Jesus said some pretty crazy things through the Gospels, and most of them didn’t make sense to any of the people listening at the time. One that really catches us off-guard is when He mentions how our ancestors have been taught to love neighbors and hate those who hate you, but He says to instead love your enemy. That’s nuts! There is nothing in me that wants to love someone who has set themselves against me. And I suppose that’s part of it—I can’t do this on my own.

Most of what Jesus calls us to do is completely impossible on our own. We can’t forgive, we can’t bless those who curse us, we can’t rejoice in trials, we can’t not be afraid. Yet with His Life in ours, He is saying this is possible, and even further, will be true of us as His living water of love gushes out through us to others.

Often when I get mad at someone because they’ve hurt me, or because they’ve hurt someone I love, I want to punish them, reject them and hurt them back. Most of this I suppose I do in my head, not in reality, but the attitude is definitely there.

When I’m blasting them completely for being so hurtful in my mind, it feels like Jesus gently grabs my arm as I go angrily by. It isn’t forceful, and it isn’t demanding. It’s just an invitation—He says, it would be better for you if you’d love them. I usually want to seriously question that logic! But the angrier I get, the more I allow them to control me. I end up worshipping and obsessing on the person who has hurt me, giving them free reign of my brain in ways I would never do physically.

Jesus isn’t saying they were right, or that they didn’t hurt you. In fact, they are called enemies because they are indeed against us. The English word is defined by Merriam-Webster as “a person, group or nation that is actively hostile, antagonistic, or opposed to another, often seeking to cause harm, injury, or downfall.”  The Hebrew word means “one who hates.” These are not people I want to love, or even have nice feelings toward. These are people who have set themselves against me, who have attacked me, and who hate me enough to try to hurt me.

And Jesus didn’t just say this—He did it. And He continues to do it. He loved us while we were His enemies (Rom 5:10) even to the point of dying for us. He died for every person who crucified Him, and love them even while they were torturing Him. He loves every person who rejects Him now, who mocks Him and treats His sacrifice as nothing. He doesn’t just call us to love our enemies, but He empowers us to do this as He does. This is really good news to me, as it’s not possible in my own willpower or determination.

Every day, Jesus calls us to love enemies, to let go of vengeance and to trust Him with our hearts. The amazing thing to me is the freedom this gives me when I choose to let Him love my enemies through me—I am not performing or pretending, but just enjoying His power which enables me to do the impossible.

“Your ancestors have also been taught ‘Love your neighbors and hate the one who hates you.’ However, I say to you, love your enemy, bless the one who curses you, do something wonderful for the one who hates you, and respond to the very ones who persecute you by praying for them.” Matthew 5:43-44