But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; – Matthew 5:44 KJV
I struggle a lot with this verse. I don’t want to love my enemies, and to be honest, it seems impossible.
But lately something hit me: Jesus loves His enemies.
Think about it. When He came to die on the cross, He came to die for the very people who conspired against Him. And what about the the thief on the cross? He began the night mocking Jesus (Matt. 27:44), but then later he said, “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom” (Luke 23:42). And what did Jesus say? He didn’t say, “No way.” He had every right to, but instead, He said, “To day shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).
While Jesus was on that cross, He took on the sin of every person who would curse His name, even those that weren’t born yet. Even the people who today still deny His existence. That’s how much God loves us. That’s how much Christ loves His enemies.
If Jesus didn’t love His enemies, think of where the world would be. Think of where you would be. You might not consider yourself an enemy of Christ, but Romans 5:10 that before we were reconciled to Christ, we were enemies.
It’s a sobering thought, isn’t it?
It’s also uncomfortable. Because if Christians are supposed to be like Christ, that means we should love our enemies the way Christ does. It seems impossible, doesn’t it? That’s because, as with all things, we can’t do it without Christ. On our own strength it’s impossible, but with Him, we can do it (Philippians 4:13).
Remember this the next time the Spirit nudges you about being kind to someone who betrayed you, hurt you, or is the most hateful wretch you’ve ever met. Christ loves them, and as His children, we’re to love them too. (Even if we don’t want to.)
