“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 is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.” – Luke 6:35
Jesus isn’t making a suggestion here! This is how Jesus treated you. When you were an enemy of God, stuck in your sins, and opposed to God’s will and design for your life, Jesus gave Himself completely for you. He loved you, suffered for you, and died for you so that the penalty for your sins would be paid off. There was nothing transactional about it – at that point you had nothing to offer Jesus. He did it as an act of grace to be received through faith in Him. Now Jesus commands and expects His followers to do the same.
Followers of Jesus are the sons and daughters of God, the Most High which means this command applies to every Christian. All of them. Not just particular “super-Christians”. Every Christian. If you’re a follower of Jesus, you must love your enemies. Not just in a vague and general sense of positive vibes toward faceless enemies far away. You must love the people you truly don’t like. You’re to “lend” with generosity even if you suspect you’re being taken advantage of. This runs opposite of common sense, but so did the cross!
In Christ, God acted in kindness, grace, and mercy toward people who absolutely didn’t deserve it. He acted sacrificially and lovingly toward people who were not only ungrateful, but deeply invested in sin, guilt, selfishness, and shameful behavior. If you’re now an adopted child of God, He expects you to do the same. The encouragement is that there are eternal rewards for those who answer this hard command of Christ. Your reward will be great – not in this life, but in eternity to come. Love and do good to your enemies!