Biblical Answer

The Call to Love Enemies: Understanding Jesus' Teaching

Jesus' command to "love your enemies" (Matt. 5:44) is often misunderstood or taken out of context. Some may see it as a call to ignore or tolerate evil, but that is not what Jesus meant. In fact, the Bible teaches that vengeance belongs to God alone (Deut. 32:35; Rom. 12:19), and we must leave room for God's justice to be carried out. Instead, Jesus is calling his followers to a higher level of love, one that is not based on human emotions or circumstances, but on the love of God himself.

The Scope of Love: From Friends to Enemies

Jesus is not asking us to love our friends in a new or deeper way, but to love our enemies in the same way that we love our friends. This is not a selective love, where we choose to love those who are lovable or convenient. Rather, it is an undiscriminating love that sees every person as worthy of love and respect, regardless of their actions or intentions. This love is not based on what others do, but on who they are as children of God. As Paul writes, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:8). This is the kind of love that Jesus is calling his followers to, a love that is not based on human emotions, but on the character of God.

The Example of Jesus: Forgiving His Enemies

The example of Jesus himself is a powerful illustration of this kind of love. Despite being hated and persecuted by his enemies, Jesus forgave them and loved them anyway. As one person has said, "I may not see the victory of love over hate in my lifetime, but I couldnt get away from the profound, mysterious truth that Jesus concept of love overpowering hate is a truth that is worth following." This is the kind of love that Jesus is calling us to, a love that is not based on human emotions or circumstances, but on the love of God himself. It is a love that sees every person as worthy of love and respect, regardless of their actions or intentions, and it is a love that is worth following, even if it seems impossible or mysterious.