Luke 6:27-28 - Love and Pray for Your Enemies

"But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you."
--Luke 6:27-28 NASB

Jesus' audience was quite familiar with the concept of enemies. The children of Israel had suffered many generations in Egypt under the rule of the pharaohs. After Moses led them out of Egypt, Joshuah led them in fighting to possess the land promised by God. And then God's appointed Judges and Kings led them in keeping it. Even though their lack of faithfulness caused the people to be defeated and led into captivity on more than one occasion, God preserved a remnant of the faithful, yet always having them surrounded by enemies. And as Jesus spoke, the people suffered under the iron rule of Rome.

With all of this national memory of mistreatment, Jesus tells them, and us, of a new way to respond to those who are hostile (the Greek "echthros"), those who hate (the Greek "miseó"), those who revile or mistreat (the Greek "epéreazó"), and those who curse (the Greek "kataraomai").

Jesus says that outwardly we are to love them (the Greek "agapaó") and speak well of them or praise them (the Greek "eulogeó") and do well or honorably to them (the Greek " kalós"). And inwardly we are to pray for them (the Greek "proseuchomai").

It is interesting to note that Jesus' command to love our enemies is not superficial. We are not to just act as though we love our enemies, but to truly love them. Jesus knows that our prayer life is part of who we are. If we are genuine, what we demonstrate in our outward life should be reflected in our inward life.

These commands of Jesus are hard to do in ourselves and God knows this. That is why we are to rely on God, through His Holy Spirit. After all, we are no longer our own, but God's. We are His instruments, to be used to spread His good news and to bring others to Him.

Father, forgive me when I respond in kind to my enemies. I understand that You love them, too, and that You so want them for Your own. Help me to love them, to speak well of them, to do good to them, and to pray for them. In Jesus' name, amen.

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