Proverbs Devotion - Day 25

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus makes his famous statement about how we should interact with those who are our enemies, saying, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” It is often viewed as merely a New Testament teaching, meaning that if we want to feel better about our bitterness, anger, and even hatred toward those who have wronged us, we are safe in the Old Testament. Yet, Solomon gives the same teaching in today’s proverb, saying, “If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.” The meaning of these passages is clear, yet it is the living out of their teaching that leaves us feeling unable, or worse, unwilling, to be obedient.

To understand this text, we must first look at our own history with God. Apart from saving grace, Scripture describes humanity not as neutral seekers, but as active enemies of God (Romans 5:10). We were rebels running from Him and embracing everything that goes against His design. Yet, God did not respond to our cosmic treason with immediate destruction. Instead, in His rich mercy, He pursued us. He did exactly what Solomon describes in this passage. He fed us with the Bread of Life, and He quenched our thirst with the Living Water of Jesus Christ. When we are called to feed our hungry enemy or to love them that persecute us, this is not a command that is given absent an example to follow. In truth, we are being called to exhibit the same grace to others that God has already gifted to us. We love our enemies because Christ loved His enemies first.

The phrase "heap burning coals on his head" is often misunderstood as a passive-aggressive way to get revenge. We think that by following through with God’s teaching, we can actually cause our enemies to suffer. First, that is not what the phrase means. Second, to think that this is a passive-aggressive solution to revenge ignores the biblical truth that God alone is the judge of all and His justice is perfect. I think that there are two possibilities that this language can produce. The first would be a burning of repentance. In the ancient Near East, carrying a pan of burning coals on one's head was a public sign of contrition and repentance. By responding to cruelty with radical kindness, you pierce the enemy's conscience. The Holy Spirit often uses our unexpected grace to melt a hard heart, exposing their guilt and leading them to repentance. The second possibility is the burning of divine judgment. In the event the enemy rejects your kindness and hardens their heart, those coals represent the escalating weight of God's final judgment. By refusing to retaliate, you step out of God's way. You trust the Sovereign Judge who said, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay" (Romans 12:19).

The passage concludes with a promise that living this instruction out will result in the Lord’s reward. I think that this reward should be understood as an eternal reward that is a result of our relationship with Christ. Loving an enemy is humanly impossible. Due to our fallen nature, our natural instinct is always to strike back or harbor bitterness. Therefore, obeying this command is proof of the sanctifying work of God in our hearts. It shows that the Holy Spirit is actively working in your heart, replacing your fragile human pride with the supernatural humility of Christ. It goes back to what was said at the beginning of this devotion. We will love our enemies because we love with the love of Christ, which is a love that was shown to us while we were still his enemies. When you feed your enemy, you declare to the world that you trust God in all things. You trust that He sees your pain, He vindicates His people, and He sustains you so completely that you do not need to fight for your own glory. Take some time today and ask yourself if there is anyone in your life who is an “enemy” or maybe an antagonist in your life. If there is, then what can you do to practically offer them bread and water today?