Do Good to Those Who Hate You

But to those of you who will listen, I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also; if someone takes your cloak, do not withhold your tunic as well. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what is yours, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. 
— Luke 6:27–31


Jesus addresses these words to “those who will listen,” because loving enemies is not something everyone is willing to hear—let alone do. Yet His command is unmistakable: love is expressed not only in thought or feeling, but in concrete action. Doing good to those who hate us, blessing those who curse us, and praying for those who mistreat us go far beyond common standards of fairness; they reflect the radical generosity of God’s own heart. The examples Jesus gives—turning the other cheek, giving more than is taken, and treating others as we wish to be treated—remind us that following Him means relinquishing our instinct for retaliation. Such responses require strength that comes only from the Holy Spirit.

Jesus’ teaching does not call us to weakness, but to holy strength—the strength to respond to hatred with grace and to choose mercy over revenge. Every act of goodness toward someone who has wronged us becomes a quiet echo of Calvary, where love conquered cruelty through self-giving. This kind of love is costly, yet it transforms both giver and receiver. In practicing it, we participate in God’s work of redemption, allowing His love to interrupt the cycle of hostility and bring peace where none existed before.

Who in your life might need a gesture of kindness instead of a defensive or retaliatory response? How can doing good to those who mistreat you free your heart from resentment and open you to deeper trust in God’s justice? In what ways does this passage challenge your understanding of strength, fairness, and love in daily relationships?

Today, take one small, deliberate step to respond to mistreatment with generosity, trusting God to use your obedience for His purposes.


Lord Jesus, 

Your teaching is challenging, yet I know it is the way of life and peace. Help me to love my enemies in action, to do good to those who hate me, and to pray for those who mistreat me. Give me the courage to respond with grace instead of retaliation, that I may reflect Your love to the world. 

In Your name I pray. Amen.

-

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