Love Your Enemies

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/2nhvba

Enemies are a fact of life. In the animal world some are spoken of as “natural enemies,” which is a nice way of saying that someone higher up on the food chain is looking your way for dinner. In the human part of the world our enemies come from various sources. Some enemies we make through disputes. Others appear due to prejudices, politics, or any number of other realms of disputes. Someone has said that the difference between our friends and our enemies is that our friends love us in spite of our faults and our enemies hate us in spite of our virtues.

Naturally we do not place our enemies higher than our friends when making out our invitation list for a party. The very nature of an enemy is one opposed to us. But Jesus has a better way of dealing with those in opposition.

Note what Jesus says in Matthew 5:43-48.

You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father 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 have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Real love that the Christian is to have is a love that treats an enemy well even though he doesn’t deserve it. It is a love that emulates the love that God and Jesus showed for mankind when that great sacrifice was made for our sins.

Consider further what Paul says in Romans 12:9-21.

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.

Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

One may well ask, “What hope is there to love our enemies when we don’t even love those whom we should love?” That is an excellent question. The answer is in simply obeying what God says to do.

Hate stirs up enemies and creates more and more of them. But love is the cure for the common enemy. Love binds people together, looks out for their best interests and keeps a watchful eye out for God in the equation. Love is the only weapon that will defeat an enemy on a consistent basis.

On Our Daily Walk today, may we pray today about our enemies and may we study these passages on how to treat them. May we then plan specific ways in which we can demonstrate our love for our enemies.

Our thought for the day: “Those who deserve love least need it most!”

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.