Matthew 5:44 Cross References

Matthew 5:44

44: But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!

If people persecute you because you are a Christian, don't curse them; pray that God will bless them.

Don't repay evil for evil. Don't retaliate when people say unkind things about you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God wants you to do, and he will bless you for it.

Instead, do what the Scriptures say: "If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink, and they will be ashamed of what they have done to you."
Don't let evil get the best of you, but conquer evil by doing good.

"But if you are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you.
Pray for the happiness of those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.

Jesus said, "Father, forgive these people, because they don't know what they are doing." And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.

If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. If they are thirsty, give them water to drink.
You will heap burning coals on their heads, and the LORD will reward you.

He did not retaliate when he was insulted. When he suffered, he did not threaten to get even. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.

And he fell to his knees, shouting, "Lord, don't charge them with this sin!" And with that, he died.

And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, what good is that? Even sinners will lend to their own kind for a full return.
"Love your enemies! Do good to them! Lend to them! And don't be concerned that they might not repay. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to the unthankful and to those who are wicked.

"Of course not!" Elisha told him. "Do we kill prisoners of war? Give them food and drink and send them home again to their master."

We have worked wearily with our own hands to earn our living. We bless those who curse us. We are patient with those who abuse us.
We respond gently when evil things are said about us. Yet we are treated like the world's garbage, like everybody's trash--right up to the present moment.

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud
or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged.
It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.
Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
Love will last forever, but prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will all disappear.

"If you come upon your enemy's ox or donkey that has strayed away, take it back to its owner.
If you see the donkey of someone who hates you struggling beneath a heavy load, do not walk by. Instead, stop and offer to help.

Yet when they were ill, I grieved for them. I even fasted and prayed for them, but my prayers returned unanswered.
I was sad, as though they were my friends or family, as if I were grieving for my own mother.

But a prophet of the LORD named Oded was there in Samaria when the army of Israel returned home. He went out to meet them and said, "The LORD, the God of your ancestors, was angry with Judah and let you defeat them. But you have gone too far, killing them without mercy, and all heaven is disturbed.
And now you are planning to make slaves of these people from Judah and Jerusalem. What about your own sins against the LORD your God?
Listen to me and return these captives you have taken, for they are your own relatives. Watch out, because now the LORD's fierce anger has been turned against you!"
Then some of the leaders of Israel--Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berekiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai--agreed with this and confronted the men returning from battle.
"You must not bring the prisoners here!" they declared. "We cannot afford to add to our sins and guilt. Our guilt is already great, and the LORD's fierce anger is already turned against Israel."

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