Luke 6:27-36·~1 min

Love Your Enemies

Jesus commands love for enemies, blessing for cursers, prayer for mistreaters, patient response to injury, open-handed giving, and the same treatment toward others that one desires.

B²⁷ut to those of you who will listen, I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. ²⁹If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone takes your cloak, do not withhold your tunic as well. ³⁰Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what is yours, do not demand it back. ³¹Do to others as you would have them do to you.

Jesus contrasts ordinary mutual kindness with love that expects nothing back, then calls for mercy patterned after the Father’s mercy.

³²If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. ³³If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. ³⁴And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. ³⁵But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. ³⁶Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Section summaryJesus speaks to those willing to listen and commands love toward enemies, along with good, blessing, prayer, patience, generosity, and reciprocal conduct. He contrasts this with ordinary mutual love and lending, then grounds the command in the Father’s mercy.

Role in the chapterThis is the chapter’s longest ethical movement, tracing mercy through speech, restraint, generosity, and likeness to the Father.