Loving the Difficult Person: Saturday after Ash Wednesday

“But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.”— Matthew 5:44

Jesus’ command to love our enemies is one of the most radical aspects of the Gospel. In the Old Testament, justice often followed the rule of an eye for an eye, but Jesus calls his followers to do something far greater. He calls the into divine love (agape). Divine love looks for the good of the other person, even when it is undeserved. This love is not guided by emotions but in the very nature of God, who “makes his sun rise on the bad and the good” (Matthew 5:45). To love our enemies is to mirror the mercy and love of the God.

The Challenging Commandment

This command from Matthew's gospel is difficult because it calls us to go beyond human instinct and into the realm of divine grace. Loving the difficult person in our lives does not mean ignoring hurt or excusing wrongdoing. It means not allowing the bitterness to find a resting spot within us. When we pray for those who test our patience, we open our hearts to God’s transforming love. We begin to see them not through the lens of their faults, but through the kindness of Christ.

Some people test our patience. but Jesus calls us to love even those who are hard to love.

Today, pray for someone you struggle with. Ask God to give you eyes to see them with his kindness.