pray for persecutors

Matthew 5:43-48

This is the last of the statements Jesus makes about the oral tradition surrounding the Law and he continues with his formula: "You have heard that it was said... but I tell you..." This time he tackles the whole subject of dealing with enemies. I cannot ever recall reading any teaching in Scripture that would tell me it is ok to hate my enemies. What must have happened is that "experts" read the Law which stated "Love your neighbour" and assumed that if we were to love our neighbour it must be ok to hate our enemies or at least excused their hatred by saying that the Law didn't say that I couldn't hate my enemy.
Jesus, of course, takes the foundation right out from underneath this argument. He reminds them that the Law is all about treating people, even your enemies, with the honour, dignity and respect that they deserve as humans created in the image of God and reflecting the character of God in all you do. The character of God seems to be what is most at stake here. Jesus ties loving enemies and praying for persecutors directly to being a child of God, even using the phrase "that you may be." Children bear a resemblance to their parents and Jesus is telling us that in order to bear a resemblance to our Father, and to be his true children, we must love our enemies.
Jesus then proves his point: God doesn't just make the sun shine on the good or the rain fall on the righteous but rather showers his blessing on both.
At the end of this section, Jesus reminds us what being a citizen of heaven is all about which is to reflect the character of the King (v. 48). No wonder Paul talked about the depth of his sinfulness for who could ever live up to such a standard? Perfection is impossible for me in my own strength and by my own efforts because I have already marred it with sin. Even if I could live a perfect life from this point forward, I couldn't do anything to erase the imperfection of the past. I so desperately need Jesus to forgive my sin and cleanse me from all imperfections. Only as I accept the work of Christ and adopt the character of Christ can I have any hope.
The evidence that the Spirit is producing the character of Christ in me will be most clearly seen in my interactions with other people: am I treating them with hatred, using them for my own pleasure and benefit, abandoning them when they no longer please me, using trickery and deceit to take advantage of them, seeking revenge and giving the bare minimum to meet their needs and hating those who oppose me or am I treating them with the honour, dignity and respect they deserve as a human created in the image of God?
I can't do this by my strength, will power or discipline but only by your Spirit!