Our enemies are unkind
“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Mt 5: 44)
Jesus said to his disciples:
“You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers and sisters only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5: 43-48)
In addition to loving our neighbour, Jesus asks us to take our charity a step further by loving those who hate us. He asks us to love those who despise us or those who persecute us because of our love for Jesus (and not because, for example, of our bad character). However, let us remember that Jesus is not asking our enemies to be kind to us. He is "only" asking us to love our enemies, that is, to want what is truly good for them. So, let us strive to love those who hate us, even if it is does not come naturally for us.
