The teaching to love your enemies was not limited to the Jews or to that period of time some two thousand years ago; it applies equally today and is just as foreign in concept now as it was back then. Many think that if they do not hate their enemies, they are fulfilling this command. But if the Lord treated us according to this principle, we would still be in our sins. We were enemies of God, and the Lord did not come into this world to tolerate us—He came to demonstrate His love by dying for us!

Have you ever been the target of curses or verbal abuse? It is easy to ignore such negativity, but have you ever considered responding with kindness and blessings? Perhaps there are those who harbor hatred towards you; instead of merely tolerating them, strive to do good to them. Find a way to show them charity, mirroring God’s goodness towards you. Some may even go to the extent of persecuting you and seeking to harm you. In such cases, pray for them! Remember, the Lord turned your wayward heart to Him, and He can do the same for them.

God’s capacity to love is boundless, far surpassing our own, but we are called to emulate Him. God loved the world as it was; He did not wait for it to become lovable, and we should not wait for our enemies to change their ways before loving them. God loved an ungrateful world, a world that was not—and is not—interested in Him. His love was not a response to ours or earned; it was a decision based on who He is. That is the love He wants us to embody as well: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son” (Jn. 3:16).