Jump Start # 802

Matthew 5:45 “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 the unjust.”

I awoke this morning to the sound of a gentle rain hitting my window. It would be nice to think of this as a soft Spring shower, but it’s still February and a huge section of the country is getting buried in a massive snow storm today. The sound of the rain made me think of our verse today.

Our verse today comes from the sermon on the Mount. Jesus told the audience to love their enemies. Our verse follows that principle. Why should we love our enemies? That is uncomfortable. There is a reason they are considered our “enemy.” If they were nice, if the situation was different, they wouldn’t be an enemy and we could get along with them. But, as it is, they are enemies. Love them is what Jesus said. Love them so you will be like your Father, God. Sons carry the characteristics of their fathers. Our Father makes the sun rise and sends the rain upon the evil and unjust as well as the good and the just. Love your enemies because your Father does. Love your enemies because your Father treats them well.

Now a few thoughts:

1. God is aware and knows who is just and who is unjust. Jesus is not implying that God can’t tell, so He just sends the sun and rain upon everyone, because it is too hard to figure which side everyone is on. No. God knows. God knows and I often do not. The Gospels show us that not everyone in the synagogues and the Temple were just and good. There were many who had false motives and evil suspicion in their hearts. God knows. Not everyone sitting in a church building on Sunday morning is necessary good and just. God knows.

2. God is generous to all. Imagine a world in which only the righteous were blessed by God. You could drive down a neighborhood street and tell by how green or burned up someone’s yard was. You could tell by the farmer’s fields who was righteous and who wasn’t. This could lead to some following God for the wrong reason. Instead of loving God and having a heart of faith, some might just green yards and growing crops. Sending the rain and sun upon all shows that God cares for all and loves all.

3. There are many who receive God’s blessings and do not understand nor acknowledge that it came from Him. It’s rainy at my house today. I believe that God sent that rain. The guy down the street may recognize that it’s raining but fails to make the connection to God. The words of Jesus involve more than just the weather. They symbolize the blessings coming down from God. Jobs, family, good health, the Bible are blessings that are God given. The unjust benefits without thanking God or making the connection to God. He receives but doesn’t realize where they came from. He may even complain that it’s raining. God is good to him even when he doesn’t return the goodness to God.

4. God does not treat us the way we treat Him. He sends rain and sun, the blessings necessary for growth to those who violate His word and will. They are guilty. They are unjust. He sends His blessings upon those who are evil. They may use God’s blessing to continue evil and even to go deeper into evil. If God treated us the way we treat Him, then only certain people would have rain and sun. The rest of us would be sitting in darkness and in a constant drought and maybe after a while, we’d understand that we are getting what we deserve. But God is not like that. He treats us better than we deserve. God is good.

5. God wants His people to model Him. The thoughts here are not the origin of rain and sun, nor why some days are rainy and some days are sunny. The point is goodness, blessings and kindness. God treats His enemies well. God is good to His enemies. God wants us to do the same. Be kind to the guy at work who is trouble. Be generous to the person you do not like. Invite the one that you wished moved away. In your own way, send rain and sunshine upon the evil and unjust as well as the good and the just. Our first reaction to that is that, ‘they don’t deserve any kindness.’ That’s the point. This isn’t based upon how they were to us. This isn’t a system of works, where if you do well, you receive well. If you are bad, you are cut off. Sending rain and sunshine to friends is easy. Anyone can do that. Sending it to those that I am uncomfortable with, that’s different. That’s the challenge. Many refuse. When you do, you are not acting like your Father. Many declare that they can’t. It’s too much for them. It’s too hard for them. Jesus says that you can. This is what God wants you to do.

These words are intended for the disciples of Jesus. They are illustrated in how God’s people view those who are different. The Pharisees had trouble with Jesus going to the home of Zaccheus. They were uncomfortable with Jesus being in Samaria. Today, someone who looks different is often treated differently. In church, we hug those we see each week and love. The guy who shows up with tattoos is often avoided and we hope that he will not return. The single mom with three or four rowdy kids shows up. Some roll their eyes. Not her. Not again. Why does she come here, some think. The person who smells. The guy who never shuts up. The person who brags and brags about himself. The girl who is living with her boyfriend. The guy who spent time in prison last year. Annoying. Challenging. Maybe unjust. Uncomfortable. Love them. Invite them. Help them. Bless them. Send rain and sunshine, even upon those folks. Remembering, in God’s eyes, I might be one of “those folks.” Remembering, there was a time that I was that way to the righteous. Remembering that God never gave up on me.

God’s children are to act like God. That’s a powerful and wonderful statement. However, it causes us to do things that we may not like. Hating your enemy is easy. Everyone does that. Loving them is hard. Loving them is more than a thought or feeling, it is action, as our passage demonstrates. It is sending rain and sunshine. It is doing, even for those who don’t like me. It is blessing them.

It’s amazing what a simple rain shower will bring to your mind and heart.

Roger