Christianity 401: Do Good to Those Who Hate You

Let’s continue our “Graduate Level Christianity” by looking closely at some of Jesus’s toughest teachings - some of His relational commands for His disciples.  

Most of these commands are found in Luke 6, verses 27-36.

First, Jesus commanded His disciples to love their enemies.  Next, He told them to do good to those who hate them.  He stood against any form of spite and malice.  He spoke specifically against retaliation.

The condition of human sin incites us to strike back at those who’ve hurt us.  To defend ourselves with a counterpunch.  To attack back as we’ve been attacked.  

But Jesus directed us to do the exact opposite – to respond to hate with good.  To give our opposition an undeserved act of kindness.  To speak an encouraging, uplifting word when assaulted verbally.  Paul repeated this command with his instructions to Christians in Rome (Romans 12:21).

When we do good to our enemy, we rightly leave vengeance to the Lord.  

In fact, doing good to those who hate us is akin to heaping burning coals on their heads (Romans 12:19).  Imagine that for a moment.  Could it be that in the stark contrast of returning hurt and harm with goodness and love we are leading our enemy to a burning conviction of sin in their conscience?

Good will always conquer evil.  And while it may not seem so at first, love always wins.  It has to.  Because God is love.

Let’s follow Jesus’s example.  Let’s love others the way that He did.