- Bible Verses on Loving Your Enemies: Finding Peace in Conflict
- Matthew 5:44 – “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
- Luke 6:27-28 – “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”
- Romans 12:20-21 – “On the contrary: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
- Proverbs 25:21-22 – “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.”
- Colossians 3:13 – “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
- The multifaceted benefits of loving your enemies
Earlier today, while preparing for work, I came across this passage:
Matthew 5:43-48
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 and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is 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 do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Fortunately, while trying to understand more what it means, I came across a website called BibleScholars.org, which made me rethink my understanding of the passage.
Was Yeshua (Jesus) against the Jewish Law that states, “If he comes to slay thee, forestall by slaying him”? You can find this in Sanhedrin 72a. This law seems to counter what Yeshua was saying in Matthew 5:43-44.
What was Yeshua (Jesus) trying to teach us? Pacifism? Surrender?
Would we allow some thieves or psychopaths to enter our properties, steal them, and then kill us?
Reading further, this is what I’ve learned from the website:
- The Greek text used for the word enemy is ekthros.
- It says that in Thayers Greek English lexicon, ekthros is defined as hated or hateful.
- It also states that Liddell and Scott’s Classical Greek English lexicon has three Greek words for hated.
- ekthros,
- polemios, and
- dusmenis.
- Polemios means one who is actively at war with you.
- Dusmenis means one who has long been alienated and refuses to be reconciled.
- Ekthros means one who was previously a philos (lover) but who is alienated.
- It also explains that in the Hebrew texts, instead of the Greek (if we read through the Mishnah Order Nezekin and Tractate or Chapter Sanhedrin Chapter 3 Mishnah 5,) the word enemy means anyone that had not spoken with him through enmity for three days.
- This can mean that the word enemy that Yeshua might be talking about is one that was previously a friend and has been alienated and not spoken with the individual for three days.
If this is the case, I believe Yeshua (Jesus) was trying to teach us humility, forgiveness, and selfless love; but it does not mean that we should allow anybody to destroy or kill us.
Indeed Yeshua (Jesus) was inviting us to love the people who have hurt us and to pray for them. These people are usually people whom we know and have dealings with. We often heard that we are hurt most by the people we love most. In this regard, Yeshua (Jesus) is inviting us to love them and to forgive them.
About BibleScholars.org:
BibleScholars.org is the website of Dr. Roy B. Blizzard. He is President of Bible Scholars, which is an Austin-based corporation dedicated to biblical research and education. Dr. Blizzard has a Ph.D. in Hebrew Studies from the University of Texas at Austin.
Bible Verses on Loving Your Enemies: Finding Peace in Conflict
Loving your enemies can be a difficult concept to grasp, but it is a powerful way to find peace in conflict and live a more fulfilling life. The Bible offers many verses on this topic, providing guidance on how to love those who may have hurt or wronged us. By following these teachings, we can learn to love like Jesus and experience the transformative power of forgiveness.
Matthew 5:44 – “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
This verse from Matthew 5:44 is a powerful reminder of the importance of loving our enemies. It can be difficult to love those who have hurt us or caused us pain, but Jesus teaches us to pray for them and show them, love. By doing so, we can find peace in conflict and experience the transformative power of forgiveness. This verse is a powerful reminder that love and forgiveness are the keys to living a more fulfilling life.
Luke 6:27-28 – “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”
This verse from Luke 6:27-28 is another powerful reminder of the importance of loving our enemies. Jesus teaches us to not only love our enemies but to also do good to those who hate us, bless those who curse us, and pray for those who mistreat us. It can be difficult to show love and kindness to those who have hurt us, but by following Jesus’ teachings, we can find peace in conflict and experience the transformative power of forgiveness. Let us strive to love like Jesus and show compassion to all, even those who may be our enemies.
Romans 12:20-21 – “On the contrary: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
This powerful passage from Romans 12:20-21 reminds us that even in the face of conflict and adversity, we can choose to respond with love and kindness. By feeding our enemies when they are hungry and giving them something to drink when they are thirsty, we can show them the transformative power of forgiveness and compassion. Instead of being overcome by evil, we can choose to overcome evil with good. Let us strive to live out these teachings in our daily lives and show love to all, even those who may be our enemies.
Proverbs 25:21-22 – “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.”
This powerful passage from Proverbs 25:21-22 reminds us that even in the face of conflict and adversity, we can choose to respond with love and kindness. By feeding our enemies when they are hungry and giving them something to drink when they are thirsty, we can show them the transformative power of forgiveness and compassion. This act of kindness may even lead to a change of heart in our enemies as they are confronted with the goodness and love of God. Let us strive to live out these teachings in our daily lives and show love to all, even those who may be our enemies.
Colossians 3:13 – “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
This powerful verse from Colossians reminds us of the importance of forgiveness in our relationships with others. Just as the Lord has forgiven us, we are called to forgive those who have wronged us. This can be a difficult task, especially when we feel hurt or betrayed by someone. However, by choosing to forgive, we can release ourselves from the burden of anger and resentment and find peace in our hearts. Let us strive to follow the example of Jesus and extend forgiveness and love to all, even those who may have hurt us.
The multifaceted benefits of loving your enemies
The benefits of loving one’s enemies are multifaceted and can be experienced by various parties involved.
Firstly, loving one’s enemies can be a transformative experience for the person who chooses to practice it. Holding onto anger, hatred, and resentment can be emotionally and physically exhausting, leading to stress and other negative health effects. By choosing to love one’s enemies, one can experience a sense of inner peace, freedom, and personal growth.
Secondly, loving one’s enemies can have positive effects on relationships. By seeking to understand and empathize with those who have wronged us, we can often find common ground and build bridges of understanding. This can lead to reconciliation and the restoration of broken relationships.
Finally, loving one’s enemies can have positive societal effects. By choosing to respond to harm with love and compassion rather than revenge and retaliation, we can model a different way of being in the world. This can inspire others to do the same, leading to a more peaceful and just society.
While the practice of loving one’s enemies can be challenging and require personal sacrifice, the benefits can be far-reaching and impact not only the individual but also relationships and society as a whole.