Love Thy Enemy

Intro: You never know what will grab someone’s heart.

Mosab Hassan Yousef grew up as a Muslim. From an early age, he studied the Quran, memorized its teachings, said the daily prayers, and followed the way of Islam as faithfully as he could. In that respect, he was like many other young men growing up in Palestinian towns in the West Bank, with one important exception.

His father was one of the founders of Hamas, the militant terrorist organization.

You wouldn’t think he would be a likely candidate for conversion, but the ways of God are beyond human explanation. In his book Son of Hamas, Yousef tells how he met a man who gave him a New Testament. Because of his interest in religious matters, he decided to read it to see for himself what it said. Naturally he started with Matthew. Soon he encountered the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). There he got his first unfiltered exposure to the pure teachings of Jesus.

It blew him away.

Only Jesus says, “Love your enemies”

When interviewed Yousef on American Family Radio, he told the same story he writes in the book. He couldn’t get away from the revolutionary nature of Jesus’ teaching. One particular point stayed in his mind. Matthew 5:43-45 says,

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.”

“I was thunderstruck!” he said. This was the message he had been looking for. Soon he became a Christian. Three words so captured his heart he simply couldn’t get away from them.

Love your enemies-don’t hate them. Love your enemies-don’t despise them. Love your enemies-don’t kill them.

On the radio interview he said , “All the other religions say, ‘Love your friends’ or ‘Love your neighbor,’ but only Jesus says, ‘Love your enemies.’”

So easy to say, so hard to do. This may be the most difficult command Jesus ever gave. Even when we read it in the Bible, it is extremely difficult to believe Jesus meant what He said.

What does it mean to love our Enemies?

Jesus delivered a sermon in regards to loving our enemies. Let us read what he said together.

Matthew 5:43–48 NKJV

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Be Friendly And Receive Them

One part of loving our enemies is greeting them graciously when we see them.

Caution yourself not to give your enemies the cold shoulder, that’s what they are expecting from you.

Smile, shake hands, embrace them if they are open to it.

Remember, your enemies don’t know how to engage you either.

This may not be a place for you to believe in the law of attraction, your enemies may not reciprocate back to you the same affection.

Subdue The Enemy

Luke 6:28 NKJV

28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.

Paralyze the attack against you by subduing the enemy with kindness.

That’s what we do we turn the other cheek.

Turning the other cheek is not a show of weakness, but of strength.

Speak well of your enemy.

The world is expecting the opposite.

It’s’s a great opportunity to show them the kindness of Jesus.

“Whenever you are confronted with an opponent. Conquer him with love.”

Mahatma Gandhi

Demonstrate Kindness

It’s fascinating that in the parallel gospel story found in Luke 6:27,35, Jesus said, “love your enemies,” both times he immediately added, do good to them.

Romans 12:14 NKJV

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

Doing good to your enemies means seeing beyond your pain and their meanness to their humanity.

That means seeing them as Christ does.

Doing good means doing what will promote their healing despite the way they have treated you.

Random acts of kindness speaks to the characteristics of Christ in you.

Don’t naturally expect a positive response.

Your kindness is not to release them, but to release you from any bondage caused by the situation.

If your kindness doesn’t break the ice, don’t sweat it.

Do Not Allow Your Speech To Be Evil of Them

Jesus said, “Bless those who curse you” (Luke 6:28)

Ephesians 4:29 NKJV

29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.

It means you choose not to think evil thoughts.

Refuse to speak evil words against those who have wronged you.

Proverbs 18:21 NKJV

21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.

Every time we open our mouth, life or death comes out.

Forgiveness in many cases is not possible because we will not stop talking.

As long as we talk over and over again about how others have hurt us, we will never find the strength to forgive.

You can criticize your enemies or you can pray for them

You cannot do both!

Give God Praise For Them

If you believe in the sovereignty of God, you must believe your enemies are sent to you by God’s loving design and with God’s approval.

If Satan could not tempt Job without God’s permission, and if Satan could not sift Peter without Jesus’ permission, your enemies could not torment you without God’s permission.

I believe God places in your life every person you need for your spiritual growth.

He’ll send a Saul, a David, an Esau, a Daniel, an Absalom, an Esther, a Judas, a Barnabas, and a Timothy. God uses each one to teach you something and to make you more like Jesus.

Behind your enemy stands the hand of God.

God would never permit it, if he did not intend to bring something good out of it.

You should take a picture of your enemy, stick it on your refrigerator door, and thank God for your enemy every time you look at the picture.

Pray For Them

Matthew 5:44 NKJV

44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,

Prayer connects us to the heart of God.

God’s heart is not full of hatred, but love.

It’s impossible for a believer to hate another when they are truly connected to the heart of God.

But what if you hate the person you are praying for?

Tell that to the Lord. He won’t be surprised. Then say something like this,

“Lord, I hate this person, but you already know that. I ask you to love this person through me because I can’t do it in my own power.

I ask you for a love I don’t have and can’t begin to produce.”

God will not turn you away when you come with an honest heart, admitting you need his love to flow through you.

Ask God To Bless Them

A simple way to do that.

When faced with someone who has mistreated you, ask God to do for them what you want God to do for you.

Luke 6:31 NKJV

31 And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.

Seek the blessing for them you want God to do for you.

The greater the hurt, the greater the potential blessing that will come when we forgive from the heart and by God’s grace bless those who curse us.

Conclusion: Dr. Martin Luther King once said, “Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

How are you loving your enemy?