Family Resemblance

“That you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”
Matthew 5:45 (NIV)

 Do you know you carry the divine imprint of your Father in heaven?

In Jesus' day, when people spoke of others, they rarely used adjectives like we do today. For example, instead of saying, "He is a peaceful man," a first-century Jew would say, "He's a son of peace." Instead of saying, "She is a kind woman." they would say, "She's a daughter of kindness.

Jesus says that when you love your enemies, you look like God. When you love those who hate you and bless those who curse you, you are a child of your Father. You are emulating your Father.

This isn’t about your effort. You're not like God because you try to love others. It’s the other way around. You love people because you're like your Father in heaven. And this is produced by His Holy Spirit in you. He transforms you from within so that you look like Him on the inside–your Spirit looking like His Spirit.

And He doesn’t just love those who worship Him. When we say, “God is good all the time,” it applies to all people everywhere. God loves those who don't love Him and those who live every moment of their life against Him. 

This is what it means to emulate your Heavenly Father–to love those who are against you. This is also why Jesus continues in Matthew 5:46 and 47, “If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?” (Matthew 5:46-47, NIV)

This hit home for Jesus’ listeners. The religious leaders of His day despised tax collectors and pagans. Culturally, these were the worst of the worst. Jesus said if you just love those you deem acceptable and who will love you back, you're no better than the people you despise.

But you don’t make this happen on your own. You were an enemy of God, but He embraced you. And now He gives You His very own Spirit to both receive and give His love to others.

Just as your Heavenly Father wants to turn sinners into saints, He wants to show you how to turn enemies into friends. And the only way you can do that is by loving them. 

It can be said of you, “Like Father, like daughter,” or “Like Father, like son.” Let your love grow up and become mature, so that you love others the way God loves them. Then you will see everyone as your neighbor. And you will have the power to love even the most unlovely–just like your Heavenly Father.

Prayer: Father, Thank You for accepting me and giving me Your Spirit. Help me love my enemies and grow to become a child of my Father, accepting and loving even those who have hurt me. I praise You for giving me the power to do this by Your Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.