THE WILL TO LOVE - Vital Christianity

64“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,that you may be sons of your Father in heaven” (Mt 5:45).Hebrew is very poor in adjectives and for that reason it often uses “son of . . .” withan abstract noun where we would use an adjective. For instance, Hebrew would state theconstruction “a son of peace” whereas we would say, “a consoling son.” In this instance Jesusused the Hebraic expression (He actually spoke in Aramaic), “the sons of our Father” whereaswe would say, “the godly sons.” A “son of God” is a “godly” or “godlike” son. Those whodemonstrate God’s love are “godlike” people.INDISCRIMINATE LOVEWhen we pray for those who persecute us, do good to those who hate us and bless thosewho curse us we demonstrate God’s love for His love is indiscriminate.“He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends the rain on therighteous and the unrighteous” (v. 45).Rabbi Joshua ben Nehemiah used to say,“Have you ever noticed that the rain fell on the field of A, who was righteous,And not on the field of B, who was wicked? Or that the sun rose and shone onIsrael, who was righteous, and not upon the Gentiles, who were wicked?”Then he would affirm:“God causes the sun to shine both on Israel and on the nations, for the Lord isgood to all.” 4Even the Jewish rabbi recognized the sheer benevolence of God to both saint and sinner.There is a rabbinic tale which tells about the destruction of the Egyptians in the Red Sea.The tale states that when the wicked Egyptians drowned that the angels in heaven began paean ofpraise, but that God said sorrowfully:“The work of My hands are sunk in the sea, and you would sing before me?!” 5Because God is love He finds no pleasure in the death of the wicked. God grieves whenany one of His creatures suffer and are destroyed. God loves those who have broken His lawsand broken His heart.