T he legalists teach,love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ “But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you or use you. Your prayer may or may not resolve the conflict, but that is not the point. The point concerns your own character. You pray that you may, as sons of your Father in heaven, emulate him. He loves both enemy and friend. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you treat generously only those who do the same for you, what benefit is there in that?”

Winking and smiling at Matthew he said, “Tax collectors and the lawless do that. If you give attention to only your brothers, what are you doing that others are not doing? Treat both evil and good people lovingly and with compassion; for remember, your heavenly Father loves all.

Jesus is here discussing a true egalitarianism. Authentic egalitarianism does not suggest that we are all the same, because plainly, we are not. We are male, female, white, black, yellow, we are short and tall, blue eyed and green, not to speak of the vast differences of thought and intelligence. Human beings are not all the same. But because each man, each woman indelibly bears the Image of God, they are loved. That is what Jesus wishes me to know and how he wishes me to treat others.

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