The verse in question, Luke 6:28, reads “Bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” This verse comes from Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain, where he teaches his followers how to live and act as citizens of God’s kingdom. In this section, Jesus instructs his followers to love their enemies, do good to those who hate them, bless those who curse them, and pray for those who abuse them. This teaching goes against human nature and worldly wisdom, which tells us to retaliate against those who wrong us. However, Jesus calls his followers to a higher standard of loving even their enemies. So what does it mean to “bless those who curse you”? Let’s explore this challenging teaching further.
1. It means speaking words of blessing over those who insult or mistreat you
To “bless” someone means to speak favor, benefit, or God’s grace over their life. Rather than returning insults or curses, Jesus tells us to actively speak words of blessing over that person. This could be through prayer, asking God to work in their life and heart. It could mean verbally wishing them well-being, even if they are hostile toward you. Blessing demonstrates love and faith that God can change hearts.
2. It means doing good to those who harm you
Jesus takes it beyond just words, to actually doing good deeds for enemies. As Romans 12:20 says, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.” Blessing those who curse you includes acts of generosity, service, and meeting needs. It’s returning good for evil. This shows Christlike care for their well-being, contrasting the harm they’ve caused. Blessing through action reflects God’s unconditional love.
3. It means praying for your enemies
An important part of blessing others is bringing them before God in prayer. We can ask God to be at work in their lives, redeem their hearts, meet their needs, and pour out His grace on them. Praying for enemies demonstrates love and entrusts justice and vengeance to God (see Romans 12:19). It’s easier to hate enemies from a distance, but harder when regularly praying for them. Prayer aligns our heart with God’s purposes.
4. It means releasing them from obligation or debt
Jesus teaches we should forgive others who’ve wronged us, releasing them from any sense of debt or obligation. We bless others by freeing them from guilt over any harm done toward us. This reflects the forgiveness we’ve received from Christ (Colossians 3:13). It doesn’t necessarily mean trusting them or putting ourselves in harm’s way. But we release bitterness and desire for revenge. This allows God’s grace to operate.
5. It means caring for their eternal well-being
Ultimately, blessing enemies cares for their eternal state before God. While difficult relationships may continue on earth, we know one day we’ll give account for how we loved others (Matthew 25:31-46). So we bless others by wanting them to know salvation in Christ, even if they reject or curse us now. We overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21) and care for their eternal destiny.
6. It reflects God’s grace and love
When we extend blessing to those who harm us, it reflects God’s character of grace and unconditional love. “But I say to you, love your enemies…that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:44-45). As image-bearers of God, we mirror His generous love. Blessing enemies shows we’re maturing as children of our gracious Father.
7. It leaves justice and vengeance to God
Blessing enemies rather than retaliating is an act of faith. We trust that God will deal justly with those who’ve harmed us. Paul writes, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord'” (Romans 12:19). God alone has the right to punish evildoers. When we bless our enemies, we step back and leave justice in God’s hands.
8. It overcomes evil with good
Blessing those who harm us breaks cycles of revenge and bitterness that fuel more evil. Jesus taught that evil should be overcome with good rather than more evil. So blessing enemies stops evil in its tracks by absorbing it through love. Paul explains, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21). Our good response of blessing can redeem the situation.
9. It points people to Christ
When we supernaturally bless enemies, it gets people’s attention and points them to Christ. Jesus said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:44-45). Our radical love stands out from typical worldly responses. People ask how we can forgive and bless others in this way. This gives opportunity to explain it’s through Christ’s transforming power in our lives.
10. It results in eternal reward
Jesus concludes this teaching by promising eternal reward for loving enemies: “Your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High” (Luke 6:35). While blessing enemies is difficult, Jesus assures us it’s worth it. There is eternal blessing in store when we follow Him in radical love. The more we grow in reproducing God’s generous love now, the greater our experience of that love will be in eternity.
11. It requires supernatural empowerment
Blessing enemies certainly doesn’t come naturally! It requires supernatural empowerment from God’s Spirit. The transformation happens from the inside out as God changes our hearts to be more like Christ. We can only love this radically through the strength He provides. As we abide in Christ, the Holy Spirit enables us to bless others beyond human capability.
12. It’s a process of growth in grace
Learning to bless others doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a process as we mature in grace. What we can’t do in our own strength, God transforms us over time to do by His strength. This growth happens as we obey in the small moments of life. As we choose to bless and forgive when it’s hard, prayerfully relying on God’s help, He changes our hearts.
13. It follows Christ’s example
When Jesus called His followers to bless those who curse them, He modeled this principle Himself. As Jesus was mocked, beaten, and crucified, He prayed over His persecutors, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). And Stephen the martyr prayed for those stoning him in Acts 7:60. Blessing enemies follows Jesus’ pattern of loving unanimously and forgiving great wrongs.
14. It’s countercultural and radical
The world says retaliation is strength and blessing enemies is weakness. But Jesus turns these notions upside down. Blessing enemies requires incredible inner strength and courage to go against our natural tendencies. It’s radically countercultural. But it’s also radically Christlike as we follow Jesus’ upside-down value system.
15. It displays confidence in God’s sovereignty
When we bless those who harm us, we show confidence that God is ultimately in control. We don’t have to take matters into our own hands because we know God reigns supremely. God promises to work all things for our good (Romans 8:28). So we can bless others and trust God with results, even if relationships never improve.
In summary, blessing those who curse us is a clearly countercultural, radical teaching from Jesus. But it’s central to living as kingdom citizens under God’s upside-down value system. As we grow in depending on the Spirit’s strength, God transforms our hearts to speak, do, and pray blessing over enemies. This actively loves others and overcomes evil with good, pointing people to Christ. And it results in our eternal reward for following our gracious Father.