What does it mean to"Love your enemies?"?

Question

Can you think a a person who does this and explain how he or she loves thier enemies?

Answer 1

No, I can't think of anyone who does this....how sad is that?

To love your enemy is to care about, have compassion for, show generosity towards, someone who has none of those things for you.

I really need to work on this.

Answer 2

If you take a drop of water from the mighty ocean and put it in a glass, its chemical components remain the same, however, it may not be as powerful. Put it back in the ocean and it merges and becomes part of that powerful ocean once again.

That devine spark of the Supreme is in all of us even your enemies. Loving your enemies is loving the Supreme in the most difficult way but most admirable one by Him. When we leave this earthly body we all ' eventually' merge with Him to be part of that beautiful Entity.

Love your enemies and you're loving God.

Answer 3

You love your enemies the same way as loving neighbor in that you do not consciously try to damage or harm your enemies. You also wish them well! People can change if they want to. This life is everyone's chance to follow the Lord whether sooner or later in life.

http://www.mechanicsburgnewchurch.org

Answer 4

This is a good question and understandable inasmuch as it would seem almost impossible to love an enemy. It will help to understand the different Greek words for love: eros (romantic love), storge (family love based on natural affection); philia (love between friends); and finally, agape (love guided or governed by principle). Agape is the Greek word used by Jesus when he instructed us to love our enemies. It does not mean we have affection for them, approve of what they do, or even feel some friendship towards them. It simply means our conduct towards them is a matter of doing what is right. Agape love allows our treatment of them to be guided by moral principles, right principles. So, how would we treat a man arrested for murdering our loved one? We would not want him tormented, tortured or treated like an animal. We would not want his rights violated. We would pursue justice through the court system because that is why it is there – to give us justice. And when he is found guilty, we would want him punished with justice, not vicious torment or animalistic torture.

Notice how Jesus treated his enemies. Always, he was governed by moral principles – those taught to him by his heavenly father.

Answer 5

Yes. Hindus. Because they are doormats and they have forgotten to stand up for themselves and fight for their rights as listed in the Gita.

You know what door mat means? Oh let me explain. We usually keep a door mat outside our entrance so the people coming in, can wipe their dirty feet on it before they come into the home. So when you are a door mat, you allow your enemies to wipe their dirty feet on you and come into your home.

Make any sense? I know hindus are exactly that. They love their enemies and have forgotten all the work that Gandhiji did and all that is taught by Lord Krishna. They will even eat beef just to please their enemy and make the enemy their best friends even when their daughters and sisters are being raped and abducted by the enemy. They will sit back and say its ok when the enemy is coming and blackmailing them, and stealing their property.

I know people who love their enemy. It is not christians or muslims. It is hindus.

Answer 6

Matt 5:43
"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor[h] and hate your enemy.' 44But I tell you: Love your enemies[i] and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?

Answer 7

It's a natural thing to hate your enemies...but when God mentioned it in the Bible, God really ment was "do not do harm your enemies" as a christian we are protected by God that it angers him if someone do us some harm...which is bad news for our enemies...that's why along side that command is: " pray to those who persecute ( harm / enemies ) you..." for their own good. Also it's the only way to break the cycle of vilolence / vengence.

Answer 8

It's not as impossible as you think...as most answers had already provided, it's about doing well to those that want to harm you. Wishing well when they wish to assault you, and the fruits of such loving reaction will absorbe even the most fearce of anger and will even bare fruits in time.
As many other examples that you have read, it works...but the most brilliant of examples that continues to ring bells in my ears, is the Australian Troops with the Turkes in Gallipoly.
You cannot get any more enmiety than that, yet they respected and loved each other, treated each others' wonded, fed each other and exchanged messages of hope and peace, IN THE MIDST OF THE BATTLE GROUND...I think that to me is Christianity's message 'loving your enemy' at its highest level of spiritual practicality.

Answer 9

IT means to love them. It's like this someone does something really mean to you instead of you doing something mean back do something really nice for them. This will confuse them and it's really not easy but two wrongs don't make a right and you should let them know the reason you are doing this is because you love them.
This kind of Love can only happen if you Have God in your life.

Answer 10

To love ur enemy means to respect them and to treat them right. True, they are ur enemies but u must be righteous with them as the bible says. My Godmother's husband is a perfect example.There may be people who go against him and try to make things difficult for him. He just looks them in the eyes and says"God bless you, brother" and he forgives them.

Answer 11

My Grandma was the perfect example of a Christian that loved her enemy. Someone kept robbing my Grandpa's store. They found out it was a young man and his parents had kicked him out. My Grandma said he wasn't a criminal and just needed love and Jesus so she went and bailed him out of jail, fed him, clothed him, and let him stay in their house. She took him to church with her and he got saved. Now he's a pastor serving the Lord on a daily basis. How do you think his life would have been if my Grandma would have held anger in her heart instead of reaching out and loving her neighbor? I can't imagine and neither can he.