"“Love your enemies.”— Matthew 5:44 . The Saviour's lesson, “Resist not him that is evil,” was a hard saying for the revengeful Jews, and they murmured against it among themselves. But Jesus now made a still stronger declaration: MB 73"
"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;"
Ellen White directly references Matthew 5:44 in this passage.
"“Who gives himself with his alms feeds three, Himself, his hungering neighbor, and Me.” MB 73.1"
"And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."
The EGW quote, though not a direct quote from the Bible, echoes the sentiment of Matthew 25:40, where Jesus identifies himself with the needy. The act of giving to the poor is equated with giving to Christ.
"He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again."
The EGW quote shares a similar theme with Proverbs 19:17, which states that showing pity to the poor is lending to the Lord. Both passages connect acts of charity with a relationship with God.
"“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven.” MB 73.3 Such was the spirit of the law which the rabbis had misinterpreted as a cold and rigid code of exactions. They regarded themselves as better than other men, and as entitled to the special favor of God by virtue of their birth as Israelites; but Jesus pointed to the spirit of forgiving love as that which would give evidence that they were actuated by any higher motives than even the publicans and sinners, whom they despised. MB 73.4"
"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;"
EGW directly quotes Matthew 5:44, making the connection explicit.
"But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you."
EGW directly quotes Luke 6:27-28, making the connection explicit.