Love Your Enemies

I want to start off this afternoon by stressing to you all the challenge this passage of Scripture has been in my personal life the past few months. Like all of you, I wrestle with the word of God as it penetrates my own sinfulness and fleshly desires. As we consider the effect of God’s word on our sin, we have to wonder why we return to something that just injures us over and over again. If we had a dog that kept biting us, we would find it a new home. If we had a car that just kept breaking down, we would take it to field and set it on fire. but with the word it is different. Unlike anything else, beauty of God’s word is it can be a blade that creates a deep wound in our soul but then is becomes the balm that heals that very wound and makes us stronger. If we love Christ then we will love his word, and we will cherish the painful and healing effects it brings to our lives.

One such way that these truths have injured and brought healing to me is in regards to the question of my life: How does the Lord desire for me to love my enemies?

We all have enemies even if you don’t have a most wanted poster in your mind of them. Some of us ineract with our enemies on a daily basis in the environments of life while others are removed from them for periods of time.

Who are our enemies?

New Oxford American Dictionary: a person who is actively opposed or hostile to someone or something

I find this definition helpful because it is broad enough to define enemies as anyone who opposes or is hostile to anyone or anything. This means that we can have political enemies. We can have relational enemies. We can have vocational enemies. I would add the caveat that our enemies do not have to be personal connected to us. What I mean is that we can consider those whom we have never met to be our enemies if they oppose or are hostile to the ideals and beliefs that we derive from God’s word as Christians.

Our enemies are those who hate God and oppose his word and all it teaches.

Some may say that statement is “not being a peacemaker” like Christ intended for His people to be. They might say “Shouldn’t we not focus so much on opposition with the world?” My response is simply and Identifying people as our enemies is NOT making enemies. There is a difference. People become our enemies by their actions in opposition to us and to our God.

I would even go so far as to say that if you fail to properly identify these opponents as your enemies, you are being simple and blinded to the reality of the spiritual war that God calls us to see and understand.

The difference as we will see it today is that enemies towards God’s Son and His church are a assured reality but our love for enemies will equally be a Spirit-manifested reality in this world. Today, let’s learn together how to love our enemies.

1. Hate Towards Your Enemies Is A Fruit of the Worldliness

Matthew 5:43 “43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’”

In this passage in Matthew, Jesus is dealing with misconceptions and misunderstandings of the law of God as he teaches the people. It had become common place for the Jews to take the OT passages in the Torah and twist them to fit their fleshly desires. This practice was even undergirded by the teachings of some of the religious leaders during Jesus’ day. This is why Jesus states the current teaching, “you have heard it said, “you shall love your neighbor but hate your enemy.”

Turn with me to

Leviticus 19:17–18

“17 ‘You shall not hate your fellow countryman in your heart; you may surely reprove your neighbor, but shall not incur sin because of him. 18 ‘You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord.”

Look at how the Moses speaks in Lev 19 about love for neighbor with the context of teh “fellow countrymen” and “neighbor” and “sons of your people.” You can understand how these words could have been interpreted as loving my nieghbor means loving those in Israel. In one situation with Jesus when he quoted the OT “love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and love your neioghbor as yourself, a scribe asked Jesus “who is my neighbor?”

This question stems from the belief that the Jews neighbor was limited to other Jews and therefore they could “hate their enemies” which would have been teh Romans and Gentiles in general.

Now notice the question that Matthew records in Matthew 5:46 “

46 “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?”

Who were the tax collectors? Matthew the disciple of Jesus and author of this gospel was one. They were Jews who were paid by the Romans to collect taxes from other Jews…and they were social outcasts and hated by their countrymen. Therefore, what Jesus needed these Jews to understand is that not only were they misunderstanding the law of God about loving neighbors, they failed at practicing their misunderstanding.

Our neighbor is therefore all men. All people are our neigbors that we are called to love with Christ-like love. Jesus specifies those neighbors that need Chrisitan love by singling out our enemies as being no exception.

Why? Because Hate Towards Your Enemies Is A Fruit of the Worldliness and not godliness. Hating your enemies is a byproduct of an unregenerate heart because a heart absent of transformation to Christlikness is a heart that seeks its own pleasures and its own comforts.

Calvin writes,

“For, since every man is devoted to himself, there will never be true charity towards neighbours, unless where the love of God reigns; for it is a mercenary love which the children of the world entertain for each other, because every one of them has regard to his own advantage.

John Calvin and William Pringle, Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists Matthew, Mark, and Luke, vol. 3 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 59.

Classifying our enemies, let’s simply consider two categories that define who are enemies are:

An unfamiliar world that rejects God’s Son

John 15:18–19 “18 “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. 19 “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.”

Jesus promises the church that is will face opposition and the agents of opposition in this world are their enemies because they are God’s enemies chiefly. The Lord Jesus identifies his persecutors as the same ones who will persecute his followers. We should expect no less. The reality of enemies of the cross infiltrating your space is a confidence that God’s work is present in your life and you belong to him. We should expect to have enemies in the world because our attitude and our actions reflect a heavenly alien kingdom that is not of this world.

What we come and realize as a is that we have enemies out there that are not necessarily putting us in they are opposing our Lord in all he seeks to accomplish in the world for his glory.

A familiar face that rejects God’s Son

The more challenging truth in all of this is the familiar faces in our lives that are our enemies. We expect them to show love and kindness to us and they don’t. These enemies in our lives oppose the Lord chiefly and therefore will directly irritate our lives and we will irritate theirs. This is what our belief in and actions according to the gospel of Christ will produce naturally.

Matthew 10:35–38

“35 “For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household. 37 “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 “And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.”

These enemies are the most painful because it’s so personal. Jesus stood up at the Lord supper, knowing that his friend Judas was his betrayer.he also looked all his disciples and told them that they would deny him when he went to the cross.

How can we love those who hurt us? let’s look at our second point.

2. Love Towards Your Enemies Is A Fruit of God’s Work in You

Matthew 5:44–45 “44 “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”

Jesus shocks the people by teaching them to “love their enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” This audience no doubt felt the sting in these words as they considered their Roman oppressors, some who may have been in earshot as Jesus spoke this. How could they love those who beat them, mistreated their women and children?

We face a similiar question: How Lord can I love those who have hurt me and my family? Isn’t it right to withhold love and kindness because they don’t deserve it after everything they have done or continue to do? I will be very honest with you and say this is a reoccuring thought in my flesh that I have.

Jesus answers this question for us in the best way possible. He points us back to the character and actions of God. He calls us to look at how God treats his enemies and to mimic or imitate him.

‘He causes the sun to shine..he sends the rain.’ Both actions are the kindness of God towards his enemies. Now considering the purposes of the sun and the rain in all of life, we can see the product of God’s kindness using these elements to provide food, warmth, joyful temperment, peace and rest. In Luke’s parallel, he even qualifies all of God’s good gifts going to “ungrateful and evil men.”

The most evil enemies of God have expereince his kind mercies. These opponents have families, good jobs, full bellies. They are given much even as they reject God’s truth, blaspheme his name and lead others to do the same.

But as the love of God is described in 1 Cor 13, it is a supernatural thing for people to display a love that is patient, kind, humble, forgiving, and selfless. There is no possible way that any person can display these qualities for sustained periods of time towards their enemies without the Spirit of God first transforming their heart. Loving your enemies is a supernatural byproduct of the character of God in you.

Look at the beginning of v 45,

“so you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven”

Jesus is not saying here that good works lead to accumlating a place in God’s family. This is counterproductice to the gospel message “by grace you have been saved through faith, that not of yourselves it is a gift of God. (Eph 2:8-9). Instead, Jesus is saying that loveing your enemies “so you may (PROVE) you are sons of the Father.” How you love your enemies is based on the condition of your heart. It is not the only fruit of genuine salvation but it is one clear marker that you belong to God through Christ.

Stephen was the well known early Church martyr who said in the moment of his death by the hands of his ,

Acts 7:60 “60 Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” Having said this, he fell asleep.”

This follows the words of the Lord Jesus who stated on the cross, “Father Forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Lk 23:32). Stephen is testifying of his faith in Christ, of a genuine work of Christ in his heart, so that in the end of his life, he was not filled with hate towards those who were throwing stones seeking to murder him. He was filled with love and forgiveness. This is a work of Christ manifest in Him.

Compare the two in this story. You have Stephen full of love at those seeking to kill him and the Jewish Council, who were throwing the stones at their own countryman. One filled with forgiving love that flows from Christ who has taken his heart captive. The other represents the false converts, who say they love their neighbor and their enmey but in the moment, they are fulled of hate and who murder their fellow Jew.

Which one describes your heart condition today? Which one reveals how you treat your enemies.

3. Love Towards Your Enemies Manifests Acts of Selfless Charity and Peace

We now transition to the practical instruction of this idea of loving our enemies. To love our enemies means to show acts of kindness and peacefulness that represents our heart condition. Paul instructs the Romans on how to live in the world as people transformed . He starts chapter 12 with these words

Romans 12:1 “1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”

He starts by saying our minds must be renewed by the Spirit in our sanctification. As you follow the chapter, you can see that his focus is the physical acts of love and kindness. First, he begins with love and peace between believers but he eventually lands on love towards all men in v 17

Romans 12:17–21 “17 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. 19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

In reflection of loving our enemies, we have practical acts to consider. Loving our enemies means we go beyond mere heart change. We must manifest phyiscal acts of service and peace towards the most evil of men.

Paul gives us the OT proverb to meet the physical needs of our enemies. This does not require that we meet their needs and show their kindness to them with a disclaimer of repentance or remorse. There is no qualifcation given. Just care for your enemy. If they are hungry, deny yourself. If they are thirsty, deny yourself. We must deny ourselves because in our flesh, we want to render judgment towards them by withholding kindness. Paul deals with this in v 17 and 19 when he calls the church to “never take revenge and repay evil for evil.” It is left to God who is judge to give to them whatever they deserve. It is our responsibility to meet them with kindness because God kindness flows through His people.

Jesus gave the parable of the good Samaratan as a perfect example of putting aside self interests in order to serve your enemy. In that story, the Samaritan made great sacrifices in order to serve the person in need. He bandaged his wounds. He forfeited his comforts of riding his horse or donkey and put the man’s needs a head of his own. He paid for the man to rest in an inn.

This is the love that the character of God manifests in a person changed by Christ. It is a selfless love. It is an unconditional love. It is a challenging love.

A. Loving your enemies does not mean that you are approving of sin and evil in their lives.

Obviously, you can serve a persons needs to the degree that your service does not lead to sin. If their need is more money to fuel their gambling addiction or drinking habit, then you abstain. But if you want to show compassion and kindness to an evil unbelieving person without enhancing sin in them or yourself, then do it.

When Jesus addressed the adulterous woman who the religious leaders wanted Jesus to condemn, he did not hold back his statement: “sin no more” He is acknowledging her guilty and yet showing compassion on her at the same time.

B. Loving your enemies does not negate the need to speak truth into their lives.

Loving someone includes truth. Jesus loved the religious leaders by his expresssion of reasoning with them from the Scriptures. He loved the Samaritan woman by calling out her adultery and immorality. We must always with gentleness and grace, care for the needs of people and include speaking truth in their lives. Oftentimes, our physical provision in the lives of our enemies leads to spiritual conversation.

In His commentary on Matthew, RT France writes,

(Jesus’) concept of love is apparently not at the level of simply being nice to people and of allowing error to go unchallenged. Love is not incompatible with controversy and rebuke.

1 Corinthians 13:6 “6 (Love)does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;”

C. Love Towards Your Enemies Manifests a Heart of Compassion for their Soul

Matthew 5:44 “44 “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,”

One additional command that Jesus gives in Matthew chapter 5 is for us to pray for our enemies. This prayer is for them to be blessed and specifically a prayer for their soul to be saved. In both the prayer of Jesus on the cross and the prayer of Stephen for his enemies, they are concerned about the spiritual nature of their enemies.

This speaks to the love for our enemies being built on a general compassion for them. Seeing physical and spiritual needs should drive us to mourn for them and to want to help them.

Back in Romans 12, there is that difficult phrase that is used in response to the acts of service towards enemies.

Romans 12:20 “20 “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.””

This phrase challenges commentators and bible students. What did Paul mean here?

The phrase is not found in Scripture and so we have to deduce the meaning from words in the phrase.

Coals and fire are most often in reflection of God’s judgment on sin. In Isaiah 6, the coal from the altar touches the prophet’s lips and offers forgiveness.

In Ezekiel 22:31 “31 “Thus I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; their way I have brought upon their heads,” declares the Lord God.”

But what is challenging is that it does not seem as if Paul is saying “be kind to them as a way of judgment from God.” I don’t think kill them with kindness is intended here. This goes against Paul’s message in the context of the rest of Romans 12 to “retaliate and repay evil for evil.” It would seem backwards if our kindness served as some form of judgment on them.

The other interpretation is one of historical significance. Some have considered the act of the Egyptians who practiced a form or remorse and repentance by carrying a pot of hot coals on their heads as they worshipped and approached their altar. If Saul who wrote this in proverbs and Paul is using this historical idea, then he is thinking more in line with our kindness towards our enemies may serve as a vehicle to lead them to repentance. If this is the better interpretation, then it does seem in line with Jesus’ command for prayer for our enemies and a greater compassion for their soul so that God may grant repentance.

Psalm 35:11–14

“11 Malicious witnesses rise up; They ask me of things that I do not know. 12 They repay me evil for good, To the bereavement of my soul. 13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled my soul with fasting, And my prayer kept returning to my bosom. 14 I went about as though it were my friend or brother; I bowed down mourning, as one who sorrows for a mother.”

The Lord shook my world when I read this Psalm recently. It gave birth to this sermon. I was challenged in a new way to mourn for and pray for my enemies. No matter their activity of evil, the Spirit of God moves us to love them in supernatural ways…to love them as God loves them.

Gospel

Consider how God loved you as His enemy. Consider how he was kind to you in your rebellion and foolishness. Consider how he clothed you and fed you and how he opened your mind to see Jesus as worthy of worship.

Romans 5:10 “10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”

-Pastor, my enemies are relentless against me.

It is hard to love them. Let me say God is in a greater relentless with his grace and power to equip you to do so.

-Pastor, my enemies have harmed me in unimaginable ways.

Showing kindness to them is not putting yourself in dangerous positions again. Some of our enemies can no longer be in our space any longer. But prayer and kindness can still be displayed from afar.

Roy Anthony Borges is a prison inmate who, becoming a Christian, had some hard lessons to unlearn. All his life he had been taught to hate his enemies, particularly within prison walls. One of his most vexing enemies was Rodney, who stole his radio and headphones one day while Roy was playing volleyball in the prison yard. It was an expensive radio, a gift from his mother. The earphones had been a Christmas present from his sister. Roy was angry and wanted revenge, but as he prayed about it, it seemed to him that God was testing him.

Day after day, Roy wanted to respond violently, to knock the wisecrack grin off Rodney’s face, but Romans 12:20–21 kept coming to mind: Paul’s instruction to avoid vengeance, leaving it to God to settle the score. Roy began to look at Rodney through God’s eyes and have compassion on him. He began praying for him. He began trusting God to accomplish something in Rodney’s life.

By and by, Roy’s hatred for Rodney began fading, and he found himself helping his enemy and telling him about Jesus. Then one day, Roy later wrote, “I saw Rodney kneeling down next to his bunk reading his Bible, and I knew that good had overcome evil.”

Robert J. Morgan, Nelson’s Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, and Quotes, electronic ed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2000), 267.