Be Blessed: Love Your Enemies

Few teachings of Jesus are as radical—or as freeing—as His command to love our enemies in the Sermon on the Mount:

"You heard it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you only greet your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5: 43-48)

The Word is very clear on where love stands as a virtue. You can run all around the New Testament and find lists and examples of what love looks like and what it does for the Gospel. It's no easy thing to love well, even those we hold near and dear. To love as Christ does is a challenge. But in Jesus' first big public address, He says we're not only meant to love those who are in our camp; rather, cutting against the grain of what's common, we're meant to love our enemies.

Un-Common Courtesy

"As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy.'" (1 Peter 1:14-16)

Jesus acknowledges that loving those who are like us isn't anything special. It's expected, and it's often taught. To the crowd He says, Do not even the tax-collectors and Gentiles (non-Jews) do the same? This is, of course, a rhetorical question. But pull it into today's context: Do not even...the right, the left, the non-believers, those others who claim to be Christian, those who claim God is dead, [fill in your blank] do the same? It's easy to make an enemy out of those who think or behave differently than we do. But Jesus doesn't see us that way. Where we see divisions, Christ says "He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust."

Rather than sticking with what's common, Jesus encourages us to look around in a way that's holy. It's not enough to offer common courtesy; there's no glory for God in that. We're called to walk in the new way that He modelled for us. However, mindful of the hearts of His audience, Jesus acknowledges that we'll still tend to make an enemy out of someone. And as long as that's the case, we ought to get honest about who our "enemies" are.

Who Is Your Enemy?

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." (John 10:10)

There's an obvious, "Christianese" answer here, but I'll encourage you to dig a bit deeper. In reality, it's easy for us to make an enemy of those who think differently than we do (whatever "we" you fall into). We do it naturally. So, before offering guidance, I'd encourage you to get honest about who your enemy is. Really. Most, if not all, of us have someone or some group of people that our hearts incline to turn against. Sit with that as long as you need to—the page isn't going anywhere. Once you've named the "enemy," the next step is simply to consider how you might love them. Go beyond the bare minimum, let it be an exercise in honoring and giving glory to God.

Paul offers a great set of principles for us in Romans 12:9-21. "Bless those who persecute you...don't curse them", "Repay no evil for evil, give thought to do what's honorable", "Never avenge yourself, leave it to God." Paul quotes Proverbs 25 too: "If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you." I don't know how those read in your situation; maybe it's helping a coworker who gets on your nerves, or offering to cook and share a meal with someone you're in disagreement with. It could even be as simple as offering a compliment to the "enemy."

Remember the Goal

"Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. But avoid irreverent babble for it will lead to more ungodliness...But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: "The Lord knows those who are His," and "Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity." (2 Timothy 2:14-19)

At the end of the day, our opinions matter little in comparison to the urgency of the Gospel of Christ. We're living in a state of constant turmoil—there's no shortage of rivalry, jealousy, division, or strife—the role of the Christian in this is ultimately that of peacemaker and servant. None of this is to encourage naïveté or to ignore a properly dangerous situation; it's a good idea to talk to someone as you're thinking and praying through this exercise, whatever the severity of the situation; enlist some accountability or assistance! If you have trouble starting, pick a person who you find difficult to love right now, pray for them, then find something kind or loving that you can do for them in the next week. This life is too short, and the Gospel's too important, for us to get bogged down in matters that are ultimately temporary; and quarreling leads to more stress than peace, anyway. When you choose to love an enemy, you reflect your Father in heaven—who makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good.

Be blessed.