If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; For so you will heap coals of fire on his head (Prov. 25:21-22 NKJV)

I woke up today with this verse in the book of Proverbs, and I know it will help someone reading this, how often we ask the question like the lawyer who asked Jesus who is my neighbour? as we treated this week. But it is rare to ask the question, Who is my enemy?

To start with let us look at the opposite of the word enemy, friend. A friend is a person whom you have tested and can trust you back. An enemy, on the other hand, is a person who tries to hurt you, who despise you, who does not or cannot see any good thing to appreciate in you.

How ironic to note that it is not all who are not friends that are enemies, some friends may later occupy the position of an enemy in course of relationship. Back to our subject. What is the meaning of, “heap coals of fire on his head”? This is an act that makes us behave like Christ. Paul explained this in his epistle to the Romans; Showing love as the guiding principle that defines and strengthens our relationship with fellow believers

We are to bless those who persecute us, repay no evil for evil. (Read Rom.12:9-19)
He quoted Prov 25:22 in Vs 20. The life we live as Christians cannot accommodate enmity, that’s why as Christians we can not have enemies!

Don’t get me wrong, enemies abound in diverse ways on our path towards our journey in life, but these may be traps on our path, once they are identified, heap coals of fire on their head by dispensing the love of Christ and move on to glory.

The purpose of the coal is not to harm or to inflict pains as vengeance, but that love, born out of compassion may melt the stony heart of the evil ones.

How often we misunderstood this as a revengeful act intended to embarrass the one who hurts us. Heap coals of fire is symbolic representatives of the high priest who, on the Day of Atonement, took his censer and filled it with coals of fire from off the altar of burnt offering, and put incense on the coals to create a pleasing, sweet-smelling fragrance (See lev.16:12).

The same way this soothing aroma which covered the mercy seat was acceptable to God for atonement, so also our act of love would melt the hearts of those who persecute and hurt you. When we do this we restore friendship and relationship and put Satan- the real enemy of the brethren to flight. 

Friends, today, why don’t you meet needs, of those who hurt you, don’t give up on them, get back your peace of heart, do it the same way Christ would do it.

Shalom! Shalom!