“But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

Matthew 5:44

We live in a society that teaches us to repay evil for evil and to some degree, this should not surprise us. After all, it’s part of our sinful human nature to seek vengeance. Whenever someone wrongs us, our immediate reaction is not mercy, but anger and malice. This mindset, however, is not pleasing to God. All throughout the Bible, Jesus emphasizes a simple, yet difficult command: love your enemies – no matter who they are or what they’ve done. What does this look like? How can we possibly show love toward those who have hurt us deeply? Scripture gives us a good place to start.

First, the Bible tells us that all human beings are made in the image of God. Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Above every other creature, God set humans apart and gave them attributes of Himself. We have the unique ability to create, to destroy, to think, to feel, and to love and because of this, we have intrinsic value and worth. We are all equal before our Creator. The person you consider your enemy is equally valued, equally desired, and equally loved by God. Once we accept this simple truth, our attitudes can begin to shift, and our actions will follow.

Once we come to see our enemies as fellow humans in need of redemption, we can begin to forgive them. In Matthew 6:14-15, Jesus says, “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” The implications of this verse are huge. While we were still sinners, Jesus died for us. He forgave us for a debt that we could never repay. Now, as His followers, it’s up to us to extend that same forgiveness toward others. Whenever we feel reluctant to love our enemies, we need only to remember what Christ has done for us.

Finally, we can love our enemies by caring for their wellbeing. Romans 12:20 says, “To the contrary, ‘if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’” It can be so tempting to wish ill on the people who have caused us great suffering. But the Bible makes it clear that our response to wrongdoing should be unconditional love and mercy. We show them love so that the Holy Spirit might convict them and lead them to repentance in Christ. Loving our enemies is something that takes time and practice and the deeper the cut, the harder it can be, but this hard process is a necessary part of the Christian life. It brings peace to us and ultimately, glory to God.

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