It is a paradox that we are often best defined by how we treat those who mistreat us.
In His radical manifesto known as the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave a command that cuts directly against human nature: “But I say to you, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!” (Matthew 5:44, NLT). Note that Jesus not only tells us what to do, “love your enemies”, He tells us how to do it, “pray for those who persecute you”!
Now this is not some sudden, detached piece of philosophy; it is the ultimate fulfillment of a standard God established long before. Centuries earlier, the Old Testament law explicitly commanded, “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord” (Leviticus 19:18, NLT). And because we are the direct recipients of an overwhelming, unmerited divine love, we are called to reflect that exact same love outward—even to those who actively seek our harm.
To understand the weight of this command, we Have to recognize that biblical love (agape) is vastly different from worldly affection. Human love is highly conditional, fluctuating wildly based on emotions, mutual chemistry, and how well we are treated. But agape love is entirely independent of feelings. It is not a matter of waiting around to feel the "right way" about someone who has wronged you. Instead, divine love is a deliberate choice—a function of the human will surrendered to God. Because love is defined by actions rather than emotions, it is always possible to execute. Proverbs paints a vivid picture of this choice in action: “If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. If they are thirsty, give them water to drink” (Proverbs 25:21, NLT). We can choose to act on what we know is right, choosing kindness, patience, and honor regardless of how our emotions are flaring.
However, acknowledging that love is a choice brings us face-to-face with a harsh reality: loving our enemies is entirely impossible in our own strength. When we are cursed, dismissed, or targeted, our natural instinct is to strike back or retreat into bitter isolation. Jesus defined our enemies as those who curse us, hate us, and selfishly exploit us. These are the very people who deserve our judgment least but need the transformative witness of God’s love most.
The only way a person can consistently offer this supernatural grace is if Jesus Christ is actively working within them. It requires a displaced identity. As Paul says: “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20, NLT). It is His spirit present in us that can supply the power our human willpower lacks.
Spiritual maturity is rarely revealed when life is comfortable; rather it is revealed under pressure. Persecution and interpersonal hostility act as the ultimate acid test of our spiritual health. When pushed to the limit, the most profound way we can demonstrate that God has taken hold of our hearts is through prayer. It is psychologically and spiritually impossible to maintain a toxic hatred for someone while genuinely lifting them up before the throne of God. When we bring an enemy into the presence of God in prayer, bitterness begins to dissolve, and we find that we cannot remain the same.
Jesus did not merely preach this difficult standard; He lived it out perfectly in a deeply intolerant, hostile environment where hatred was the cultural norm. Hanging on a Roman cross, enduring the unimaginable agony of crucifixion while being mocked by the onlookers, He set the ultimate example: “Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing’” (Luke 23:34, NLT).
This was the epitome, the climax of a story of love that God had been writing through the ages. Long before the cross, Isaiah had predicted that the Messiah would take on our hostility and stand as an intercessor for the very people destroying Him: “He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels” (Isaiah 53:12, NLT).
Jesus loved me when I was still His enemy, trading His life to reconcile me to God.
In order to clarify who qualifies for this active love, Jesus gave us the Parable of the Good Samaritan, shattering cultural and religious boundaries to show that our "neighbor" includes anyone in need—even those society tells us to despise. Then He concludes this challenging sermon with a high calling: “But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48, NLT).
In this context, the word "perfect" does not mean a flawless, sinless existence, which obviously remains impossible in this broken world. Rather, it implies completeness, wholeness, and spiritual maturity. It means reflecting the full, undiluted character of our Heavenly Father, who sends rain and sunshine on both the just and the unjust. We cannot achieve this maturity through sheer grit or moral striving. It is the natural fruit of a life completely surrendered to the indwelling Holy Spirit. When we choose to step out in obedience to His word, Christ faithfully supplies the love we do not inherently possess, transforming us into living conduits of His grace.
Paradoxically, loving our enemies is the ultimate revenge, as Paul writes to the Roman church: “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.” (Romans 12:20 NLT)
Jesus never commands us to do anything He himself was not prepared to do. He never asks us to do something of which we are not capable when empowered by His spirit.
Go add an “enemy” to your prayer list!
Blessings on you and yours, Jim Black
P.S. if you’d like to read previous ruminations of mine they can be found at https://blog.salvationarmyconcordca.org