"He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends the rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." - Matt 5:45
This is a passage that has been used for many years to say, "Sometimes God sends good things and sometimes He sends bad things." But if you look at the context of this passage it really has nothing to do with that.
Think about the time period in which this was written. Agriculture (farming) was everything. They needed the sun and rain for their crops. They needed their crops to survive (read the story of Joseph and see the devastation of famine).
You see, the main thrust of the verses surrounding this passage is "Love your enemy." Consider who is speaking - Jesus. He is the exact representation of God (Hebrews 1:3). So whatever we see Jesus say and do is exactly what God would say and do.
This is God's attitude toward His "enemies" - "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." -Matt 5:44
God sends His blessings and provision (sun & rain) on the people who would be considered His enemies. This is truly giving grace. Grace is defined as unearned favor. When you favor someone, they are essentially your "favorite" and you treat them like they are special.
"If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?" - Matt 5:46
These aren't just instructions for us. God himself loves those who don't love Him. God isn't exempt from His Word. His word is who He is. He doesn't expect us to have a higher moral code than Him. He gives us favor and He extends the invitation to His "enemies".
Grace isn't being lenient with people. That is called mercy. This is how you give grace the way God does; giving people favor and blessing them when they don't deserve it.
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