“Love your enemies” is a strange call, if you think about it. After all, you can’t force yourself to love someone? And is it right to have warm feelings for those who clearly do not deserve them?
Nevertheless, according to the Gospel, this phrase was said by the most important authority of Christianity - Jesus Christ. Could He be wrong? Or was the phrase written down incorrectly? The call to hate the enemy seems more characteristic of the Bible, if we remember the Old Testament. This article will explain the situation.
This phrase “love your enemies” by Jesus Christ in the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew
The place in the Bible where this is said is the Gospel of Matthew. Jesus Christ says in the Sermon on the Mount:
“You have heard that it was said: Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you: love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who despitefully use you and persecute you.”
Mf. 5:43–44
There is a similar phrase in the Gospel of Luke:
“But to you who hear, I say: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you.”
OK. 6:27–28
Jesus Christ is an example of Christian virtue. Even crucified on the cross, He prayed for his enemies
Jesus Christ himself demonstrates an example of love for enemies. When He was crucified, the Messiah turns to God:
“Jesus said: Father! forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
OK. 23–34
This is an implementation of the principle of pray for your enemies.
Saints who are clear examples of love and virtue
Saint Andrew, who was mocked by passers-by, pushed and spat on, saw that the demons were writing down the names of his offenders. The holy fool began to pray fervently, thereby erasing these records. He said that he asked the Lord not to punish the offenders, because they do not understand what they are doing.
Tatiana
Another example of virtue and condescension towards enemies was shown by the holy martyr Tatiana. In response to her torment, she begged with prayers that the Lord would not punish her torturers, but would let them know the truth. After which the offenders saw Tatyana surrounded by four angels and realized how disgusting they had acted. They asked the Saint for forgiveness and thanks to her sincere prayer they became Christians.
This statement refers to the Old Testament commandments about love
In addition to the ten laws on the tablets, there were other commandments that had to be followed by believers. One of them were two commandments about love. They are in the text of the Old Testament, and Jesus Christ supplemented these ideas in his sermons.
1 commandment of love . Relationship to God. It is said about them:
“...and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength.”
Deut. 6:5
2 commandment of love . Attitude towards people.
“Do not take revenge or have any malice against the sons of your people; but you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
A lion. 19:18
“When a stranger settles in your land, do not oppress him. Let the stranger who settles with you be the same as your native; love him as you love yourself; for you also were strangers in the land of Egypt.”
A lion. 19:33-34
Jesus Christ expanded the Old Testament commandments about love.
Here are the words of Jesus Christ on this topic:
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is similar to it: Love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
Mf. 22:37–40
Although the Messiah will touch upon many times more the issues of how important it is to do good to people, to be, as He puts it, sons of your Heavenly Father, and not only to love those who love, but also to love each other in general in any case.
How can an ordinary person learn to forgive his enemies?
If you think about the meaning of the commandment, it becomes clear that in any situation you need to control your emotions. If each of us becomes just a little kinder and more tolerant, we can change the world for the better. Wars will stop, where people kill each other, brother betrays brother, son raises his hand against the parents who gave him life and raised him.
Revive love
There is another commandment of Christ, which says: “If you are hit on the cheek, turn the other one.” Never respond with anger to an insult; it is better to leave silently and let the anger burning in your soul cool down. Look at the current situation calmly, then maybe the offense will not seem as significant to you as at first glance.
If a person is somehow unpleasant to you, it is better to avoid communicating with him, but under no circumstances curse him, even in your heart. Any curse will come back to you as a disaster. Let's love and respect each other and ourselves. Let evil leave our lives forever.
The phrase looks different in the sources
“Lopukhin’s Explanatory Bible” reports that this text differs in different sources.
“The expression: “bless those who curse you” was issued in Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, and the Vulgate of some other Latins. translations, in Tischend. and Westk. Hort, and is available in the recepta, almost all italics, of John Chrysostom, Theodoret, Theophylact and many others.
The expression: “do good to those who hate you” is issued in Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, but is found in the recepta, almost all italics, the Vulgate and Syriac Pescito.
Finally: “for those who offend you” was issued in Sinai, Ikan in Tishend. and West. Horta; but is found in the recepta, in almost all italic, ancient Latins. and Pescito. (But all these words are in Slavic. Ed.).
Thus, in a number of codes these words are not present; but the overwhelming majority of manuscripts and quotations from church writers are in their favor. Many exegetes think that these words are interpolated from Luke. 6:27, 28. Comparing the text of Matthew and Luke, we find that, if we do not pay attention to the permutations, it is the same for both evangelists. But other exegetes hold different opinions and say that there is no sufficient reason to suspect interpolation here. Tsang recognizes the text as authentic, although he does not speak out decisively.”
A.P. Lopukhin
author of Lopukhin's Explanatory Bible
Also, Lopukhin’s Explanatory Bible cites similar commandments from Buddhist sources:
“Conquer anger with the absence of anger
Conquer injustice with kindness
Defeat a vile person for nothing,
And the liar - with the truth."
"Lopukhin's Explanatory Bible"
Many other religions also called for charity to those who hated. A striking example is Hinduism. His texts Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam mainly deal with love for one's neighbor, enemies, God and everything in our world.
In fact, representatives of many cultures and religions showed love and considered it the highest feeling. The pagans do the same, so Christians must be especially zealous in love, kindness, compassion and the ability to stand in someone else’s shoes.
We, believers, shape the face of Orthodoxy. And his pious reputation is also the task of the life of a Christian who intends to get into the Kingdom of Heaven.
Praying for enemies is the highest level of virtue
John Chrysostom writes that there are nine stages of virtue:
“The first degree is not to start offences;
second, when it has already been caused, do not repay equal evil to the offender;
third - not only not to do to the offender what you suffered from him, but also to remain calm;
fourth - to expose oneself to suffering;
fifth - to give more than what the offender wants to take;
sixth - do not hate him;
the seventh is to even love him; the eighth is to do good to him; the ninth is to pray to God for him.”
John Chrysostom
Archbishop of Constantinople
Interpreters of this phrase clarify that loving enemies does not mean helping them in bad deeds
The phrase of Jesus Christ was analyzed in detail by Bishop Michael (Luzin). First, he clarifies who the enemy is and what types of love there are:
“Love your enemies. An enemy is someone who harms us in one way or another. There are two types of love for people: the first is disposition towards a person whose life and actions we approve of, who we like; the second is the disposition and desire for good to those whose lives and actions we do not approve, whose unkind actions towards us or others we oppose.
This last feeling is the love we should show to our enemies. It is impossible to love the actions of a person who causes us offense, harm, offends the laws of God and man, but we can, turning away from his actions, wish good for him, not repay him with evil for evil, help him in his needs and difficulties, do him a favor, wish eternal blessings to him (Rom. 12:17–20).
This is love for enemies, testifying to the high degree of perfection of those who have this virtue.”
Mikhail (Luzin)
bishop
Continuing the interpretation, Bishop Mikhail (Luzin) clarifies that a blessing to enemies is not at all an approval of all his actions, but sometimes even the opposite - sharp opposition to his intentions out of good intentions:
“Bless those who curse you and so on. A particular development of the general idea of love for enemies, an indication of how this love for those who manifest their enmity in various ways can be expressed. To bless actually means not only not to say bad things about our enemy, but to say good things, not to belittle his good qualities, but to praise them, make them visible, and then to bless, to wish well.
To offend is wrong to prosecute; hence - to accuse unfairly, to insult, to vilify, to harm by word or deed. It is obvious that the commandment about love for enemies would completely disagree with such love for enemies, which would be combined with complicity in their actions; On the contrary, true love sometimes requires reproof and reproach, when, due to enemy actions, the glory of God is insulted or people are led astray from the path of salvation. Therefore, both the Lord Himself and His Apostles often addressed their enemies with threatening, accusatory words (Matthew 23:33; Gal. 1:8; Acts 23:3; 1 John 5:16; 2 John 1:10 and etc.)".
Mikhail (Luzin)
bishop
Loving an enemy means not returning evil with evil.
Christians should not treat the righteous and the unrighteous differently. Any person, no matter who he is, can be awarded the love of his neighbor. If someone tries to do us harm, then we need to respond to him reasonably, but not with evil. Apostolic decrees of St. Clement the Bishop contains the following reasoning:
But is anyone cursing you? You bless him; because in the book of Numbers it is written:
“…he who blesses you is blessed, and he who curses you is cursed.”
Number 24:9
Likewise in the Gospel it is written:
“...bless those who curse you.”
Mf. 5:44
When you are offended, do not offend each other, but endure; because Scripture says:
“Do not say: I will take revenge on the enemy for offending me, but be patient, so that the Lord will avenge you and bring vengeance on the one who offends you.”
Proverbs 20:22
And, again, in the Gospel it says:
“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who harm you and persecute you, and you will be sons of your Father, the Lord in heaven, for His sun rises on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.
Let us, beloved, heed these commandments, so that through their fulfillment we may become sons of light. So, you servants and sons of God, bear with each other.”
Mf. 5:44–45
A Christian can resist evil, but not with evil, but with reason.
And Blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria was completely convinced that enemies are what gives us the ability to become better:
“For they should be revered as benefactors, because everyone who persecutes and tempts us reduces the punishment for our sins. On the other hand, God will reward us with a great reward for this. For listen: “That you may be sons of your Father in heaven, for He makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.”
Theophylact of Bulgaria
Archbishop of Ohrid in Bulgaria
This does not mean at all that a believer should tolerate evil in his direction. However, if someone robbed you, hit you, or lied to you, you can contact the police, the press, the court, etc. But taking revenge is not Christian; a believer should not take such a path.
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Why is it so difficult for us to love our enemies?
The human soul is multifaceted, we can love and hate, forgive and punish, be kind and cruel, show our irritation and anger. Due to different circumstances, under the influence of different kinds of situations, we express our state of mind in different ways.
If the sun is shining around, the birds are singing, then your soul is light and calm. At such moments, you want to enjoy life and give kindness to everyone around you. But if something doesn’t work out, there are troubles at work and in the family, then we become irritable and are ready to take it out on the first person we meet. And if at such moments someone else shouts, pushes or is rude, then in response we behave in exactly the same way, responding with rudeness to rudeness.
