The Disciples Are To Love Even Their Enemies And Are To Seek To Be Perfect Even As Their Father in Heaven Is Perfect (5:43-48).
Jesus has been slowly building up to this final revelation of the love that epitomises the Kingly Rule of God and the One Who is over it. There was to be no hatred or insulting of others, no dividing of married couples made one, total openness and honesty, loving response to unpleasantness, and now all is capped by a picture of total love.
Analysis of Matthew 5:43-48).
a “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbour, and hate your enemy,
a But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you,
a That you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven,
a For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good,
a And sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
b For if you love those who love you, what reward have you?
c Do not even the civil servants the same?
b And if you salute your brethren only, what do you more than others?
c Do not even the Gentiles the same?
a You therefore shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Note that in ‘a' they are to reveal that they are like their Father in Heaven, and in the parallel they are to do the same. In ‘b c' and its parallel we are presented with the two similar alternatives within a threesome, something which has been a regular feature of this whole passage. The threesome is found firstly in ‘love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you', secondly in the double contrast of the alternative position, and thirdly in the final demand that they be perfect.