Enemies and Duty Toward Discipleship


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Worst Enemy?

Christian love draws no distinction between one enemy and another, except that the more bitter our enemy’s hatred, the greater his need for love.  Be his enemy political or religious, he has nothing to expect from a follower of Jesus but unqualified love.  In such love there is no inner discord between private person and official capacity.  In both, we are disciples of Christ or we are not Christians at all.  Am I asked how this love is to behave?  Jesus gives the answer: bless, do good, and pray for your enemies without reserve and without respect of persons.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer in The Cost of Discipleship.

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