Loving Enemies as Commanded in the Sermon on the Mount
Loving Enemies in the Sermon on the Mount
The command to love one's enemies is a central teaching in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, as recorded in Matthew 5:44 and Luke 6:27 [1, 2]. This radical ethic is a departure from the common practice in the ancient world, where people were taught to love their family and friends but hate their enemies [3].
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus instructs his followers to "love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you" [1]. This teaching is not entirely new, as it has roots in the Old Testament. For example, Proverbs 25:21 advises showing kindness to enemies, saying "If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink" [4].
The Greek word used for "love" in Matthew 5:44 is significant. It denotes moral love, as opposed to personal affection, and involves a benignant and compassionate desire for another's good [5]. This kind of love is not limited to feeling affection but is demonstrated through actions. As John Gill notes, loving enemies involves having "tenderness... used to him, and pity shown him" [7].
The early church fathers understood this teaching as a call to imitate God's character. John Chrysostom, for example, highlights the example of Moses, who prayed for those who had wronged him, demonstrating a "friendship with God" and a willingness to imitate His character [6].
The practice of loving enemies is not merely a moral virtue but is deeply connected to the Christian understanding of God's love. As Adam Clarke notes, Jesus' teaching on loving enemies is a development of the "humane and heavenly maxim" found in Exodus 23:4-5, which instructs Israelites to help their enemies' animals that have gone astray [8].
This teaching has been interpreted and applied in various ways throughout Christian history. The Puritan commentator Matthew Henry sees it as a fulfillment of Old Testament teachings, emphasizing the importance of showing kindness to enemies as a demonstration of love [4].
The command to love one's enemies remains a challenging and countercultural teaching in Christian ethics. It requires a transformation of the heart and a willingness to imitate God's character, as demonstrated in Jesus' own life and teachings. As the apostle Paul writes, "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink" (Romans 12:20), echoing Jesus' teaching on loving enemies [7].
In the context of the Sermon on the Mount, loving enemies is part of a broader vision for a community that lives out the values of the kingdom of God. It is a call to a radical love that seeks the good of all people, even those who oppose or persecute them. This teaching continues to shape Christian ethics and practice, challenging believers to embody a love that is both transformative and redemptive.
The historical and theological significance of this teaching is underscored by its connection to the broader biblical narrative. The love command is not limited to personal relationships but has implications for how Christians engage with the world around them. As such, it remains a vital part of Christian discipleship and a hallmark of the Christian faith.
Sources
- Matthew “But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you, -- Matthew 5:44”
- Luke ““But I tell you who hear: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, -- Luke 6:27”
- Luke (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Luke 6:27: 6:27 love your enemies! People were commonly taught in the ancient world to love their family and friends and hate their enemies. Jesus announced a radical new ethic of loving even one’s enemies and overcoming evil through self-sacrificial love for others, not through violence and hatred (cp. Rom 12:14-21).”
- Proverbs (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Proverbs 25:21: By this it appears that, however the scribes and Pharisees had corrupted the law, not only the commandment of loving our brethren, but even that of loving our enemies, was not only a new, but also an old commandment, an Old Testament commandment, though our Saviour has given it to us with the new enforcement of his own great example in loving us when we were enemies. Observe, 1. How we must express our love to our enemies by the real offices of kindness, even those that are expensive to ourselves and most acceptable to them: "If they be hungry and thirsty, inst”
- Matthew (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Matthew 5:44: But I say unto you, Love your enemies--The word here used denotes moral love, as distinguished from the other word, which expresses personal affection. Usually, the former denotes "complacency in the character" of the person loved; but here it denotes the benignant, compassionate outgoings of desire for another's good. bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you--The best commentary on these matchless counsels is the bright example of Him who gave them. (See Pe1 2:21-24; a”
- CCEL/NPNF (Eastern Orthodox) “John Chrysostom, Homilies on Acts & Romans: is the language of Christ’s disciple, as the other is of the devil’s. This makes men honorable and glorious, as the other doth shameful and ridiculous. It is on this ground we feel admiration for Moses, because even when God said, “Let Me alone, that I may destroy them in Mine anger,” ( Exod. xxxii. 10 ) he could not bear to despise those who had so often shown aversion to him, but said, “If thou wilt forgive them their trespass, forgive it; else blot out me also.” ( ibid. 32 .) This was owing to his being a friend of God, and a copyer of Him. And le”
- Matthew (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Matthew 5:44: But I say unto you, love your enemies,.... That is, as the Apostle Paul may be thought to interpret the words of Christ, Rom 12:20. "If thine enemy hunger, feed him: if he thirst, give him drink": unless our Lord should be supposed rather to regard the internal affection of the mind; since outward expressions of love, by words and works, are urged in the following exhortations: the actions of a man may be hated, and just indignation be expressed against them, and yet his person be loved, tenderness be used to him, and pity shown him: all men, even enemies, are to be ”
- Exodus (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Exodus 23:4: If thou meet thine enemy's ox - going astray - From the humane and heavenly maxim in this and the following verse, our blessed Lord has formed the following precept: "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;" Mat 5:44. A precept so plain, wise, benevolent, and useful, can receive no other comment than that which its influence on the heart of a kind and merciful man produces in his life.”