Matthew 5:43-5:48: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons 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. 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 brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
The above passage is often quoted by Christians and those who sympathize with it as a sensible and benevolent response to people in this world. However, it actually contains very dangerous advice that puts your well-being at risk in this world. Jesus makes sweeping statements that contradict prevailing wisdom that some people think is original and meaningful. Much of what he says is in relation to a separate world apart from our own that is supposed to be the reward of those who follow him. His assumptions are based on faulty metaphysics that, if followed, will cause pain and suffering to those in this world. Jesus makes statements that seem benevolent but will ultimately lead you into a life of pain.
Jesus eschews the very sensible suggestion to “Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” This suggestion is the proper response to a friendly neighbor and an enemy. Enemies are, by definition, those opposed and harmful to oneself. If one was not to hate them, one would leave oneself open to the injustices that enemies seek to bring upon oneself. Yet, Jesus more or less suggests one to do such a thing in his previous passage about “an eye for an eye:” “But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also” (Matthew 5:39). He advises the opposite of the proper response, that you would “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” His justification for the improper response is the hope that your enemy will change face and ultimately be an ally in heaven, that this world isn’t important enough to care about the ramifications for oneself if one was to subject oneself to one’s enemies. This is a world-denying worldview that would ultimately lead to one’s suffering in this world. Jesus is asking you to take all of the hardships your enemies visit upon you in the hopes he is correct and you will be rewarded after you die (If he is not correct, you will have wasted your life in suffering).
When Jesus states “He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous,” there are a few assumptions one could take from this curious statement. For one, he seems to be suggesting that there’s no favoritism for the righteous in this world, that, perhaps, he has made this world something of a test and that one shouldn’t be concerned about it. Taking the statement before this one as context, one may assume that perhaps God has made the world this way since everyone may be “sons of your Father in heaven,” so it would be inappropriate to have favoritism when all souls haven’t been accounted for. As well, one may be able to assume he means that he gives the same treatment because one is expected to give the same treatment to one’s friends as enemies, as the righteous and unrighteous.
Finally, Jesus has a series of rhetorical questions at the end of the passage that suggest a certain moral stature for people. He eschews certain moral values such as loving those who love you (What’s your reward for loving those who love you? More love and support). Yet, Jesus may be referring to a heavenly reward when he says “If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?” This, along with his consequent questions, suggests that Jesus doesn’t regard any Earthly reward as important. That a person is meant to only focus on the other world, heaven and hell, and let themselves suffer in this one. His further statements that “Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?” imply that Jesus primarily expects atypical behavior to be perfect behavior (atypical in that it is unlike what other people do in this world). That your denial of this world IS your proof of holiness. This would cause people to perform actions that run contrary to their self-interest and ultimately cause mass suffering the more people adopt these ideas.
Jesus offers some unique advice that will ultimately lead to suffering. He relies on the existence of a God and heaven to justify his moral edicts, that not doing what he says will hurt you after your death. Denial of this world and the things that will bring you happiness in it is consistent with Jesus and the above passage. Jesus is primarily concerned with God’s opinion of you and where you’re going after you die. He isn’t a good role-model for living on this Earth.