Listen to the reading of Scripture below and then learn more from related resources. As you listen and reflect, think about this question: What’s wrong with violence and hatred toward our enemies?
Matthew 5:43-47
Enemy Love
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In the Bible, dragons symbolize the chaos that will drag creation back into disorder and death. Violent humans and spiritual beings can become agents of the dragon. If we try to slay the dragon with more violence, we can become a dragon too.
Chapter from Sermon on the Mount E16
How Would Jesus Respond to David Hating Enemies in Psalm 139?
Jesus loved people who wanted to harm him, but he fought the spiritual evil that deceived humans into acting violently toward each other. Jesus invites his followers to love their human enemies and to oppose spiritual evil.
The Bible uses images of dragons and snakes, like the serpent in Eden, to depict spiritual powers bent on deceiving humans and dragging creation back into chaos and death. Violent humans, like Pharaoh and Goliath, are portrayed with dragon-like features to show that they are working as agents of disorder and chaos. Those who fight the dragon, like King David, can easily become dragons themselves when they act unjustly toward others. Jesus taught us to love people who want to harm us and to consider our real enemy to be the spiritual powers that deceive us all.