Matthew 5:43-48.
Why is it important to love enemies? Someone said this: “We are to love our
enemies – not because our enemies are fit to be loved but because we are not
fit to hate.” Indeed, this is true. We are not made to hate. We are supposed to
reflect in ourselves the love of God, from whose image and likeness we were
created. For this reason, Jesus admonishes: “Be perfect as your heavenly Father
is perfect.” Moreover, we are to love our enemies because this is beneficial to
us. Oftentimes, we believe that by hating or by refusing to forgive enemies we
gain. But this is untrue. When we choose to continue hating another, we hurt
our spirits and we cause serious damage to our hearts. But, if we show kindness
to enemies, we do well to ourselves, also.
