Serving Your Enemies (Proverbs 25:21-22)
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Proverbs 25:21-22
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.
‘Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.’ That’s how Paul closes Romans 12:9-21, a section of Scripture titled ‘Marks of a True Christian.’ He says those words right after quoting what we just read in Proverbs 25.
I love these verses. Is there any clearer distinction between the way of our Lord and the way of the world? No worldly moral system will tell you to ‘love those who hate you’ or ‘bless those who persecute you’ (Matthew 5:44). Instead, the world tells you to love those who love you, to serve those who serve you.
But to that, Jesus says, ‘For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?’ (Matthew 5:46).
Proverbs 25:21-22 is a picture of Christ-like love in action.
It doesn’t seethe; rather, it serves.
Jesus is the ultimate example of this. Think about it: He washed the feet of the man who would betray Him and hand Him over to be crucified. If Jesus can do that – if He can love His enemy that way – then surely, we can give bread and water. Surely, we can love and care for those who persecute us.
But why should we? What’s the point of loving our enemies? Verse 22 gives us the answer:
"For you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you."
On the surface, this imagery might feel like sweet revenge. I mean, who wouldn’t want to dump a pile of burning coals on an enemy’s head, right? But those coals aren’t about vengeance – they’re about conviction and transformation. They represent the shame your enemy feels when you meet their hatred with love, their anger with kindness, their cruelty with service.
Think about a time someone you hated or wronged was unexpectedly kind to you – how did it make you feel? Weird, didn’t it? Your heart grew a little like the Grinch's – but not because of the holiday spirit; because of the Holy Spirit at work in you. That’s the power of these 'burning coals.' It softens hearts and points people to something greater.
I’ll tell you, though, living out this verse is hard. Really hard. In fact, I think it's impossible to live out in the flesh. Our flesh wants an eye for an eye; it wants vengeance on an enemy. But by God’s grace and His Spirit in us, we are truly enabled to do the exact opposite of that – to care for and love others like Christ loved us.
And here’s the beauty: God rewards this. Maybe He’ll change the relationship dynamic. Or maybe He’s storing up treasures for you in heaven. Either way, now or later, He honors the servant-like treatment of an enemy.
So here’s my challenge to you this morning: think of someone you can serve today.
It doesn’t have to be big – it could be as simple as a kind word or an act of generosity. What’s important is that you take a step toward Christ-like love.
Let’s pray.
