How to love my enemy?

Loving my enemy is the hardest counsel to follow. It is easy to curse my opponent immediately and retaliate sooner or later when situations are in my favour. So, how then can I love my enemy?

Love your enemies by not rejoicing during their misfortunes

Proverbs 24:17 says, “Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice.” How can one hold from not rejoicing? In David we see a good model. King Saul attempted many times to kill David his sub-ordinate. He hunted for David’s life like how one hunts a partridge in the mountains (1 Samuel 26:20). But Saul  failed every time he tried to kill David. However David did not rejoice when King Saul’s life came under the mercy of him in two different occasions (1 Samuel 24 & 26). He spared his enemy’s life. We do not find an iota of rejoicing during the troubled times of his enemy Saul.  Even when King Saul died in a war, David was not happy about his death. He lamented for the death of his enemy (2 Samuel 1).

On the contrary Edom rejoiced when his enemy had a fall. The two nations that came out of Isaac were Edom and Israel. These brother nations remained enemies all through. On the day the capital city of Israel fell to the Babylonians, Edom prayed a wrong prayer, “Tear it down to its foundations!” (Psalm 137:7) This is condoned as a serious sin by God. He spoke through prophet Obadiah saying that the Edomites would be judged because they looked down its brother nation in the day of their destruction and boasted in the times of their enemies’ trouble (Obadiah 1:10-14).

  

So like David, I can choose to love my enemies by not rejoicing during their misfortunes.

Love your enemies by providing their needs

Jesus teaches us to do good to those who hate us (Luke 6:27). How is it possible? The older brothers of Joseph nearly murdered him but for the intervention of the grace of God in his life. But there came an opportunity in the life of Joseph when he became the ruler of Egypt, the number one nation of the then world. The brothers and their families had to look towards Joseph even for their basic need of food.  Joseph did not retaliate in such a situation but provided for their needs. He said to his brothers, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children." And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them (Genesis 50:20-21).

The Bible teaches, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus defines a neighbor as a person who is in need through the parable of the “Good Samaritan” (Luke 10:25-37).  Jesus even points out that this person in need could be his enemy. The “Good Samaritan” helped his injured neighbor who happened to be his enemy, a Jew. He provided for the immediate need of his enemy by caring for him, paying for his hospital expenses and  gave him also a word that he would help him further. Proverbs 25:2 reiterates this counsel: If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. The next verse says that when we do so we would heap burning coals on his head and the Lord would reward us for this good deed!

So like Joseph and the Samaritan, I can choose to love my enemies by providing for their needs.

Love your enemies by praying for them

In Matthew 5:44 Jesus asks us to pray for our enemies. Apostle Paul counsels to bless a persecutor even (Romans 12:14). How can we pray and bless a persecutor? Jesus prayed for those who physically and mentally tortured him on the cross saying,  "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34). A follower of Jesus, Stephen prayed the same when he was put to death unjustly. While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." (Acts 7:59-60)

So like Jesus and Stephen, I can choose to love my enemies by praying for them !

The Bible expects us not to retaliate our enemies even when situations are favourable for us like we have found in the above examples.  The above counsels from the Bible are not that easy to follow. But Jesus did not ask us to do things which he did not model. True followers have abided to the “Upside Down” teachings of Jesus over the years. Bitterness towards our enemies can melt away only by allowing the Spirit of God to work through us. I only ask for his grace to help me to abide by the teachings of the Bible.