But To You Who Are Listening, I Say: Love Your Enemies, Do Good To Those Who Hate You, Bless Those Who Curse You, & Pray For Those Who Mistreat You
Love Thy Enemies
LUKE 6:28
“bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.
”Luke 6:28 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/luk.6.28.NKJ
Luke 6:28 is a foundational New Testament teaching where Jesus commands His followers to “bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you.” Spoken during the Sermon on the Plain, this verse outlines a revolutionary, counter-cultural standard for how to handle conflict, hostility, and personal hurt. Instead of retaliation, seeking revenge, Jesus demands that his disciples break the cycle of negativity with active grace.
In the ancient Greco-Roman and Jewish world, a "curse" was not and is not today, just an insult; it is a very serious invocation to God or spiritual forces to bring physical or social ruin upon someone.
To "bless" (eulogeite in Greek) means to speak well of, wish the best for, or actively extend kindness toward someone. Jesus tells His followers to combat verbal malice or spiritual ill-will by speaking words of life and peace back into the situation.
The original Greek word for "mistreat" (epereazontōn) encompasses both physical abuse and cruel, threatening, or spiteful behaviour.
Jesus does not tell His followers to pray for their enemies' downfall or destruction. Instead, He instructs them to petition God for their enemies' true well-being, moral awakening, and redemption.
Human nature naturally seeks revenge, they say “tit-for-tat" vengeance or they simply builds up bitter resentment. Jesus provides a framework that absorbs the blow of hatred and neutralizes it, refusing to let the enemy's malice dictate the believer's character.
Later in this passage (Luke 6:35), Jesus notes that God "is kind to the ungrateful and wicked." By extending undeserved love, believers act as true "children of the Most High," reflecting a divine grace that goes beyond human capability.
Prayer acts as a protective shield for the victim's heart. Bringing an oppressor before God releases the heavy burden of bitterness, rendering the believer emotionally resilient and spiritually free.
What this verse does not mean is equally important to understand along with the boundaries of this teaching.
Jesus is not telling victims to remain in physically harmful, toxic, or dangerous situations.
Choosing to love an enemy takes immense spiritual strength and intentionality; it is an active, aggressive deployment of grace rather than a weak submission to evil.
Acknowledging God's role as the ultimate judge allows believers to let go of personal revenge while still allowing legal and divinely appointed institutions to uphold civil justice
(Romans 13:1–5).
God’s way of life is grounded in love and forgiveness, but that isn’t a license for the wicked to abuse Gods people.
We believers have every right to defend ourselves and seek justice when under attack.
Sometimes, it takes justice to bring people to repentance and the Lordship of Christ.
All glory be to God forever and ever! Amen.
Please share to our brothers and sisters all around the world.
