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SUBJECT:
Matthew 5:44 - Loving Your Enemies
QUESTIONS:
What does this verse mean? Must I love this person in the
same way I love my best friend?
ANSWER:
First, let us look at the verse
in question, then the commentary.
Matthew
5:43-44
43 Ye have heard that it hath
been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine
enemy.
44 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;
Matthew 5:44
[Love
your enemies] There
are two kinds of love, involving the same general feeling,
or springing from the same fountain of good will to all
mankind, but differing so far as to admit of separation in
idea. The one is that feeling by which we approve of the
conduct of another, commonly called the love of complacency;
the other, that by which we wish well to the person of
another, though we cannot approve his conduct. This is the
love of benevolence, and this love we are to bear toward our
enemies. It is impossible to love the conduct of a person
who curses and reviles us, who injures our person or
property, or who violates all the laws of God; but, though
we may hate his conduct, and suffer keenly when WE are
affected by it, yet we may still wish well to the PERSON; we
may pity his madness and folly; we may speak kindly OF him
and TO him; we may return good for evil; we may aid him in
the time of trial; we may seek to do him good here and to
promote his eternal welfare hereafter, Romans 12:17-20. This
seems to be what is meant by loving our enemies; and this is
a special law of Christianity, and the highest possible test
of piety, and probably the most difficult of all duties to
be performed.
[Bless
them that curse you]
The word "bless" here means to "speak well of" or "speak
well to:" -not to curse again or to slander, but to speak of
those things which we can commend in an enemy; or, if there
is nothing that we can commend, to say nothing about him.
The word "bless," spoken of God, means to regard with favor
or to confer benefits, as when God is said to bless his
people. When we speak of our "blessing God," it means to
praise Him or give thanks to Him. When we speak of blessing
people, it "unites" the two meanings, and signifies to
confer favor, to thank, or to speak well of.
[Despitefully
use you] The word thus
translated means, first, to injure by prosecution in law;
then, wantonly and unjustly to accuse, and to injure in any
way. This seems to be its meaning here. (from
Barnes' Notes)
For "Do good to them", two
commentaries...
Matthew 5:44
[Do
good to them that hate you]
Give your enemy every proof that you love him. We must not
love in tongue, but in deed and in truth. (from
Adam Clarke's Commentary)
Matthew 5:43-48
[That
we must do well to them]
"Do good to them that hate you, and that will be a better
proof of love than good words. Be ready to do them all the
real kindness that you can, and glad of an opportunity to do
it, in their bodies, estates, names, families; and
especially to do good to their souls." (from
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible: New Modern
Edition)
So, we see that we must show the
love of benevolence to our enemy and acknowledge that though
we love our enemy, we can and will hate wrongdoings by
them. We can speak against what they did, as in hating the
sin, but we cannot speak ill of the person himself or
herself.
To break the verse down, we see:
1) Love your enemies. Do not
speak ill of them. Discuss all you want how you hate the sin,
but keep the sin you hate separate from the individual who
did it.
2) Bless them. Speak well of.
Speak well to. Do not curse or slander.
3) Do good to them. Do good
deeds to them and for them.
4) Pray for them. Ask God to
bless them. Ask God to forgive them.
Finally, strive for
reconciliation if this is a former friend and/or a brother
or sister in the faith. Look at the definition...
Reconciliation
1. The act of
reconciling, or the state of being reconciled;
reconcilement; restoration to harmony; renewal of
friendship.
2. Reduction to congruence or
consistency; removal of inconsistency; harmony.
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