The Sermon on the Plain: Love Your Enemies (Luke 6:27–36)

The texts below are quoted verbatim from public-domain English translations; nothing is paraphrased.

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St. John Chrysostom (c. 347–407)

Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 18 (on Matthew 5:43–48) Source: trans. in the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 10. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf110/npnf110.iii.XVIII.html

On the ascending steps by which the command to love enemies sets us on the very summit of virtue (expounding the same precept in its Matthean form):

Seest thou how many steps He hath ascended, and how He hath set us on the very summit of virtue? Nay, mark it, numbering from the beginning. A first step is, not to begin with injustice: a second, after he hath begun, to vindicate one's self by equal retaliation; a third, not to do unto him that is vexing us the same that one hath suffered, but to be quiet; a fourth, even to give one's self up to suffer wrongfully; a fifth, to give up yet more than the other, who did the wrong, wishes; a sixth, not to hate him who hath done so; a seventh, even to love him; an eighth, to do him good also; a ninth, to entreat God Himself on his behalf.

On the reward that is greater than earth or the kingdom of heaven — to become like God:

For He makes not mention here of earth, as with respect to the meek; nor of comfort and mercy, as with regard to the mourners and the merciful; nor of the kingdom of Heaven; but of that which was more thrilling than all; our becoming like God, in such wise as men might become so.

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St. Cyril of Alexandria (c. 376–444)

Commentary on the Gospel of Luke, Sermon XXIX (on Luke 6:27–36) Source: trans. R. Payne Smith, Library of Fathers, 1859. Public domain. Full text: https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/cyril_on_luke_03_sermons_26_38.htm

On the righteousness of the Gospel that is "over and above" the law:

The law spoken by Moses to them of old time enacted like for like: and while it forbade the doing a wrong, it by no means commanded those who had already been injured to bear patiently, as the Gospel law requires.

On giving to every one that asketh, and forgiving even one's enemies:

do not, He says, ask back whatever any one taketh away that is thine: but even give to every one that asketh of thee: a proof indeed of love and willingness to be poor; and the compassionate man must necessarily also be ready to forgive, so as to shew friendly acts even to his enemies.

On making oneself toward others what one would have them be (the golden rule):

Shew thyself, He says, to others such as thou wishest them to be towards thee. If thou wouldest have them harsh and unfeeling, fierce and wrathful, revengeful and ill-disposed, shew thyself also such: but if on the contrary thou wouldst have them kind and forgiving, do not think it a thing intolerable to be thyself so.

On "Be ye therefore merciful," which restores us to the form of God:

Great is the glory of compassion, and so verily it is written, that "man is a great thing, and the merciful man an honourable thing." For virtue restores us to the form of God, and imprints on our souls certain characters as it were of the supreme nature.

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St. Basil the Great (c. 330–379)

As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Luke. Public domain. Full text: https://isidore.co/aquinas/english/CALuke.htm

On doing good to enemies in both soul and body:

But because man consists of body and soul, to the soul indeed we shall do this good by reproving and admonishing such men, and leading them by the hand to conversion; but to the body, by profiting them in the necessaries of life.

On how readily we call our enemies those who merely slight us, and on the dishonour of a prince eager to avenge himself:

But we almost all of us offend against this command, and especially the powerful and rulers, not only if they have suffered insult, but if respect is not paid them, accounting all those their enemies who treat them with less consideration than they think they deserve. But it is a great dishonour in a prince to be ready to take revenge.

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St. Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335–395)

As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Luke. Public domain. Full text: https://isidore.co/aquinas/english/CALuke.htm

On "lend, hoping for nothing again," and the sin of exacting interest from the poor:

But man ought to shun that baneful anxiety with which he seeks from the poor man increase of his money and gold, exacting a profit of barren metals. ... If a man should call the harsh calculation of interest, theft, or homicide, he will not err. For what is the difference, whether a man by digging under a wall become possessed of property, or possess it unlawfully by the compulsory rate of interest?

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St. Ambrose of Milan (c. 339–397)

As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Luke. Public domain. Full text: https://isidore.co/aquinas/english/CALuke.htm

On why the love of enemies is set last, as the greatest of the virtues:

Having proceeded in the enumeration of many heavenly actions, He not unwisely comes to this place last, that He might teach the people confirmed by the divine miracles to march onward in the footsteps of virtue beyond the path of the law. Lastly, among the three greatest, (hope, faith, and charity,) the greatest is charity.

On the reward of mercy, which is adoption as sons of the Highest who is kind to the unthankful:

How great the reward of mercy which is received into the privilege of divine adoption! For it follows, And ye shall be the sons of the Highest. Follow then mercy, that ye may obtain grace. Widely spread is the mercy of God; He pours His rain upon the unthankful, the fruitful earth refuses not its increase to the evil.

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St. Bede the Venerable (c. 673–735)

As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Luke. Public domain. Full text: https://isidore.co/aquinas/english/CALuke.htm

On the turn from what the disciples suffer to how they must act toward those who hate them:

Having spoken above of what they might suffer from their enemies, He now points out how they ought to conduct themselves towards their enemies, saying, But I say to you who hear.

On the seeming difficulty that the prophets uttered curses against their enemies:

But the question is fairly raised, how it is that in the prophets are to be found many curses against their enemies. Upon which we must observe, that the prophets in the imprecations they uttered foretold the future, and that not with the feelings of one who wishes, but in the spirit of one who foresees.