But I say to you, 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. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:44–48)God’s goodness is His perfection and I am to do good to all, even those at the bottom of my opinion. Holiness is a resemblance of God’s purity, so doing good to even enemies is a resemblance of God’s goodness. I cannot be a perfect Christian if I refuse to let His goodness shine through me.
Charnock outlines two ways. One is by relieving and assisting others in distress. I’m not supposed to think anyone is so far below me to be unworthy of my care, since God thinks none that are distant from Him are beneath His care. He may punish sin, but He also gives support to those who are in distress.
Needy people fit in here. I often say if I have something that I am not using, then someone else needs it. What about the treasures God has blessed me with? Are they for me only? Or to give me the honor of imitating Him? After all, I am a mere steward of all that I have. It is entrusted me to use it wisely and in kindness, and in the same way that He has given it to me. The goodness of God stripped his Son of the glory of heaven to enrich my life. How can I shrug when asked to part with my small pleasures and offer them back to Him? Or to others? If I hoard up the goodness of God and use it to feed only me, could this provoke Him to harden His heart against me? His persistence in showing me kindness is such a blessing that I’m not surprised that He should reward His children — even if we give a mere cup of cold water to someone — even when there is much more that could be done.
The second way to imitate God’s goodness is in kindness to my enemies. There are people in the world that hate Christians. I’ve no personal relationship with any (that I know of) yet as Charnock says, even good people are no more worthy to receive anything from God than the worst can be to receive anything from me. God is kind to those that blaspheme Him with the same sunshine and rain as He gives to the best of His saints. Besides, it is to His glory when people can do good to those who hate them, and no glory when I do the worldly thing:
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. (Romans 12:19–21)When I was lost in sin, God did not strike me dead as I deserved, but in His goodness He redeemed me. He didn’t send forth wrath, but selfless goodness. Because I am His child, I am to be like Him and be open to those who seem closed to me or closed to Him.
PRAY: God, Your goodness changed and still changes my life. I cannot hoard it. Enable me and give ways to share the wonder of Your sacrificial love to those around me, even those who are against me, even those against You. They need to know that You are not their enemy but the One whose heart is so full of goodness that You love Your enemies and making Yourself available to them.
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