (compare 1 Timothy 3:6, where a recent convert cannot be an elder in the Lord's church), but maturity nevertheless must be gained!
The parallel account at Luke 6:36 says we must be "merciful, even as [our] Father is merciful," further clarifying Jesus's meaning: we must be mature enough to accept wrongdoing against ourselves and feel pity for those whose souls are in danger.
"But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you."
"If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.
And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount.
But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.
Luke's unique way of phrasing the thought here reflects an attitude we can adopt towards many activites of life. We do good not because we hope to receive good in return. We do good because God does, and we want to be like the One we call our Father.
Remember that God does not do good out of any need for us to reciprocate:
Acts 17:24–25
The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.
Remember, too, that if God weren't kind to the ungrateful we ourselves wouldn't have been saved!
Romans 5:6, 8
While we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.... God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.Colossians 1:21–23
And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard....
Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful."
Where Matthew had emphasized maturity, Luke emphasizes mercy, which is a sure sign of maturity. Someone who can endure mistreatment and still show mercy is indeed mature in the faith.
James 3:2, 13
We all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body….
Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.