Is ‘It Rains on the Just and the Unjust’ in the Bible?
It’s raining in New Jersey today…on everyone…the just and unjust alike. We have all likely heard the quote:
“It rains on the just and the unjust.”
Let me get right to the point. Although these are not the exact words, this is from the Bible. Here is what we find in the Gospel of Matthew.
“[He] sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” – Matthew 5:45 NKJV
The “He” is parenthetical because this is only the second half of the statement in verse 45. The entire quote goes this way:
“He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” – Matthew 5:45 NKJV
Yesterday it was sunny, today it is raining. God has created our universe and everything in it. We all share in the natural things of life, both the sun and the rain, the good and the bad, the happy and the sad. Jesus was making the point that the children of God should be different than the rest of the world. We all experience like circumstances, but as Christians we are to rise above our circumstances. He closes out His teaching at the end of Matthew 5 this way:
“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” – Matthew 5:48 KJV
Happy Sunday!
7 comments
great post as usual!
It could be the verse is saying the reverse of what you think. Israel being a semi arid country means that rain is considered a good thing. They are both good things the sun rise and the rain.
to Neil; so then God making the sun rise on the evil would be the bad thing, and sending the rain on the just a good thing. so interesting. either way, we get the good and the bad, regardless of whether we’re good or bad, so the point is the same.
Taken in context, it seems that he means both sun and rain to be blessings. It’s from the sermon on the mount, and follows Jesus telling people to love their enemies and be as children of god.
Love thy enemies, as god loves and blesses all of us with sun and rain, whether we deserve it or not.
This passage means in this world the physical, succuss, trial, goodtimes, and bad befall all people to include children of God. The good is not reseved only for good people and bad for bad people. We have all been subject to instances where undeserving people have gotten rewards and deserving people have been overlooked and the same with circumstance and vice versa, because it rains on the just and unjust. However, do not be discouraged in your walk with Christ.
Sun and rain are both good things (only in today’s ultra-non-agrarian society would rain be thought of as bad).
Isabella had it right: it means that God loves all humans and so should you, because to do otherwise would be judgmental and hypocritical (we are all sinners – always). It is a foreshadowing of Christ’s work on the cross.
Isabella had it right:
Sun and rain are both blessings (only in our ultra-non-agrarian culture could rain be considered ‘bad’).
God loves and blesses all humans despite the fact all are sinners (always). For one to do otherwise is judgmental and hypocritical (of course, as humans, we need the Holy Spirit’s help in this!). It foreshadows Christ’s work on the cross. Loving our enemies/’the bad’ as ourselves is one way to love God with all our heart, soul, and might.
Leave a Comment