October 20

 Love your enemies

1. The idea of loving our enemies can feel almost unimaginable, especially in a world often quick to respond to harm with retaliation. Yet, we find powerful examples of radical forgiveness and mercy that echo Jesus’ teachings in the lives of real people. One such story is portrayed in the movie Amish Grace, which is based on the tragic, true story of the West Nickel Mines shooting.

2. On October 2, 2006, a gunman entered a small, one-room Amish schoolhouse in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania. Charles Carl Roberts IV took hostages and ultimately killed five young Amish girls, leaving five others seriously injured before taking his own life. The cruelty of the crime shocked people around the globe. Yet, what followed was perhaps even more astounding: the Amish community, rather than expressing hatred or seeking revenge, chose to forgive Roberts almost immediately. They extended love and support to the killer’s family, reaching out with condolences and compassion. Several Amish families even attended Roberts’ funeral, offering their forgiveness in a visible, heartfelt way. To many, this profound response reflected a powerful commitment to Jesus’ teachings on forgiveness and loving one’s enemies. Today, we will talk about “love our enemies.” Let us read Luke 6:27-38.

Luke 6:27–31 NRSV

“But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you.

Luke 6:32–34 NRSV

“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again.

Luke 6:35–36 NRSV

But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

3. This painting (around 1530s) portrays a powerful scene: on the left, an Anabaptist flees from soldiers but stops when he sees one of his pursuers fall through the ice into freezing water. Risking his own life, he turns back to save the struggling soldier, while the others stand by, watching. Tragically, this act of compassion did not spare him; the Anabaptist was later captured and burned to death.

4. To deal with loving our enemies, we first need to define who our enemies are.

An enemy is generally defined as someone who is actively opposed or hostile toward another person, often seen as a threat or opponent. (ChatGPT)

5. This can include individuals, groups, or even abstract concepts that one perceives as harmful or obstructive. An enemy may range from a personal adversary to a larger societal or ideological opponent, depending on the context. In personal relationships, an enemy could simply be someone with whom there’s significant conflict or animosity. This means that an enemy is someone we find difficult to love—often because they have hurt us or caused us pain. However, Jesus teaches that we should still love our enemies, challenging us to extend compassion even toward those who have wronged us.

6. In Greek, four types of love are distinguished: storge (natural affection), eros (romantic love), philia (friendship), and agape (unconditional, often divine love). In this context, Jesus specifically spoke of agape—a love not based on the merits of the one being loved, but rather arising from the lover’s choice to be loving. This love reflects a commitment to love others regardless of their worthiness or actions.

1 John 4:17–19 (NIrV)

Suppose love is fulfilled among us. Then we can be without fear on the day God judges the world. Love is fulfilled among us when in this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. Instead, perfect love drives away fear. That’s because fear has to do with being punished. The one who fears does not have perfect love. We love because he loved us first.

7. Jesus shows us the perfect example of love. He didn’t love us based on our merit; His love wasn’t because of our good behavior or holy lives. Instead, while we were still in sin—when we were His enemies—Jesus came to earth and loved us first, purely by His own will.

8. Human love is often limited and shaped by circumstances. For a time, I found it difficult to love my father, largely because of my relationship with my mother. Now, I do love him, but our story is complicated. When my mother was around 20, she met my father in another city. They were immediately drawn to each other, and not long after, she discovered she was pregnant. My father, however, was unaware of this at first. Determined to keep me, my mother went to him and shared the news. My grandfather was surprised but accepted my mother into their home. When I was about two years old, though, my father was away for a period, and although my mother didn’t have deep feelings for him, she chose to keep me, deciding to raise me whether or not he was present. Eventually, when I was 22, my parents divorced. Despite her dedication to me, my mother ultimately found it impossible to maintain a lasting relationship with my father. Even though my mom chose to stay with my father and love him because of me, their relationship lasted only 22 years. Human love is limited.

9. However, God’s love is steadfast and enduring. He doesn’t love us based on our responses or circumstances. He wants us to see His mercy and love anew every morning. He knows we cannot love our enemies through our own efforts alone. Even I couldn’t forgive and love my father until I experienced God’s love through Jesus Christ.

Lamentations 3:22–23 (NRSV)

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

10. When Jesus commanded his disciples to love their enemies, he wasn’t giving them an impossible task. He didn’t want to place a heavy burden on their lives but instead wanted them to genuinely care for others and follow in his footsteps. It’s like this: if you care for the Jews, you should also care for the Samaritans; if you look after your family, you should also look after the Romans. Jesus’s teaching does not focus on doing the impossible but on what becomes possible when our minds are renewed by the Spirit. All our behavior stems from our thoughts, which is why we can understand a child’s mindset by observing their actions. So, loving our enemies doesn’t start with just keeping a commandment; it begins with a transformation of our minds through God’s love.

Romans 12:1–2 NLT

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

11. I couldn’t love my father because of how badly he treated my mom. But I wanted to love him, especially since pastors often preached about loving your enemies. So, in 1998, I signed up for “Father’s School.” It was a program meant for fathers, not sons, but I hoped it would help me find a way to love him. During the seminars, God revealed something to me: I didn’t truly love or accept myself. I believed that if my mom hadn’t gotten pregnant, she might have avoided such a difficult life. I felt her misery was my fault, and because I couldn’t change this thinking, I kept searching for someone to blame. But God transformed my heart, and I finally learned to accept myself. This was the beginning of my journey to forgive and love my father. The reason we often struggle to love our enemies is that we can’t fully love ourselves; we instinctively feel the blame lies with us first.

12. Therefore, the key to loving our enemies is to first love and forgive ourselves. Once we learn to care for ourselves, we can begin to love others, including our enemies. When we view ourselves through God’s eyes, we can see others from His perspective as well. Never forget this truth: God is love, and He loves you. Jesus loves you so deeply that He gave His life as a ransom for many, including you. With this love, we can begin to love our enemies. Let’s spread God’s love and grace to those who don’t yet know Him. God calls us to accept them with His mighty love.