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21.† If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:
22.† For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee.
In what heathen code of morals shall we find this perfection of love? Every system concedes largely to selfishness. None reach beyond “loving those that love us,” of which the true Lawgiver justly asks, “What reward have ye?” (Matthew 5:46, 47.) Nay — the corrupt Jewish teachers could not rise to this sublime standard. ‘They did not, it seems, perceive anything to be disapproved in hatred, more than in good will. And, according to their system of morals, “our enemy” was the proper natural object of one of these passions, as “our neighbor” was of the other.’† They could not come up to the law: and therefore, perverting the rule of judicial, to authorize private, vengeance,† they brought the law down to their own level.
The agreement between the Old and New Testament codes† is most complete. Both were dictated by the same Spirit. Each stamps the other with divine authority. ‘The law of love is not expounded more spirituality in any single precept either of Christ or his Apostles, than in this exhortation.’† We need not therefore disparage one system, in order to exalt the other. “The new commandment is that which we had from the beginning;” old in its authority; “new” only, as enforced by a new principle and example.† To suppose that the gospel stretches beyond the measure of the law, would imply either that the law demanded too little, or the Gospel too much. Neither supposition honors the law, as the unchangeable transcript of the divine perfections.
There may be no open breach of the law, while yet the heart revolts from its high standard. Circumstances may hinder open retaliation. Our enemy may be out of our reach, or may be too great to offend with impunity. But the grudge remains.† There would be a pleasure at his misfortune.† We think of him only in connection with our injuries. The spark may be confined for years, and on some favorable opportunity burst out into a murderous flame. (2 Samuel 13:23, 28.) How many haltings and shiftings are there at best, before we fully embrace the obligation! How much of a retorting spirit, or measuring our conduct towards our enemy by his towards us! And if on any point we have constrained our selfish hearts to return good for evil, what ministering to self-complacency, or self-righteousness!
We are not bound to trust our enemies; but we are bound to forgive them. And yet too often our “love” to them is only ceasing to quarrel with them. If we put off revenge, as inconsistent with our Christian name; yet do we “put on, as the elect of God, bowels of mercies — forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any”? (Colossians 3:12, 13.) ‘Love is of too substantial a nature to be made up of mere negatives; and withal too operative to terminate in bare desires.’† We may profess our good-will towards our enemy, that we forgive and pray for him from our heart. But unless we are ready with the practical exercise of sympathy — feeding him when he is hungry, and giving him to drink, when thirsty — we are only the victims of our own self-delusion. ‘O noble revenge of Elisha’ — exclaims Bishop Hall, ‘to feast his persecutors! To provide a table for those who had provided a grave for him! No revenge but this is heroical, and fit for Christian imitation.’† To feed our hungry enemy with the tenderness of a nurse, who breaks the portion into morsels for her infant's nourishment† — What a splendor does nature's opposition give to this victory of grace!
No man ever conquered his enemy's heart by revenge; many by love. Was it not thus, that the Almighty Savior dissolved the hardness of our unyielding hearts? Let the effort be tried. Surround the intractable metal beneath and above; not only putting it over the fire, but heaping coals of fire upon it. Few hearts are so obdurate, as not to melt under the mighty energy of patient, self-denying, burning love. (1 Samuel 24:16-20; 26:25.) Or even should it be dross that resists the vehement flame, all will not be lost. If thine enemy will not recompense thee for all the good done to him, concern not thyself with that. The LORD shall reward thee. The God of love will honor his own image on his own children. (Matthew 5:44, 45.) David in this confidence restrained the rising vengeance in his zealous servants,† and in similar forbearance found his “prayer for his enemy's good returned into his own bosom.”† We are directed to return “blessing for railing, knowing that hereunto are we called, that we should inherit a blessing.” (1 Peter 3:9.) Our chief aim therefore must be to gain the victory of meekness and love. The perverseness of our enemies will thus become a great advantage to us. We shall be indebted to them for some measure of conformity to our Divine Master.
To dispute the reasonableness of the precept is to say, that ‘man is the proper object of good-will, whatever his faults are, when they respect others; but not when they respect myself. I am sure,’ (adds Bishop Butler — probing to the bottom) ‘there is nothing in it unreasonable. It is indeed no more than that we should not indulge a passion, which, if generally indulged, would propagate itself, so as almost to lay waste the world.’†
But most reasonable as this precept is, it is infinitely removed from man's native power. The rules, no less than the doctrines, of God, are “foolishness to him.” (1 Corinthians 2:14.) Let those who look to “enter into life by keeping the commandments,” begin with this. They would soon see that they might as soon turn the sun backward; that they could as readily cut “off a right hand,” as reach it out to feed an enemy in distress. Such an exhibition of love would be in their eyes an ideal perfection; or at least, like an exquisite piece of workmanship, which every one admires, but no one attempts to imitate.
Yet is it really impracticable? So the world counts it. So my own corrupt heart finds it. But “I can do all things” — this then among the rest — “through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Philippians 4:13.) It shall then be done willingly, joyfully. My enemy has no claim upon my life; yet he that bids me love him, claims and deserves my full obedience. (John 14:15.) ‘We are the disciples of him who died for his enemies.’† Did we but drink more largely into his spirit, this impracticable precept would be not our task or our cross, but our delight and indulgence.
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