When God Sends Rain: What Matthew 5:45 Teaches Us About His Love

I have been mentioning in my emails that my family is coming to visit, and wouldn’t you know it, rain is in the forecast for almost every day they are here. Isn’t that just the way it goes? You clean, plan, fluff pillows that no one will notice, stock the refrigerator like the Queen is coming, and then the weather app looks at you and says, “Bless your heart.”

My first reaction was not exactly spiritual. I was thinking about muddy shoes, damp hair, canceled outdoor plans, and everyone being stuck inside looking at me like I am the cruise director. I love my family dearly, but when you put a house full of people together with several days of rain, things can get interesting. Lol!

But then I started thinking about rain in a different way, and it reminded me of something my sister and I talked about not long ago.

This Sunday, I want to focus on Jesus, the Son of God, and one of His characteristics that I wish I possessed more often. I am talking about His ability to love people fully and generously, without making them earn it first.

Sometimes, We Read a Verse One Way for Years

Jesus is part of the Holy Trinity, the Son of God, and He was sent to earth to show us how to live. I love reading the Bible because there is always more to learn. You can read the same passage over and over, and then one day it is as if the Holy Spirit shines a flashlight on one word and says, “Look again.”

My sister and I were talking about this very thing. She said she had read a verse for years and always thought it meant one thing. Then one day, she read it again, did a little research, and realized she had been looking at it from only one side.

Matthew 5:45 (NIV)
⁴⁵ that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

For years, my sister focused on the rain as something bad. To her, the verse meant that believers would have problems just like unbelievers. Trials come to the righteous and the unrighteous. Trouble does not skip your house just because you love the Lord.

And that is true. We all know that life can be hard. Christians still get sick. Christians still lose loved ones. Christians still have bills, disappointments, grief, and days when the washing machine quits right after the warranty expires. Life is not always easy just because we belong to Jesus.

But then she saw something she had missed before.

What If the Rain Is Actually a Blessing?

My sister said it was like the Holy Spirit whispered to her that rain was not always a bad thing. Rain can be a gift.

That changed the whole meaning of the verse for her.

If we only think of rain as ruining our plans, then we miss the goodness in it. Rain waters the ground. Rain fills rivers and lakes. Rain nourishes crops. Rain gives us drinking water. Rain makes flowers bloom, gardens grow, and grass come back to life.

And let’s be honest, we are all very thankful that water exists because bathing is a blessing for everyone involved. Some blessings are spiritual, and some are just plain practical. Ha!

Those who live through droughts understand the beauty of rain in a way the rest of us sometimes forget. When the ground is cracked and dry, rain is not a nuisance. It is an answer to prayer.

So when Jesus said that God sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous, He was not only saying that hardships come to everyone. He was also showing us something beautiful about the Father’s character.

God gives good things to people who love Him, and He gives good things to people who ignore Him.

That is hard for us to understand.

We Like Rewards To Feel Fair

Most of us grew up with an action-equals-reward mindset. If you made good grades, you might get a treat. If you behaved in preschool, you got to pick something from the prize box. If you cleaned your room, maybe you earned a little allowance.

And if your sibling did nothing but still got the same reward, well, that was a whole different sermon. I do not know about you, but I could spot unfairness from three rooms away when I was growing up. My sister could probably say the same thing about me, but we will not ask her. Lol!

We understand justice when it works the way we expect. If you steal something, there are consequences. If you work hard, there should be a reward. If you do the right thing, things should go well for you.

But God’s love does not fit neatly into our reward system. He is good because He is good, not because we have earned it.

That is where this verse starts to rub against our human nature. We want blessings to feel deserved. We want people to get what is coming to them, especially when we think they have been wrong. We want God to be generous with us and maybe a little more selective with others.

That sounds terrible when you say it out loud, but if we are honest, we have all felt it.

Jesus Calls Us To Love Differently

If we back up a few verses in Matthew 5, we see why Jesus used the example of sun and rain.

Matthew 5: 43-44 (NIV)
⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 

Well, there it is. The verse that makes me want to look around and see if Jesus is talking to someone behind me.

Love your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you.

That is not easy. In fact, it feels impossible some days. I can love my family, my friends, my readers, and Lucy even when she acts as if she has never been fed a day in her life. But loving someone who has hurt me, criticized me, betrayed me, or gotten on my last nerve is a whole different level of spiritual maturity.

And yet, that is exactly what Jesus modeled.

Throughout His ministry, Jesus did not only love the easy people. He loved the broken, the sinful, the difficult, the overlooked, and even the ones who would reject Him.

Jesus knew Judas would betray Him, and yet He still washed his feet.

Jesus healed sinners because everyone He encountered was a sinner. There has only been one person to walk this earth without sin, and that was Jesus. So every person He healed, touched, forgave, taught, and loved was undeserving in some way.

That includes me. That includes you.

Jesus Loved The Just And The Unjust

Jesus did not sacrifice His life only for those who already believed. His blood was not shed in a tiny, selective amount for people who had their acts together. His sacrifice was enough for all.

Was it fair that Jesus died a cruel death for people who did not deserve it?No. It was not fair.

But love is not always fair in the way we understand fairness. God’s love is holy, merciful, generous, and beyond what we can fully grasp.

Jesus stayed on the cross because of love. Not because we earned it. Not because we were impressive. Not because we had checked all the right boxes.

He loved us first.

That truth should soften our hearts. It should also humble us a little, because sometimes we want grace for ourselves and justice for everyone else.

Ouch. That one stepped on my toes a bit.

We Cannot Earn What Has Already Been Given

One of the most beautiful things about Jesus’ love is that we cannot earn it. We can receive it, believe it, and respond to it, but we cannot work hard enough to deserve it.

I wrote more about the steady, never-failing love of God in this post, How Do You Know That You Are Loved? It is one of those reminders I think we all need from time to time.

That is difficult for people like me who like to feel productive. Give me a list, and I will start checking boxes. Give me a goal, and I will make a plan. Give me company coming and rain in the forecast, and I will start rearranging the entire house like a woman who has lost her mind.

But salvation is not earned by effort. Love is not handed out from a prize box. Grace is not a paycheck.

Jesus’ love has already been given. The question is not whether He loves us. The question is whether we will receive His love and let it change how we love others.

The Character Of Jesus I Wish I Had More Of

This is the part that challenges me.

I am thankful Jesus loves the just and the unjust. I am thankful He loves sinners because that means He loves me. I am thankful His mercy is not limited by my understanding.

But then I have to ask myself, am I willing to show even a tiny reflection of that kind of love?

Can I pray for someone who has hurt me?
Can I want good for someone who has wronged me?
Can I bless people who may never thank me, notice me, or deserve it?
Can I stop keeping score?

That is the characteristic of Jesus I wish I possessed more fully. I want to love without making people prove they are worthy first. I want to be generous with grace because Jesus has been generous with me.

That does not mean we ignore sin, excuse cruelty, or allow people to mistreat us. Loving your enemies does not mean handing them the keys to your house and saying, “Come on in and wreck the place.” Boundaries can be wise and loving.

But it does mean our hearts should not be ruled by bitterness, revenge, or resentment.

Jesus calls us higher than that.

Maybe Rain Is A Reminder

So, as I look at the rainy forecast for my family’s visit, I am trying to see it differently.

Maybe rain is not just an inconvenience. Maybe it is a reminder.

A reminder that God gives blessings I do not always recognize at first. A reminder that His goodness falls on people who deserve it and people who do not. A reminder that I have received more mercy than I could ever repay.

And maybe, just maybe, a little rain will slow us down enough to sit together, talk longer, drink more coffee, laugh at old stories, and make memories that do not require sunshine.

I still hope we get at least one pretty day. I am spiritual, but I am also human. Lol!

To GOD Goes The Glory!

Have A Blessed Day!

Let’s End With A Prayer

Lord,
Thank You for Your love, mercy, and goodness. Thank You for sending blessings we do not always recognize at first, and for loving us even when we have done nothing to deserve it.

Help us to see others through Your eyes. Teach us to love the people who are easy to love, and also the ones who are difficult. Give us hearts that are willing to forgive, pray, and show grace, even when our human nature wants to keep score.

Lord, when we see rain, remind us that Your blessings fall in ways we may not always understand. Help us to trust Your heart, follow the example of Jesus, and become more loving, more merciful, and more like You.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.