How does a person get to the point of loving your enemies? It just doesn’t seem logical and as one person wrote, it is a foreign concept. From an early age, I was taught to love people and not to hate. But is there a difference between, say hating someone or a people and making or having enemies. What is an enemy? It’s a person or a group of people who are hostile to someone or something. It is an hostile nation, it’s armies and citizens in time of war.
Personally, I’m not aware of any enemies that exist in my life; however, I’m not that naive to recognize that there are people, in the world, who hate Christians and people from North America.. Sadly we are considered their enemies. I wish it wern’t so.
What does Jesus say about loving our enemies? The following is taken from Luke 6: 27-36. This is Jesus speaking.
27 “But I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 To the person who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other as well, and from the person who takes away your coat, do not withhold your tunic either. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and do not ask for your possessions back from the person who takes them away. 31 Treat others in the same way that you would want them to treat you.
32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to be repaid, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, so that they may be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to ungrateful and evil people. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
There are people whom I find very difficult to love. I would like to believe that I love everybody but there are people that I do not like. Is it possible to love someone in Christ and not like that same person?
I’m still working trough this post. Updates coming,
Loving Your Enemies..David Febbes
Love Your Enemies..Steve Timmis
Love Your Enemies..A Bible Devotion
Why should we love our enemies? John Piper