There’s a kind of hurt that cuts deep—words spoken in anger, betrayal by someone we trusted, wounds that still feel fresh. Our natural instinct is to retreat or retaliate. But Jesus turns our instincts upside down. He calls us to love those who hurt us.

It’s not a suggestion—it’s a radical command. To bless when we want to curse. To pray when we want to walk away. To forgive when they haven’t even said sorry.

Consider Jesus on the cross. Surrounded by those who mocked, tortured, and nailed Him to the wood, He said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34) That’s not weakness—it’s divine strength. That’s love.