Love Your Enemies
Turn the other cheek, go the extra mile
This teaching talks about being slapped, sued, and forced to serve, and about people who hurt us.
Two things you can tap
- A verse number shows the Bible’s exact words.
- An underlined word shows what it means.
Story
What happened?
Tap a verse number, like , to read the Bible’s exact words.
Who’s who and what came beforePeople, places, and the story so far. Open it anytime.
Scene Card
Cast
- Jesus: The one the Gospels present as the promised Messiah and the Son of God. He is teaching on a mountain.
- The disciples: Jesus's first followers. They sit close to him (5:1).
- The crowd: People from many towns. Many of them came to Jesus sick or in pain (4:24-25).
Setting
- A mountainside in Galilee, the area in northern Israel where Jesus grew up. The Bible does not say which mountain.
When
- Early in Jesus's work, about 2,000 years ago.
Before the Story
This is part of the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 5 to 7 hold one long teaching of Jesus. It begins with the Beatitudes (5:3-12).
Jesus came to fulfill God's law, not to throw it away. He said so plainly: "I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them" (5:17).
Jesus has been going beyond old sayings. Again and again he says, "You have heard that it was said." Then he says, "But I tell you." He shows that God's law cares about what is inside a person, not only about actions.
A safety word before you start. Jesus is not telling anyone to stay where they are being hurt. Read the Literal Reader Alert below. It matters.
Map of the Story
| Scene | Verses | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1. An eye for an eye | 5:38 | Jesus names an old rule about fair punishment |
| 2. The other cheek | 5:39-40 | Do not pay back an insult |
| 3. The second mile | 5:41-42 | Give more than you are forced to |
| 4. Love your enemies | 5:43-44 | Love and pray for people who hurt you |
| 5. Sun and rain | 5:45-47 | God is good to everyone |
| 6. Be perfect | 5:48 | Be whole, like your Father |
Plain Retelling
Scene 1 of 6An Eye for an Eye
Jesus sat on the mountainside. His disciples came close to him, and crowds listened too. Jesus was still teaching.
"You have heard that it was said," Jesus began. Then he quoted an old rule: "Eye for eye and tooth for tooth" (5:38).
This rule was in the law of Moses (Exodus 21:24). It was a rule for judges in a court. It kept punishment fair. If someone hurt you, the court could not punish them more than the harm they did.
So the old rule already put a limit on revenge. Now Jesus asked for more.
Scene 2 of 6The Other Cheek
"But I tell you not to resist an evil person" (5:39), Jesus said.
Then he gave an example. "If someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also" (5:39).
A slap on the cheek was often an insult. It was meant to shame. Jesus told his followers not to hit back. They were not to pay back one insult with another.
This is not a rule for staying where someone hurts you. It is not a rule for keeping hurt a secret. Jesus himself spoke up when a guard struck him (John 18:23).
Jesus gave a second example. Someone might take you to court to get your tunic. A tunic was the shirt you wore under everything. Jesus said to let them have your cloak too. A cloak was your warm outer coat.
Scene 3 of 6The Second Mile
Rome ruled the land back then. Soldiers could force a local person to carry a load for them. Matthew uses the same word when soldiers forced a man named Simon to carry Jesus's cross (27:32).
Jesus said, "If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles" (5:41). A Roman mile was a little shorter than a US mile.
So the first mile was forced. The second mile was a gift.
Then Jesus said to give to the person who asks. He said not to turn away someone who wants to borrow.
Scene 4 of 6Love Your Enemies
"You have heard that it was said," Jesus said again. "Love your neighbor" and "Hate your enemy" (5:43).
The first part comes from the law of Moses (Leviticus 19:18). The second part is not in the Old Testament. The Bible doesn't say where that saying came from. God's own law already told people to help an enemy (Exodus 23:4).
Then Jesus said, "But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (5:44).
An enemy is someone who is against you. To persecute is to hurt or treat someone badly again and again. Jesus did not say to like them. He did not say to trust them. He said to love them and pray for them.
Scene 5 of 6Sun and Rain
Jesus gave the reason. Loving enemies is what God's children do. It is what their Father in heaven does.
"He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous" (5:45).
Every morning the sun came up over the farms of good people and bad people. The rain fell on both. God did not wait for people to earn it.
Then Jesus asked two questions. If you love only the people who love you, what reward will you get? Even tax collectors do that. Tax collectors gathered money for the Romans, and many people disliked them. If you greet only your own family and friends, what are you doing more than others? Even Gentiles do that. Gentiles were people who were not Jewish.
Jesus was not insulting tax collectors or Gentiles. His point was this: loving your friends is normal. Most people do it. God's love goes further.
Scene 6 of 6Be Perfect
Then Jesus ended this part of his teaching.
"Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (5:48).
These words can sound scary. But the Greek word for perfect means complete or whole. It does not mean never making a mistake.
God's love is whole. It does not stop with the people who love him back. Jesus was showing his listeners what that kind of love looks like.
At the end of his life, Jesus lived it. On the cross, people mocked him and hurt him. He prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34).
Meaning
What does it mean?
Read It
What Does This Mean?
| The text says | It means |
|---|---|
| "Eye for eye and tooth for tooth" (5:38) | An old rule for judges. Punishment must fit the harm and go no further. It limited revenge. It did not give anyone permission for it. |
| "Not to resist an evil person" (5:39) | Do not fight back to get even. It does not mean "let people hurt you" or "keep it secret." |
| "Turn to him the other also" (5:39) | Do not pay back an insult with an insult. This is about revenge, not about staying in danger. |
| "Go with him two miles" (5:41) | Do more good than you are forced to do. A forced mile can become a free gift. |
| "Love your enemies" (5:44) | Want what is good for them, and pray for them. Love is not the same as liking or trusting. |
| "Sons of your Father in heaven" (5:45) | God's children. The word "sons" here includes daughters too. It means everyone who belongs to God. Children are often like their parents. In the same way, God's children love the way God loves. |
| "Be perfect" (5:48) | Be whole and complete in love, like God. It does not mean "never make a mistake." |
Back Then
"Eye for eye" was for courts. The law of Moses gives it to judges, who must "investigate thoroughly" first (Deuteronomy 19:18). Another rule in the same part of the law talks about what "the court allows" (Exodus 21:22). It was never permission for people to take revenge on their own.
The law already told people to help enemies. If you saw your enemy's donkey lost, you had to bring it back (Exodus 23:4). A proverb says, "If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat" (Proverbs 25:21). Jesus's teaching grew out of God's law.
A cloak was precious. Poor people often slept in their cloak. Sometimes a lender took a cloak as a promise that a loan would be paid back. God's law said the cloak had to be returned by sunset, "because his cloak is the only covering he has for his body" (Exodus 22:27).
Soldiers could force people to carry things. Matthew uses the same word for "forced" when soldiers made Simon of Cyrene carry Jesus's cross (27:32). The exact rules about how far someone could be forced to go are not certain. The word for mile here means a Roman mile of 1,000 steps. That is about nine-tenths of a US mile (Easton's Bible Dictionary).
A right-cheek slap. Most people are right-handed. A right hand hitting a right cheek would most likely be a backhand slap. The Mishnah is a Jewish law book written down around the year 200. It set a double fine for a backhand slap, because a backhand was more shaming (Mishnah, Bava Kamma 8:6). So many scholars think Jesus pictured an insult more than an attack. Either way, Jesus is not saying it is okay for anyone to hit you.
"Perfect" means whole. The Bible in Basic English uses the word "complete" here. Luke tells the same teaching with a different word: "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful" (Luke 6:36).
Literal Reader Alert
Does "turn the other cheek" mean I have to let someone keep hurting me? No. Jesus is talking about revenge. He is not telling anyone to stay in danger or to keep abuse secret. When a guard slapped Jesus, Jesus asked, "If I spoke correctly, why did you strike Me?" (John 18:23). He named the wrong out loud. Getting away from someone who hurts you is not a sin. Telling someone is not a sin. Telling is not revenge. This is true even when the person is family, a husband or wife, a boyfriend or girlfriend, or a church leader. You do not have to forgive first, or feel loving first, before you get safe. If someone is hurting you, tell someone you trust today, like a parent, pastor, teacher, or friend. If you are in danger, call 911 or your local emergency number. In the United States, you can call or text 988 any time. Outside the United States, findahelpline.com lists free helplines. If this story brings up big feelings, talk with a parent, pastor, or trusted adult.
Does loving an enemy mean I have to trust them or be their friend? No. Love wants what is good for someone, even from far away. You can pray for someone and still keep a safe distance. Sometimes the most loving thing is to stop someone from hurting you and others. The Bible says God gives rulers the job of protecting people from wrongdoing (Romans 13:4). Asking police or a court for help is not revenge.
Do I have to give anything anyone asks for? No. Jesus is teaching generosity. He is not saying to hand over your safety, your body, or your private information. It is okay to say no to someone who is using you.
Does "be perfect" mean God is disappointed if I mess up? No. The word means whole or complete. Jesus says this to people God already calls his children (5:45). Only God is perfect in this way. God gives us his wholeness in Jesus (Hebrews 10:14).
Is it wrong to feel angry? Feeling angry when you are hurt is normal. The Bible says, "Be angry, yet do not sin" (Ephesians 4:26). Earlier in this sermon, Jesus warns about anger that looks down on others and wants to hurt them (5:22). Here he is talking about what we do with our anger. We don't have to get even. We can hand the wrong to God (Romans 12:19).
How People Feel
| Who | Feeling | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The crowds | Astonished | Jesus taught "as one who had authority" (7:29) |
| The person slapped, in Jesus's example | Insulted and hurt | Someone struck them on the cheek (5:39) |
For you
What does it mean for me?
Your Turn
Who is hard to love right now? Tap one.
Someone who hurt me
That hurt is real, and your anger makes sense. You don't have to pretend it was okay. You can start by asking God to help you not get even. You can pray for them, even with one sentence.
Someone who is still hurting me
Jesus does not ask you to stay and be hurt. Please tell someone you trust today. Telling is not revenge. Getting safe is not a lack of love. You can pray for them from a safe distance.
I feel guilty
Maybe you have not loved your enemies. Nobody does this well. God loved you first. Christ died for us "while we were still sinners" (Romans 5:8). In Jesus, you are forgiven.
I can't do this
That's honest. Jesus's words show how big God's love is. They also show that we need God. The Holy Spirit gives us this love slowly, over time.
It's really bad right now
Please tell someone you trust today. In the U.S., call or text 988. If you are in danger, call 911 or your local emergency number. Outside the U.S., findahelpline.com lists free helplines.
You Might Have Heard
"A good Christian lets people treat them badly. Forgive, forget, and keep quiet."
What's true: Jesus really does call us not to get even. That is hard, and it matters.
What the passage is mainly about: God's love, which reaches even enemies. Jesus is talking about revenge. He is not saying to hide abuse or stay in danger. He spoke up when he was struck (John 18:23). Love can say, "No. Stop. This is wrong." It can tell someone and get help. Protecting yourself and others is not hatred.
Where Jesus is: Jesus did what he taught. On the cross, he did not curse the people who hurt him. He prayed, "Father, forgive them" (Luke 23:34). The Crucifixion, another story on this site, tells that part.
Good News
This teaching is hard. It shows us how often we fail to love. Nobody loves their enemies perfectly.
But look at who Jesus says God is. God sends sun and rain on everyone, good and evil (5:45). That is grace, God's love and gifts we don't earn.
And God loved us like that first. The Bible says we were God's enemies, and God still came for us (Romans 5:10). "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Jesus prayed for the people who crucified him (Luke 23:34). "We love because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19).
In Baptism, God calls you his child. The Holy Spirit helps you love the way God loves, a little at a time.
You are not loved because you love your enemies well. You are loved because God loved his enemies, and that includes you.
From the Wider Church
Augustine was a church leader who lived about 1,600 years ago. He wrote about this passage in Our Lord's Sermon on the Mount. He pointed out that Jesus did not offer the other cheek when the guard struck him (John 18:22-23). Yet Jesus was willing to suffer much more, even the cross, to save everyone. In plain words, Augustine taught that this command is about a person's inner attitude, not a rule about cheeks (Book 1, chapter 19).
Big Idea
God sends his sun and rain on everyone, and in Jesus he loves his enemies, including us.
If this story brings up big feelings, talk with someone you trust, like a parent, pastor, or counselor.
For leaders and parentsLuther, church readings, and notes for teaching.
From Luther
Luther preached on the Sermon on the Mount in the early 1530s. His commentary was later printed in English (Charles A. Hay translation, 1892). In plain words, he taught that Jesus is speaking to Christians about their own personal lives. Jesus is not doing away with courts and rulers who protect people. A Christian may report a wrong to the courts and rulers. Then the Christian lets them deal with it. This is right as long as it is not for revenge.
In the Small Catechism (1529), Luther explains the Fifth Commandment, "You shall not murder." In plain words: we should fear and love God so that we do not hurt or harm our neighbor's body. Instead, we should help and support our neighbor in every bodily need (Concordia Triglotta English, 1921).
In Church
Many churches follow a reading plan called the Revised Common Lectionary. It reads Matthew 5:38-48 on the Seventh Sunday after Epiphany in Year A, with Leviticus 19. That Sunday only happens in years when Easter comes late. Luke's version (Luke 6:27-38) is read on the same Sunday in Year C.
We quote Luther for what he got right about grace. He also wrote terrible things about Jewish people. Read our note on that.
Memorize
How do I keep it?
One line from this story to learn by heart. Practice a little now. It will come back later so it sticks.
But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
How did that feel?