Matthew 5:44
“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;”
King James Version (KJV)
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This teaching comes in the series of contrasts where Jesus deepens the law's intent. Here He corrects the saying that one should love a neighbor and hate an enemy, calling instead for love that mirrors the Father.
What Does Matthew 5:44 Mean?
Jesus gives one of His most demanding commands: love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat and persecute you. This overturns the natural human instinct to repay hostility with hostility. Where the common wisdom of the day allowed loving a neighbor while hating an enemy, Jesus calls for a love that reaches even those who wish us harm.
Notice that this love is not a warm feeling but a set of concrete actions -- to bless, to do good, to pray. It is love expressed in deeds toward those who least deserve it. Jesus is not asking us to approve of evil or pretend that wrong is right; He is calling us to seek the genuine good of even those who oppose us. The verses that follow give the reason: this is how we show ourselves to be children of our Father in heaven, who sends sun and rain on the just and the unjust alike. To love only those who love us is no different from what anyone does. The distinctive mark of a follower of Jesus is love that breaks the cycle of retaliation. Praying for an enemy is perhaps the hardest and most transforming part, for it is difficult to keep hating someone you sincerely pray for. In this command, Jesus calls us to reflect the boundless, undeserved love of God Himself.
In the Original Language
The Greek agapao, "love," denotes deliberate goodwill and action, not mere affection. The enemies are echthroi, the hostile. Jesus commands prayer (proseuchomai) even for persecutors.
Cross References
“But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,”
- Luke 6:27
“Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.”
- Romans 12:20
“If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:”
- Proverbs 25:21
Application
Toward someone who has wronged you, choose the concrete actions of love -- speak well of them, do them good, and pray for them -- breaking the cycle of retaliation.
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