You asked

what does the bible say about loving people you disagree with?

Adds the setting and its conversation across both testaments.

Matthew 5:43-48

““You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you, that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? If you only greet your friends, what more do you do than others? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.””

This passage is part of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, a foundational teaching delivered to his disciples and a broader crowd. In it, Jesus is interpreting and expanding upon traditional Jewish law and ethics, challenging his listeners to a more radical way of living that reflects God's own character.

What does 'loving' someone who holds opposing views or acts against you practically look like in your daily interactions?

Then — the setting

This teaching comes from the first century CE, delivered by Jesus in Galilee, likely to a Jewish audience living under Roman occupation. The prevailing ethos among many was a clear distinction between 'neighbor' (often understood as fellow Jews or those within one's community) and 'enemy' (often Roman occupiers, Samaritans, or other perceived adversaries). Some interpretations of 'love your neighbor' were seen as implicitly allowing or even requiring hatred of enemies, though the Old Testament itself doesn't explicitly command hating enemies. Jesus challenges this interpretation by broadening the definition of 'neighbor' to include all people, even those who act as adversaries. This teaching would have been radical in a context of ethnic and political tension.

Across the Testaments

This passage is from the New Testament Gospels. The Old Testament principle, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Leviticus 19:18), forms the foundation Jesus refers to. However, Jesus directly challenges the unwritten corollary often inferred, which was to 'hate your enemy'. While the Old Testament contains commands for justice against enemies of God and Israel, it also includes wisdom literature (like Proverbs 25:21-22) and stories (like David sparing Saul) that model compassion for adversaries. Jesus' teaching here represents a profound development, moving from a standard of intra-community love to an expansive, God-like love for all humanity, including those who actively oppose or harm you. This universal love is presented as a characteristic of God himself, who gives sun and rain to all.

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

Romans 12:17-21
Paul echoes Jesus' teaching by urging believers not to repay evil with evil, but to live peaceably and bless those who persecute them.
Luke 6:27-36
Luke's account of Jesus' teaching similarly emphasizes loving enemies, doing good to those who hate you, and extending generosity without expecting return.
Proverbs 25:21-22
This Old Testament wisdom text already suggests kindness to an enemy, demonstrating a long-standing theme of responding to hostility with generosity.

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