Knowing how we are to love our enemies can be hard to discern sometimes. John Wesley, the founder of our Methodist movement, gives us some guidance in this area. I invite you to read Section III of his sermon, Upon Our Lord’s Sermon On The Mount, and look for his examples  on how we are to love our enemies. His sermon can be found at https://www.umcmission.org/ Find-Resources/John-Wesley-Sermons/Sermon-23-Upon-Our-Lords-Sermon-on-the-Mount-3. Are you living into these practices? Is there anything you would add to Wesley’s suggestions?

 Jesus commands his followers, a few verses after our text today, to “be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Loving our neighbors, our enemies, and praying for those who persecute you are some of the ways we live into Christ’s call to be perfect. I invite you to talk with members of your small groups this week, to journal, and to pray on what Jesus means in his call to be perfect, as our heavenly Father is perfect. How are we moving onward to perfection? Our United Methodist Church provides some wonderful resources that can begin these conversations, and they can be found at http://www.umc.org/what-we-believe/ distinctive-wesleyan-emphases1.