Loving Even Our Enemies
Month 9: Guard Your Heart — Becoming Like Jesus · Bible Story
Today's Scripture
Read together: Matthew 5:43–48
43 You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘Hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even Gentiles do the same? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Memory Verse
“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,”— Matthew 5:44 (BSB)memorize this week
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Daniel 4–6
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Daniel in the lions' den — God keeps the faithful.)The Heart of It
On the mountain, Jesus said something nobody expected. People back then had been taught, "Love your neighbor and hate your enemy." Loving the people who love you is easy. Even the meanest person on earth does that! But Jesus stretched His hand wide and said, "Love your enemies. Bless the ones who curse you. Do good to the ones who hate you. Pray for the people who hurt you." This is the upside-down, beautiful way of the kingdom of God. It guards our hearts from growing hard and bitter. And it makes us look like our Father in heaven.
And that's exactly why Jesus said it. He pointed up at the sky. God "makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." Every morning your enemy wakes up to the same warm sunshine you do. That's because God is generous even to people who ignore Him. When we love the hard-to-love, we act like our heavenly Father's children. We show the family resemblance. Jesus could ask this of us because He did it. From the cross He prayed, "Father, forgive them" () for the very people nailing Him down. We don't love our enemies by gritting our teeth. We love them because we were loved first.
Around the Table
Jesus says to be kind even to someone who is mean to you. That's how God's children act!
Let's do it: Pretend someone took your toy. Practice saying, "It's okay. I forgive you," with a smile.
Anybody can love their friends. Jesus calls us to love even people who are unkind to us.
Let's talk: Who is someone hard to love right now? What's one kind thing you could do for them?
Loving enemies isn't a warm feeling we work up. It's choosing to bless, do good, and pray, the way our Father does for everyone.
Let's go deeper: Jesus loved His enemies all the way to the cross. How does being forgiven by Him make this command possible?
💬 Conversation Starter
Which is harder? Saying sorry to someone, or being kind to someone who hasn't said sorry to you? Why?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
No other teacher in history founded a faith on loving enemies and praying for those who hurt you. And then He lived it out, all the way to His own death. This radical, self-giving love is one strong sign. The gospel didn't come from human invention. It came from God ().
For Dad · Go Deeper
"Love your enemies" is impossible as a self-help rule. It only makes sense as gospel fruit. We forgive because we have been massively forgiven. We bless because we've been blessed beyond measure. Watch your own heart here, Dad. The people most likely to provoke us into ungodly anger live under our own roof and in our own workplace, not across enemy lines. The way you speak about the rude neighbor, the difficult relative, or the coworker who wronged you is teaching your children whether is real or just nice words. Aim for what Jesus calls being "perfect" (v. 48). He means complete, mature love that doesn't stop at the easy cases. Let the Spirit grow it in you before you ask it of them.
Draws on: Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, You are kind even to those who ignore You. Grow that same love in us. Help us bless and pray for the people who are hard to love, just like Jesus did for us. In Jesus' name, amen."
I can love even the hard-to-love, because my Father loved me first.