What? I Was Praying For Them.
In September, a judge in Stuart, Fla., was about to sentence “pastor” Rodney McGill for real estate fraud, but McGill was undaunted, addressing a courtroom prayer for his enemies. He prayed as follows, "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, for every witness called against me, I pray cancer in their lives, lupus, brain tumor, pancreatic cancer." I’m pretty sure that's not what Jesus had in mind in Matthew 5:44 when he said pray for your enemies.
This fellow missed the vital truth in that passage. A continued reading will shed some light on what Jesus really meant. In Matthew 5:45-48 we read, “so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” The lesson is we must act more like the forgiving God and less like selfish and vengeful man. This is the higher standard Jesus sets for us.
This fellow missed the vital truth in that passage. A continued reading will shed some light on what Jesus really meant. In Matthew 5:45-48 we read, “so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” The lesson is we must act more like the forgiving God and less like selfish and vengeful man. This is the higher standard Jesus sets for us.
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