Loving Your Enemies: A Tough Test for Christians
In one of his most challenging teachings, Jesus commands his followers to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them (Matthew 5:44). This edict on how to treat our opponents goes against what we naturally want to do and what society espouses, especially when it comes to the divisive realm of politics.
A 2023 poll across 28 democratic nations found that, in over half of them, a majority believed their country was more politically divided than in the past. In the United States, people described the left vs right division as "severe." Disturbingly, over two-thirds said they would not help someone in need if they strongly disagreed with them politically. A staggering 80 percent stated they would not want to live in the same neighborhood or work with someone from the opposite political party.
We have become engulfed in a vicious cycle of hatred toward political opponents, fueled by misperceptions of the "other side," exacerbated by partisan cable news and political bias on social media. Consumed by our biases, we demonize those with differing political views as irredeemable enemies rather than flawed humans loved by God, just like us.
Jesus' command to love our enemies is a big wake-up call. It forces us to confront the hatred festering in our hearts toward those whose opinions and party allegiances we despise. Gone are the rationalizations that say, "I don't hate them, I just hate their political views." As long as we treat people who believe differently than we do as enemies, we're not following Jesus’ commands.
A 2023 poll across 28 democratic nations found that, in over half of them, a majority believed their country was more politically divided than in the past. In the United States, people described the left vs right division as "severe." Disturbingly, over two-thirds said they would not help someone in need if they strongly disagreed with them politically. A staggering 80 percent stated they would not want to live in the same neighborhood or work with someone from the opposite political party.
We have become engulfed in a vicious cycle of hatred toward political opponents, fueled by misperceptions of the "other side," exacerbated by partisan cable news and political bias on social media. Consumed by our biases, we demonize those with differing political views as irredeemable enemies rather than flawed humans loved by God, just like us.
Jesus' command to love our enemies is a big wake-up call. It forces us to confront the hatred festering in our hearts toward those whose opinions and party allegiances we despise. Gone are the rationalizations that say, "I don't hate them, I just hate their political views." As long as we treat people who believe differently than we do as enemies, we're not following Jesus’ commands.
Three Things That Happen When We Love Our Enemies
- We Reflect God’s Character
In Matthew 5:44-45, when Jesus says, "Love your enemies...so that you may be sons of your Father in heaven," he is calling us to treat others as God treats them. As the sun and rain fall on the righteous and unrighteous alike, so our love must extend impartially. God's love depends not on human "lovability" but on his own eternal character. When we love our opponents, we make God believable to those who don't know him. - Our Own Hearts Are Changed
Hatred is utterly destructive—poisoning our minds, bodies, and relationships. It reinforces prejudices like racism and sexism, fuels hostility, and can escalate to hate speech and hate crimes. But when we pray for those who wrong us, it becomes nearly impossible to maintain hatred toward them. Prayer allows us to voice our rawest emotions safely to God while compelling us to desire good things in the lives of others. As we ask Jesus to bless them, our spiritual eyes are opened to see them as he does—human, flawed, yet loved and made in his image. - We Experience the Freedom of Forgiveness
Even when Jesus was treated unfairly, he still forgave. He prayed for those who hurt him while he was dying on the cross. This unrepeatable act of forgiveness defines what it means to truly love your enemies. To reject hatred and pour out Christ's mercies on those who persecute us showcases a radical Christlikeness that the divided world cannot ignore or rationalize away.
Taking a Next Step
Take a moment to envision your enemies sitting across from you. Study their faces. Recognize the feelings stirring in your heart when you picture them. Now, invite Christ into that picture. Study his face, his unrelenting grace, kindness, and mercy. Ask Jesus to help you release any resentment or bias you’ve been carrying. Then speak words of forgiveness and ask Jesus to bless those same enemies across the aisle.
It might feel strange or hard to pray for people we don't like or see eye-to-eye with. Yet this difficult calling to love political enemies is required of every Christian. We cannot treat portions of Christ's teachings as unbinding while embracing others. To claim the name of Jesus means taking up his cross of forgiveness daily. It means being slapped on one cheek, then offering the other. It means intentionally and practically loving those we are most predisposed to despise.
In today's divided world, loving our enemies is a powerful way to show God's love. In fact, it may be the most potent testimony we can offer in a culture that has rejected faith. It's a reminder of the grace that changed our hearts when we became Christians. It makes people see that Jesus' love can change how we treat others.
Are we, as Christians, ready to love our opponents? Are we willing to show the same forgiveness and kindness that Jesus showed us when we were his enemies? This is the difficult standard to which we have been called. By relying on God's help, we can show that we're truly following Jesus, rising above the cultural and political divides in our country.
It might feel strange or hard to pray for people we don't like or see eye-to-eye with. Yet this difficult calling to love political enemies is required of every Christian. We cannot treat portions of Christ's teachings as unbinding while embracing others. To claim the name of Jesus means taking up his cross of forgiveness daily. It means being slapped on one cheek, then offering the other. It means intentionally and practically loving those we are most predisposed to despise.
In today's divided world, loving our enemies is a powerful way to show God's love. In fact, it may be the most potent testimony we can offer in a culture that has rejected faith. It's a reminder of the grace that changed our hearts when we became Christians. It makes people see that Jesus' love can change how we treat others.
Are we, as Christians, ready to love our opponents? Are we willing to show the same forgiveness and kindness that Jesus showed us when we were his enemies? This is the difficult standard to which we have been called. By relying on God's help, we can show that we're truly following Jesus, rising above the cultural and political divides in our country.
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