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MATTHEW 5:45 — KING JAMES VERSION 0
Matt 5:44Matt 5:46
“That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”
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 on the unjust. The motivation for enemy love is the imitation of the Father: the sons of the Father resemble the Father, and the Father extends his common grace — sun and rain — to both the evil and the good. The God who does not confine his good gifts to the deserving is the God whose children do not confine their love to those who have earned it. Luke 6:35 says those who love their enemies will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. The family resemblance with the Father is produced by the same undiscriminating generosity.

Church Fathers on Matthew 5:45

The Lord has taught above that we must not resist one who offers any injury, but must be ready even to suffer more; He now further requires us to shew to them that do us wrong both love and its effects. And as the things that have gone before pertain to the completion of the righteousness of the Law, in like manner this last precept is to be referred to the completion of the law of love, which, according to the Apostle, is the fulfilling of the Law.

Gloss (Glossa Ordinaria) · medieval compilation · non occ.

That by the command, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbour,' all mankind were intended, the Lord shewed in the parable of the man who was left half dead, which teaches us that our neighbour is every one who may happen at any time to stand in need of our offices of mercy; and this who does not see must be denied to none, when the Lord says, 'Do good to them that hate you.'

Augustine · 4th century · de Doctr. Christ., i, 30

As that, Thou shalt not lust, was not spoken to the flesh, but to the spirit, so in this the flesh indeed is not able to love its enemy, but the spirit is able; for the love and hate of the flesh is in the sense, but of the spirit is in the understanding. If then we feel hate to one who has wronged us, and yet will not to act upon that feeling, know that our flesh hates our enemy, but our soul loves him.

Pseudo-Chrysostom · 5th century
Read all 26 entries in the readerCatena Aurea · St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. J. H. Newman · public domain
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