Division is so painful– most of the time. Dividing an apple may not be painful. (Although we may not want to give up our half of the apple!) But most of the time, division is very painful. Breaking a limb is painful. A division within a family is extremely painful. A church division hurts and harms many people. So does a divorce. And now, our beloved United States of America is so divided! What can we do?
Often when people are divided, each group emphatically supports their beliefs and the personnel on their side. They re-iterate what they believe are the facts and stand their ground firmly. This is what is happening in our land. I have even done this. Yet, in reading the scripture, I found a better way to deal with this issue.
Matthew 5:44-45 states, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 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.” Verse 48 concludes with “You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
What does the word perfect mean? This Greek word has a different meaning than we normally assign it. Here it means mature or complete. Jesus isn’t asking us to be sinless, but mature, as His Father is mature. And how is His Father mature? His Father cares for everyone, whether they are good or evil. Jesus is asking us to be mature and care for all people, even those with whom we disagree or feel are our enemies, as God does.1
Does this mean we disregard our beliefs of truth? No. We check them out to substantiate their truth and then stand in truth. But we also love those who disagree with our beliefs. We care about them as a person. We pray for their salvation. We pray that the blind will receive spiritual sight, that the captives will be set free (Luke 4:18), and that “the eyes of their hearts may be opened” (Ephesians 1:18). We are gentle, kind, and “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). We do what we can to bring about unity.
Does this mean that they will change? Only God can change a heart. That includes our heart. Are we willing to become mature men and women that God can use to further His kingdom and His purposes, or will we continue our immature thinking and perpetuate division? We cannot control another person. But, we can submit ourselves to God and allow Him to mature us and use us for His purposes. Will you do that?
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- Website Matthew 5:48 commentary thoughts by Phil Gons
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