 February 12 

Loving Our Enemies

Bible in a Year :
Leviticus 13;Matthew 26:26–50

But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.
Matthew 5:44

Today's Scripture & Insight :

Matthew 5:43–48

With the American Civil War spawning many bitter feelings, Abraham Lincoln saw fit to
speak a kind word about the South. A shocked bystander asked how he could do so. He
replied, “Madam, do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?” Reflecting on
those words a century later, Martin Luther King Jr. commented, “This is the power of
redemptive love.”

In calling disciples of Christ to love their enemies, King looked to the teachings of Jesus. He
noted that although believers might struggle to love those who persecute them, this love
grows out of “a consistent and total surrender to God.” “When we love in this way,” King
continued, “we’ll know God and experience the beauty of His holiness.”

King referenced Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in which He said, “Love your enemies and pray
for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven” (Matthew
5:44–45). Jesus counseled against the conventional wisdom of the day of loving only one’s
neighbors and hating one’s enemies. Instead, God the Father gives His children the strength
to love those who oppose them.

It may feel impossible to love our enemies, but as we look to God for help, He’ll answer our
prayers. He gives the courage to embrace this radical practice, for as Jesus said, “with God all
things are possible” (19:26).

By: Amy Boucher Pye

Sign in to track your progress!

SIGN IN

Reflect & Pray

Who is your enemy? If you feel conflicted about loving
those who oppose you, how could you submit those feelings
to God?

Loving God, You’ve made me—as well as those who hurt me—in
Your image. Help me to see them as You do.