And Jesus said, “Love thy Enemies.”

Article written by: Sister Myrtice Robinson

“Abraham Lincoln once said that he destroyed his enemies by loving them.”

Matthew 5: 43-48 states, ^“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Let us begin with defining enemy as it is known in the dictionary. Enemy means “One that is antagonistic to another: especially: one seeking to injure, overthrow, or confound an opponent.” The Bible describes the enemy as a foe, an adversary. A private enemy is one who hates another and wishes injury or attempts to do him injury to gratify his own malice or ill will. One who hates and dislikes with envy and jealousy in their heart towards another. One that plots evil deeds toward another.

Let us think about how an enemy can look. Here are some examples: Well, someone who has desired to make you uncomfortable or called you degrading names or disrespected you in some way and caused you anger. Maybe it’s this person who dislikes you for being you or for being kind. Someone who holds a grudge against you; a family member you have had a big fight with, now you hate being in their presence and it is keeping you from family events. It could be someone who did something horrible to your loved one or being hurt from a toxic relationship. It could be a teacher, a coworker or a boss who is mean to you. Do you get the picture?

Well, according to Jesus, enemies must be loved the same as a friend and family members. We are to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us because we are Christians following Christ therefore, we must learn to love like Jesus.

This does not have to be a difficult practice. To “Love Your Enemy” is to find it in your heart to forgive, and to forget the evil in it and to love them the way you desire to be loved as a human being. Luke 6: 31 says, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” This scripture has made it easy for me to love my enemies. I remember when my daughter broke up with her boyfriend. He had a mean spirit towards her, they were definitely unequally yoked. So hurtfully, my daughter chose to break up with him and he did not like it. Therefore, it was an uphill battle for about three months then finally it ended! They worked at the same place and one day “talk” circulated in the workplace that her ex-boyfriend’s best friend had been killed. This news made my daughter sad too so she reached out to express her condolence to him and he said to her “your mom’s apple pie would help me feel better.” My daughter asked me to bake him an apple pie one last time. I said yes, “I will do it.” When I started purchasing the ingredients, I remember how much he loved my apple pie. I always use the best brands to make my desserts and I did it the same way this time even though he had hurt my daughter deeply. I examined the apples to make sure they were sweet with no brown spots on them. I purchased organic sweet, salted butter for the pie and again my apple pie was perfect to my taste buds. He offered to pay me, and I said to him, “no charge.” My other daughter said mom why did you make him an apple pie, he is the family’s enemy and I replied and said, I desire to live my life God’s way. “Treat a person the way you want to be treated.” The Word of God did not say the person you treat good would treat you good back, but the Word says you will reap what you sow. “Sow good and reap good”. My daughter and him are distance friends now and he still looks for his apple pie on his birthday and I still make it with the best ingredients!

In addition, Galatian 6: 7-9 states, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows and the one who sows to please his flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; but the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we don’t give up.”

You don’t have to love your enemies like you love your parents, children, or best friends. Love them the way Jesus loved the Pharisees, the way Jesus loves us, “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5: 8.) We need to be kind and have agape love toward them and if possible when you are in their presence speak kind words to them and about them to others, do something nice for them to show your peace and godly love towards them and greet them with a smile and nonviolent eye contact.

Someone might have this question on your mind as you read this article. Why should I love my enemy and how is it helpful to me?

It helps you to live the life God intends for you to live on earth. The “Fruit of the Spirit:” love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, patience, and self-control.
It activates the many promises of God that will bless you and your family abundantly. Some of the many promises: Ephesians 6: 7- 8; Ephesians 1: 17-19; Hebrews 13: 5-6; Philippians 4:7; Isaiah 40: 31.
It will activate Miracles and give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)

Other reasons why “loving your enemy” would benefit you:

“You’ll be happier. If you have anger or resentment inside of you, even if you don’t think about it all the time, there will be times when it surfaces. And that makes you unhappy. It’s destructive, inwardly (it eats you up) and outwardly (you might do destructive things to others). That anger also affects others around you, such as your loved ones, who are most likely affected in some way when you are angry — even if the anger isn’t directed at them. Removing this anger from yourself is a positive thing, and it will make you happier overall.”

“You could change that person’s life. Your enemy is a human being, and it’s very possible that your hatred of that person is a source of grief, tension, or hatred in them. Now, that might feel good to you in a vindictive way, but if you look at it objectively, removing your feelings from the situation … hurting another person is always a bad thing. Making them happier is a good thing. And interestingly, making someone happier, no matter who that is, can make us happier.”

An excerpt from Dr. Martin Luther King’s sermon “Loving Your Enemies.” Delivered at Dexter Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, on November 17, 1957:

“Now there is a final reason I think that Jesus says, “Love your enemies.” It is this: that love has within it a redemptive power. And there is a power there that eventually transforms individuals. That’s why Jesus says, “Love your enemies.” Because if you hate your enemies, you have no way to redeem and to transform your enemies. But if you love your enemies, you will discover that at the very root of love is the power of redemption. You just keep loving people and keep loving them, even though they’re mistreating you. Here’s the person who is a neighbor, and this person is doing something wrong to you and all of that. Just keep being friendly to that person. Keep loving them. Don’t do anything to embarrass them. Just keep loving them, and they can’t stand it too long. Oh, they react in many ways in the beginning. They react with bitterness because they’re mad because you love them like that. They react with guilt feelings, and sometimes they’ll hate you a little more at that transition period, but just keep loving them. And by the power of your love, they will break down under the load. That’s love, you see. It is redemptive, and this is why Jesus says love. There’s something about love that builds up and is creative. There is something about hate that tears down and is destructive. So, love your enemies.

There is a power in love that our world has not discovered yet. Jesus discovered it centuries ago. Mahatma Gandhi of India discovered it a few years ago, but most men and most women never discover it. For they believe in hitting for hitting; they believe in an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth; they believe in hating for hating; but Jesus comes to us and says, “This isn’t the way.”

I conclude with this question and answer:

Question: Who said for us to “Love our Enemies?

Answer: Jesus said for us to love our enemies. It is written in Luke 6: 27-36:

“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.

“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Obedience is better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15: 22)

*Scriptures are highlighted for future reading and verification of text.

Grandmothers, we must practice Deuteronomy 4:9 NIV: ^“Only be careful and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or (do not) let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.”

Be an example of Godly love before everybody and teach it to your children and grandchildren.
Share with them the benefits of “loving your enemies.”
Teach your children and your grandchildren the power of prayer. Tell them we must pray for our enemies, those who treat us badly. Pray Psalm 51: 10: “Create in ________ (say the enemy’s name) a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit in her/him.”
Teach them to show act of kindness even when someone has only shown hate.
Make greeting cards with grandchildren for people that hate other people. Let the cards tell what Jesus would do when someone dislikes Him. Find pictures from magazines that will depict your message, cut them out and paste one on the greeting card. Give it to your enemy when he/she is in your present. (use it as a “olive branch”)
As for your adult children, talk to them about their struggle with their enemy, give them wise counsel with scriptures from the Bible, pray with them about this issue.
Read “Mother Teresa’s Anyway Poem” to your children and grandchildren:

“Do It Anyway”

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway. ~Mother T

Let us Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father,

I humbly come to You in prayer, asking You to teach me and guide my heart to love my enemies. Even the ones who have hurt and harmed me deeply. Help me to forgive them sincerely. Give me the strength to be strong and courageous enough to accept their apology and to practice agape love to everyone.

Help me to obey Your will as it is stated in Proverbs 25:21-22, “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, You will heap burning coals of shame on their heads, and the LORD will reward you.”

And Lord I want to do this without expectations, reservations, and limitations. I pray as I call upon You to abide in me and cast out all revenge and contempt against those who have hurt me. Please create in me a clean heart and renew the right spirit too. Thank you, God, for saving me! In Jesus’ name, I surrender all to you, Amen!

Reference:

Holy Bible (NIV)
10 Tips for Life’s Greatest Challenge: Love Thy Enemy by Leo Babauta
The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr Edited by Clayborne Carson
The Words of Martin Luther King, Jr. by Coretta Scott King

Article written by,
Sister Myrtice Robinson
Grandmothers of Hope Society Ministry, Inc.