Introduction
Jesus encourages his kingdom people to act in love even in the midst of facing persecution as he exemplified. The immediate background of today’s passage is Christian persecution (v 22-26). Christians are not ordinary people as we possess the divine nature; that is, the Holy Spirit. As the Spirit dwells within them, they are given ears to hear and given a direct command from the Lord Jesus. Giving heed to the word of God leads to understanding and a life of obedience.
Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you… (v 27)
A transformed heart that is indwelt by the Holy Spirit enables the Christian to love with a divine love that only God is able to give. It is this divine love Jesus speaks that allows Christians to practice. Jesus exemplified this love. The divine love we read in Scripture is known as agape love. God loves because he is true to his nature to love. As God’s kingdom people, we are to love in the same manner he loves; that is, we are to love everyone, but especially to the brethren (Gal. 6:10). God’s love unto both the righteous and unrighteous (Matt. 5:45). So, we too, must love all. God’s love is demonstrated ultimately on the cross when Jesus died for our sins.
Jesus is also speaking of a loving heart attitude. This is significant at that time because the Jewish traditions taught to love each other and hate their enemies. In stark contrast to the teachings of Judaism, Jesus was teaching the disciples to love their enemies. Jesus is consistent with what Scripture has always taught – to love everyone (Lev. 19:18).
Only the true Christian are able as they have been chosen to love as they are given the power through the Spirit. Only Christians are able to show the fruit of the Spirit. Prior to being saved, we only loved those who loved us. But given our new nature, we are no longer governed by flesh but by the Spirit. However, we might fail to love in this way when we are disobeying (Lk. 9:23). Without denying ourselves, we are unable to love. In addition, we must follow Christ daily in order to avoid failing to love our enemies.
What motivates us to love our enemies is that we know their spiritual condition. They are spiritually dead and blinded, living in darkness. By loving and sharing the gospel, Christians help the unbelievers think of their spiritual condition and seek salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus also recognized this (Lk. 23:24). And we pray for fervently that they repent and believe (v 47).
How are we able to love our enemies? By doing good to those that hate you (v 27). We are not to go against them, but to love them despite hating us. In other words, we do not retaliate whatsoever (Rom. 12:17-18; 20-21; 1 Pet. 2:23).
Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you (v 28)
Here, Jesus s referring to blessing our enemies with our words in grace and love. Practical ways that can help when enemies say or do anything bad to us is not to take things personally and remembering we would be the same without the grace of God (Prov. 10:12; 1 Cor. 15:10).
Jesus also calls us to pray for those that mistreat us (v 28). Who we pray for demonstrates where our hearts lie. Do we only pray for those that we care about? We must be determined to love by praying for the enemy and their souls. It is never a waste of time to do this, and rather a blessing unto us. Those that pray for the lost understand the reality of spiritual warfare is present and Satan is behind persecution (Eph. 6:12). However, even in light of failing to love our enemies, do not be discourage or doubt your salvation, but realize we failed to be like our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Jn. 1:9).
Christian, remember to love and treasure our Lord’s words when face persecution and our enemies: “Blessed, are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For in the same way their fathers to treat their prophets” (v 22-23).
BIBLE COMMUNITY CHURCH 
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