Love Your Enemies

Unique to Christianity is the call to love our enemies. Love here, is not defined as a warm, runny feeling, but, like its use through most of scripture, is an aspect of charity. It’s a “doing” word. A verb.

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… (Matthew 5:45)

Jesus does not here say that we are to wait until we have an attack of the gooey fantoids before we act. Bless your enemy. Do something good for your enemy. Pray for your enemy.

In other instances, the motivation Jesus gives for doing good is the reward (Acts 20:35). That’s right my Catholic friends, doing good to others because of the joy and reward it brings you is entirely biblical (Matthew 6:1-4).

But here, the motivation for doing good is that it reflects the character of God. And not just God, but, God, your heavenly Father.

That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust (Matthew 5:45)

Imitation is the highest form of praise. Be like Dad. Our treatment of our enemy is a mark of sonship, just as Jesus’ death for His enemy on the cross was a mark of His Sonship (Romans 5:10).

Finally, Jesus ties our treatment of our enemy to the perfection of God.

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5:48)

Perfection here means completeness, or maturity. As far as our earthly existence goes, this is the ultimate mark of Christian maturity and is also tied to two other things that we are called to imitate God in: Holiness (1 Peter 1:16) and mercy (Luke 6:36).

What might this look like for God’s people? Since this is a mark of true sonship, a mark of our actual relationship to God (as distinct from our professed relationship with God), the answer is pretty important.

Well, first, it might look like an admission from us that this is another one of those impossible commands of Jesus made possible by the Spirit of God that dwells within us.

But, having made this admission, and in looking to God for help, it’s time to get our hands dirty with love.

Bless them. That is, go and (queitly) do something for your enemy that benefits them. Feed him. Mow his lawn, vacuum his shoes, pat his dog. Give, lend, and if he comes asking for it, forgive.

Pray for them. Pray for God to act in their lives. Pray that God would provide for his well being and deliver him from darkness (having first checked to make sure the lights are on and the motes have been removed from your own heart).

You can also love your enemy by refusing to slander them, mock them, gossip about them or seeking revenge.

For the first century church, the frontrunners in the lineup of enemies were the religious Jews: Those who professed to fear the one true God. It’s good to keep that in mind. There’s a high chance that those whom you regard as enemies are among your own church community.

Perhaps it’s the minister who said he would call and didn’t. Perhaps it’s the leader of the midweek ladies bible study group who’s been gossiping about you behind your back. Perhaps it was the overbearing elder who said something that offended you from the pulpit. Perhaps it was the Christian brother who was helping himself to the church till or who robbed you in a shady business deal. Perhaps it’s the members of your own household.

All of these you are to love, and should they ask for it, or have acted in ignorance, also forgive.

However you decide to love them, and love them you must, let your love not be measured by their worthiness or your feelings, but let it be motivated by the rewards offered by your Father in Heaven (Hebrews 12:2). A Father who delights to reward and who smiles upon the likeness of Jesus in the face of His otherwise imperfect children.