Have you ever wondered why Jesus said that we should turn the other cheek, go the extra mile, love our enemies, and pray for those who persecute us? The Old Testament says, “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” (Leviticus 24:20). That response feels natural to us, and it also seems just. Yet Jesus calls us to something far deeper. He commands us not to resist the one who is evil, but instead to overcome evil with kindness, mercy, and love. Jesus says in Matthew 5 that we are to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us so that we may be children of our Father in heaven. God shows kindness to both the good and the evil. He causes the sun to rise on the just and the unjust alike. Then Jesus says, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” I think loving our enemies and praying for them is part of what it means to become children of our Heavenly Father, who is loving and kind toward all people. And that is exactly what the perfect Son, Jesus Christ, did ...
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