Scripture For Today
“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.” - Luke 6:27–28 NIV
Jesus speaks these words to people who are truly listening, inviting them into a way of love that goes far beyond natural instinct. Most of us find it easy to love those who love us back. But here, Jesus names four hard directions: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you.
This is deeply costly. It means choosing to respond to hostility with mercy, to injury with kindness, and to injustice with intercession. Loving your enemies does not mean pretending harm does not exist or allowing abuse to continue unchecked. It means refusing to let hatred, revenge, or bitterness rule your heart.
Doing good to those who hate you is a decision to act from God’s character instead of from wounded pride. Blessing those who curse you turns your words from retaliation to grace, and praying for those who mistreat you brings their names into God’s presence instead of into endless internal arguments. This way of living reflects the heart of Jesus Himself.
He loved those who opposed Him, forgave those who crucified Him, and prayed for those who did not understand Him. His love was not weak; it was strong enough to absorb wrong without returning it in kind. When He calls His followers to love enemies, He is inviting them to share in His own pattern: to let His Spirit enable what the human heart cannot do on its own.
These verses also protect the heart of the believer. Holding onto hatred and resentment corrodes us from the inside. When we choose love, goodness, blessing, and prayer in the face of hostility, we are not excusing evil; we are refusing to be shaped by it. Instead, we let God’s love shape us.
Over time, this can soften hardened places, free us from the weight of bitterness, and sometimes even open the door for reconciliation or transformation. If you are thinking of someone who has hurt, opposed, or mistreated you, these words may feel impossible.
Jesus does not ask you to start with warm feelings. He invites you to start with obedient choices: small acts of good, words that refuse to curse, prayers that place that person before God. As you walk this out, His grace meets you in the tension, and His love begins to do in you what you could not do alone.
Three Practical Ways To Walk Out This Word Daily
1. Begin By Praying For One “Enemy”
Think of one person who has hurt, opposed, or deeply irritated you. Bring their name to God in prayer, not to justify them, but to place them in His hands. Ask God to work in their life and to guard your heart from hatred as He does.
2. Replace One Retaliatory Response With Good
When you feel the urge to respond sharply, withdraw, or get even, pause and ask, “What is one small good I can choose instead?” It could be a calm reply, a refusal to gossip, or a quiet act of kindness where God leads.
3. Guard Your Words With Blessing
Pay attention to how you speak about those who oppose or mistreat you. Ask God to help you avoid cursing, harsh language, or vindictive words. Instead, when you talk about them, choose restraint or even a simple blessing: “Lord, lead them to You.”
Closing Empowerment
Luke 6:27–28 calls you into a love that is not natural, but it is deeply Christlike. As you choose to love enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you, you are walking in the footsteps of Jesus. You may feel the strain of it, but you will also discover that His grace is strong enough to sustain you, and His love is powerful enough to reshape both your heart and the way you move through a hurting world.