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LOVE them...

Matthew 5:44&45
"44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45 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."

Jesus and the scribe both recited The Shema. They agreed that loving GOD and our neighbors is better and more acceptable to God than all rituals and ceremonial law. Saying The Shema is one thing, living it is ANOTHER thing entirely. 

How many of us try to have our lives guided by The Shema? How many of us are on the edge of surrendering to Jesus Christ? We know The Shema but just can't seem to live it. Our challenge then is to reach out to our neighbors. To LOVE our neighbors. Do the work to let them experience our love. So that our actions has value in their eyes. All the while we take time and make time for God.

It's not easy and Jesus know it. To finish up this week's study we turn to the Gospel of Matthew. We read some more words from Jesus that underline His challenging goals for His followers. From chapter five, verses forty-four and forty-five; "But I say unto you, LOVE your ENEMIES, bless THEM THAT CURSE you, do good to THEM THAT HATE you, and pray for them which despitefully USE you, and PERSECUTE you; 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."

Jesus says LOVE THEM. 
LOVE your ENEMIES. LOVE THEM THAT CURSE you. LOVE THEM THAT HATE you. LOVE them that USE you, and PERSECUTE you! Love your neighbor. Just think of all the secular humanist and atheist treat GOD! GOD doesn't strike them down or even deprive them of the things they need. Instead God often blesses them! We need to follow God's example. In this way we can live out The Shema! It is what Jesus wants for you and me.
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