What Does the Bible Say About Loving Your Enemies?
Jesus' most scandalous command — bless them that curse you — and why Scripture stakes the family resemblance on it.
Jesus commanded what no ethic before him dared: “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you” (Matthew 5:44) — because that is how your Father treats his enemies, sending sun and rain on the just and unjust alike. Paul’s working version: “overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).
The command and its reason
Loving those who love you, Jesus observed, is unremarkable — publicans manage it. The family signature is loving the undeserving, “that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven,” whose sun rises on the evil and the good. Enemy-love is not sentimentality about wickedness; it is deliberate goodwill — blessing, doing good, praying — extended where it is least earned, because that is precisely how God loved us.
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
What it looks like in practice
Paul makes it practical: feed the hungry enemy, give the thirsty one drink; recompense no man evil for evil; leave justice to God, to whom vengeance belongs. Peter adds “not rendering railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing.” The Bible’s enemy-love has hands and a menu — it does good things for actual persons, and it retires from the revenge business entirely.
Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
The pattern who prayed it first
The command was kept before it was finished being taught: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do,” prayed from the cross, over the men with the hammers. Stephen died echoing it. And Paul — who watched Stephen die as an enemy of the church — became the command’s greatest exhibit: the enemy prayed for, then transformed. You may be someone’s Romans 12:20 project; someone may be yours.
Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.
And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Quick answers
- Does loving my enemy mean trusting them?
- No — love wills their good and refuses revenge; trust is earned by changed behaviour. Jesus commanded love for enemies while himself not committing to unreliable men (John 2:24). Goodwill and boundaries can coexist.
- How can I possibly do this?
- Scripture’s levers: pray for them by name (Matthew 5:44 — hostility rarely survives sustained prayer), remember God’s kindness to you as an enemy (Romans 5:10), and start with actions, letting feelings follow (Romans 12:20).
- Does enemy-love rule out justice?
- No — it relocates it: “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord” (Romans 12:19), and God ordains authorities to restrain evil (Romans 13). What it rules out is personal retaliation and hatred.
