Everyday Prayers for LoveExemplo

Loving Your Enemies

Who is your worst enemy? Not in a silly superhero versus villain way, but if someone wrote a book about your life, who would be the antagonist? Someone who has rejected you? Betrayed you? Slandered you? Attacked you? Who has hurt you the most? It is that person you are called to love and to bless.

Sigh.

Unfortunately, none of us can escape the pain caused by people. Even Jesus endured pain inflicted by those He came to save. Could that be one of the reasons why He chose Judas as one of His twelve disciples? He wanted to prepare us to handle those kinds of people. And while Judas betrayed Jesus, all the disciples abandoned Him as well, albeit briefly, even after Jesus chose to humble Himself and show them the full extent of His love by washing their feet.

Jesus fully understands what it is like to be rejected, betrayed, slandered, attacked, and hurt. Therefore, when He teaches about loving enemies during His Sermon on the Mount, He’s not speaking theoretically but from personal experience.

Not only does He instruct us to love our enemies, but He challenges us to do good to those who hate us, bless those who curse us, and pray for those who mistreat us.

Yes, our task to love our enemies may be great. But our promise when we do good to them, expecting nothing in return, is even greater. Can you imagine a world that, instead of retaliating with revenge, reacted with reckless love?

Prayer

Father, this command to love my enemies, do good to them, bless them, and pray for them feels impossible on my own. But I know nothing is impossible with You. And so I’m asking that You empower me to do what I cannot do alone. I pray for the person, or people, who have hurt me most. Help me to forgive and love them as You do. I ask You to bless them and reveal how I may do good to them. In Jesus’s name, amen.

Questions for Deeper Reflection

1. Who is your enemy? Who first came to your mind? In light of this devotion, what is your prayer for them? Is there something the Holy Spirit is prompting you to do for that person?
2. Is there someone you have wronged who might consider you their enemy? Consider how you can reach out in love to heal that broken relationship.