Beyond the Circle: The Challenge to Love Our Enemies
- Ray Reynolds
- May 4
- 2 min read
We often find comfort in the familiar. We are commanded by Christ to love one another, especially our own brethren. John 15:12, 17 says, “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. . . These things I command you, that you love one another.” This sentiment is the bedrock of the church, repeated in Matthew 19:19 and Matthew 22:39.
A Radical Command
However, Jesus takes this a step further—into territory that challenges our very nature. He tells us to love our enemies. Matthew 5:43-44 says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.” It’s hard enough to love our brethren, but we are commanded to love those who oppose us. Why? Because the world needs more than a “season” of love and forgiveness. We need it every day!
The Fulfillment of the Law
When Jesus left this earth, the apostles continued to teach this doctrine of sacrificial love. Romans 13:8 reminds us that we owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. Galatians 5:13-15 warns us not to use our liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love to serve one another. If we bite and devour one another, we risk being consumed by one another. This thought is echoed throughout the New Testament (I Thessalonians 3:12, James 2:8, I Peter 1:22).
Love as a Witness
The love of fellow Christians shows that we are all children of the same Father. We must be willing to go as far as laying down our lives for one another, just as Christ did for us (John 15:13, I John 3:16). But we must also remember that "brother" can refer to any human being (Matthew 25:40). If we only love those who love us, what reward do we have? Even the world does that. Everyone needs to experience the love of God through the way we treat every person we encounter.
The Transformation of the Heart
To love an enemy is perhaps the ultimate evidence of a heart transformed by grace. It requires us to see past the offense and recognize the image of God in the offender. When we pray for those who spitefully use us, we are not condoning their actions; rather, we are releasing the bitterness that binds us and inviting God’s light into a dark situation. This radical love acts as a mirror, reflecting Christ’s own sacrifice on the cross, where He prayed for those who were crucifying Him. It is through this impossible love that the world truly sees the power of the Gospel.
You are loved.
Ray Reynolds
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