Is Hatred Ever Justified?
Updated: 3 days ago
by David Rollert
Most of us have come upon situations where a person has done something (or many things) that are simply evil. Take abusers, murderers, and those who swindle the elderly, for example. In our righteous indignation, or simple anger, we might wish that those people were dead so that they could not hurt anyone else. Or maybe we wish that someone would inflict on them the same suffering they have caused others. While this may be understandably human, is it the way God’s people should conduct themselves?
Jesus answers this question for us in the Sermon on the Mount. He says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy’” (Matt. 5:41). That is the normal way the secular world conducts itself; love your friends, hate your enemies. Jesus continues, however, by saying, “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matt. 5:42). He flips the normal human way of thinking on its head. Rather than hating your enemies, love them. Rather than plotting revenge on those who persecute you, pray for them.
Any of us who have been in religious circles for any amount of time have heard this a lot before. But knowing it and feeling it are very different things. Why would Jesus tell us to love our enemies? Does that mean that we just allow ourselves to become victimized and abused? No, it does not! This does not say you need to allow yourself to be abused or that you cannot seek safety. Rather, this tells us that we need to rise above the world’s evil way of thinking. A child of God should never cause harm nor wish harm on anyone.
Jesus goes on by saying, “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?” Those same people we want to hate also love their friends and hate their enemies. As God’s children, we need to rise above their level by showing godly love, even to those who are evil. Thus, we demonstrate: 1) We are not evil like them; 2) They have souls, and we might influence them toward repentance; 3) We want to imitate God’s love for us when we were lost in our sins.
Now, obviously, this does not negate God’s judgment, nor the lawful execution of justice by the proper earthly authorities. But wishing evil on them will not help us heal. So, don’t give in to the temptation to wish evil upon wicked people. Instead, pray for them, that they will repent and turn to God!
Watch the full lesson!
Things That Steal Joy: Desiring the Death of the Wicked is part of an ongoing series of lessons comparing the results of worldly habits vs. godly habits:
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