Hello, everyone.
Welcome back.
My name is Elyse Brooklyn, and this is Scattering Flowers, a podcast where we scatter flowers of faith.
Today is Tuesday, June 18th, and we will be reading Matthew 5, 43-48.
Follow along in your Bible if you have one.
Now, let’s read Matthew 5, 43-48.
You have heard that I was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.
For he makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what reward have you?
Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing to them than others?
Do you not even the Gentiles do the same?
You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Take a second to think about someone you love, a whole lot.
Who came to your mind?
Your parents?
Your sister or brother?
Your grandma?
A best friend?
We all have people who we know have loved us from the start, and those people are probably the easiest to love back.
But what about the people who bug you?
The kid at school that bugs you constantly?
Your teacher that gives you too much homework?
The kids who get all the parts in the school play or the dance recital?
Jesus says, if we love the people we listed first, the people who love us, we are no different than the people of the world.
Everyone loves the people who love them.
God wants people to love everyone, even our enemies or those who annoy us.
If we love them, it’s a way to bring heaven into the world.
Because did you know that there is only goodness and love in heaven?
So cool! Let’s pray.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, dear God, it is easy to love those who love us.
Help us to love our enemies so that they might know the happiness to look forward to in heaven.
In Jesus' name, amen.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen.
Thank you so much for listening.
I’ll be back tomorrow, scattering more flowers.
See ya!