What Were Jesus’ Instructions About Loving Your Enemies
Luke 6:27–28, 35–36
“But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you… But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for He is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.”
Despite being Christians, it’s still tough to have enemies around you. It is living proof that you can’t please everybody and that surely, Jesus Christ wants you to grow and mature even more in your Christian walk. He said in Luke 6:27 that we are to love our enemies—those who hate you, curse you, despitefully use you, and treat you wrongly. For some reason, there are people who wouldn’t like you no matter who you have become.
1. To those who hate you, do good unto them (Luke 6:27).
We get it all mixed up sometimes. We do good to those who curse us or those who mistreat us, yet Jesus said, do good to those who hate you. Jesus was specific in His instructions regarding our enemies. We know that Jesus Himself had many enemies despite being the Messiah. People who hate you are the ones who can’t look straight into your eyes. They are triggered by your very presence and can’t even manage a smile. They just plainly hate you for some reason. Jesus said to do good to such people. If they need something, lend them a hand.
2. To those who curse you, bless them (Luke 6:28).
Sometimes, it’s hard to know who is cursing you behind your back. Yet the Holy Spirit never fails to reveal such people to us in prayer. People who hate you do not necessarily curse you—they can hate you in silence. But people who curse you are those who always have negative things to say right to your face. Jesus said you are to bless them. How? Bless them through gifts, by praying for blessings over them and their families, or by simply declaring the opposite over them and not retaliating. Jesus knew why we are to bless people who curse us: our words can bring death or life. If we curse those who curse us, we will eat the fruit of our tongue, and Jesus does not want that. Speak blessing to those who curse you! Bless them with a token or letter of appreciation. In doing so, we silence the enemy’s tongue against them by speaking life over them.
3. To those who mistreat you and use you, pray for them (Luke 6:28).
When people mistreat us, we don’t boost their pride by doing even more good things for them or blessing them with gifts. Allowing such people to continuously mistreat or use us opens a door for the enemy to abuse and hurt us. That’s why Jesus specifically instructed us to pray for such people. You don’t have to stay close to them when you know they are mistreating or using you, but in your prayer closet, bring them before the Lord. He knows they need prayer. They may be going through terrible situations in their own lives, and you are simply an outlet for their pain. Pray for them and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal their situations so you can utter the right words before God.
Jesus said that if we are merciful and expect nothing in return from those who hate us, curse us, and despitefully use us, our reward in heaven will be great. It clearly shows that we are children of our merciful Father.
