- Matthew 5:43-45 - Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, 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; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
- Romans 5:8-10 - But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
- Galatians 5:22-23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
If we were to act only according to our natural inclinations, we would do good to those who do good to us, and we would want to take revenge on those who hurt us. This is human nature.
But Jesus teaches us to love even our enemies. He not only taught this, but He also demonstrated it with His life. Christ loved us while we were still sinners and died for us. He showed His love without waiting for us to deserve it.
When we respond to hostility with love, remarkable things happen. First, the Heavenly Father is pleased with it, and this brings joy, peace, and deep satisfaction to His children. Second, we get to see how God works in that situation. Sometimes hearts are softened, sometimes reconciliation occurs, and sometimes, in the process, we ourselves become more like Christ.
At the same time, a change occurs within us. We see the Holy Spirit working in us, pouring out divine love that we could not produce on our own. In Galatians, the spiritual fruits that the Holy Spirit cultivates in believers are listed, and love is mentioned first.
Reflection
Is there someone you find difficult to love? What specific step can you take today to show the love of Christ toward that person?