“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men."
Luke 6:35
In Luke 6: 27-37, Jesus is teaching His disciples how to treat their enemies: Love them, do good to them, bless them, pray for them, don't take revenge, turn the other cheek, give to them -- expecting nothing in return, treat them as you want to be treated, don't pronounce judgment on them, don't condemn them, pardon them. When we Christians love those who hate us this way, we are showing them a kind of love they will never find in the world. We are showing them the merciful love of Christ, which we ourselves have received. "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) To love our enemies is not just a nice thought that Christ has passed down to us. It is an imperative. It sets us apart from unbelievers and shows we belong to the Most High God. It is supernatural love that is only possible through the life of Christ within us. "The love for our enemies takes us along the way of the cross and into fellowship with the Crucified. The more we are driven along this road, the more certain is the victory of love over the enemy's hatred. For then it is not the disciple's own love, but the love of Jesus Christ alone, who for the sake of His enemies went to the cross and prayed for them as He hung there." -- Dietrich Bonhoeffer
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