Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Unusual Powerful Love of Jesus

Given the mastery he demonstrated over the craft of oration, it should come as no surprise that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spent most of his Sundays exercising and refining his gift in the pulpits of Baptist churches, preaching the word of God to the people of God. King is most known for his tenure as co-pastor alongside his father at the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA. There he would serve alongside his father, Martin Luther King Sr., from 1960 until his assassination in 1968. However, prior to his time at Ebenezer, King served as pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church from 1954 to 1960. 

As we prepare to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. this coming week, I’m reminded of one of his sermons he preached at Dexter Avenue on the challenge Jesus gives us to love. This love Jesus commands in Matthew 5:43-48 is anything but normal. It’s a love that defies logic, challenges human nature, and requires the Spirit’s power. This is not love as sentimentality or passive indifference, but love in action, love that changes hearts, love that transforms enemies into brothers and sisters.

Dr. King led and lived by this deep conviction rooted in the truth that Jesus taught, that love—not hatred, not vengeance—was the most powerful force in the world. This conviction shaped his life, his ministry, and the Civil Rights Movement he so boldly led. And it must shape our ministries today.

The Command to Love: Not Optional, Not Abstract

In Matthew 5:43-48, Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” For many, this feels like an impossible command. Loving those who harm us runs counter to every instinct we have. But Jesus leaves no room for negotiation—this kind of love is not optional. Jesus in 5:45 reflects this non-option when he calls us to love our enemies “so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.” According to Jesus, when we love those that are hardest to love, we look like children of God. We better reflect His image. For this reason, LOVE IS NOT OPTIONAL.

Nor is it abstract. Jesus’ call to love our enemies isn’t a vague ideal but an actionable command. It moves beyond avoiding harm or tolerating someone from a distance. It’s a love that showers grace on those who treat us righteously or unrighteously (v45). It’s a love that extends warmth and hospitality to the deserving and undeserving (v47), but it is also an active, sacrificial love that begins in prayer (v44). One of the greatest acts of love we can offer is to sincerely pray for someone who opposes us—not just a dismissive “Lord, bless my haters” prayer, but one that seeks God’s good for them.

Dr. King modeled this kind of love. He prayed for those who threatened his life, for those who opposed his work, and even for those who hated him simply because of the color of his skin. King believed that praying for one’s enemies transforms not only the enemy but the person praying as well.

Radical Love Has the Power to Transform

Dr. King often referred to this love as “redemptive.” In his sermon, Loving Your Enemies, delivered at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in 1957, he said, “Love has within it a redemptive power… If you hate your enemies, you have no way to redeem and to transform your enemies. But if you love your enemies… by the power of your love, they will break down under the load.”

Think about that. How often do we see hate spiraling out of control—on the highway, on social media, even in our churches? Hate leads only to more hate, more division, more destruction. King described it as a chain that must be broken: “Hate for hate only intensifies the existence of hate and evil in the universe. Somebody must have a little sense, and that’s the strong person. The strong person is the person who can cut the chain of hate.”

This weekend, take a moment to examine the state of our world—and even our own communities. Is hatred and animosity leading us to greater peace, generosity, or righteousness? Or is it fueling anxiety, distrust, division, selfishness, and self-centeredness? The evidence is clear: hate cannot heal. Only love can.

Hate Destroys the Hater

Dr. King also warned of what hatred does to the one who harbors it. He preached, “You just begin hating somebody, and you will begin to do irrational things. You can’t see straight when you hate. You can’t walk straight when you hate. You can’t stand upright.” Hatred distorts our vision and destroys our humanity.

As ministry leaders, it’s vital to recognize that harboring hatred, even in subtle forms, will inevitably spill over into how we lead. When our hearts are twisted by resentment, it clouds our ability to see others as image-bearers of God. It poisons relationships and erodes trust in our families, our churches, and our communities. As King put it, “Hate destroys the very structure of the personality of the hater.” Worst of all, leaders who lead from hate oftentimes impact and influence others to do the same.

This is why Jesus calls us to love. Not just because it benefits others, but because it frees us from the toxic grip of hatred. When we love, we reflect the image of God more clearly. And that’s where the real transformation begins.

Love That Reflects and Reciprocates

Jesus reminds us in Matthew 5:45 that we look like children of God when we love because this is exactly what He did for us. Before Christ, we were the offensive and sinful haters who rejected God in all of his mercy, grace, and benevolence. We were the enemies of God, but Christ with sacrificial love and mercy pursued us not after we became friendly or neighborly but as His enemies. As recipients of such radical love, how can we not extend to others what we have freely received?

Dr. King captured this beautifully when he said, “I would rather die than hate you.” He believed that through the power of love, even the hardest hearts could be softened and transformed. He was “foolish enough to believe” that this love could save our world. And he was right.

A Challenge

This MLK holiday, embrace, model, and equip others with this radical love. Here are three practical ways to start:

1. Pray for those you find hardest to love. Make a list of those who have hurt you or oppose you. Commit to praying for them regularly. Ask God to bless them, transform them, and give you a heart of compassion toward them.
2. Model love in action. Let those you lead see you respond to conflict with grace and humility. Whether it’s a tense church meeting, an online disagreement, or a personal offense, choose love over retaliation. Remember, your example speaks louder than your sermons.
3. Equip your church to love radically. Consider visiting passages like Matthew 5:43-48. Facilitate conversations about forgiveness and reconciliation. Create opportunities for your church to practice loving those who are different—racially, politically, or culturally.

This kind of love is not easy, but it’s possible through the power of the Holy Spirit. As Dr. King said, “Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.” Imagine the impact if our churches became known for this kind of love—a love that heals wounds, breaks chains, and reflects the heart of God.

Don’t bite the bait of hate. Over and over again in our culture, society, and age of “angertainment” we will be tempted to resent, to retaliate, to harbor bitterness, and to hate. Don’t do it. Hate will destroy us, but love will heal us.

As we reflect on Dr. King’s life and legacy, let’s commit ourselves to the kind of radical, Spirit-empowered love that transforms enemies into friends and strangers into family. Let’s be leaders who not only preach love but live it out, equipping those we serve to do the same.

Through this love, we honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, but most importantly, through this love, we reflect our Savior and we point the world to His beautiful gospel that we’ve received through His love.

*The quotes of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. were taken from Dr. King’s sermon, Loving Your Enemies, delivered at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, on November 17, 1957.

Author: Brian Crawford, Lead Pastor of City Light Church

Brian Crawford is the husband of Candi and father of Brian Jr. and Elijah. He is the newly selected President of Mission Mississippi, an organization dedicated to the work of Christian reconciliation across racial and ethnic lines in businesses, schools, and churches in Mississippi and beyond. Brian is also the lead pastor of City Light Church, an intentional multiethnic church plant in Downtown Vicksburg, Mississippi. Brian and his wife, Candi, are natives and long-time residents of Vicksburg and have a passion to share the love and Gospel of Jesus Christ with the city they hold dear. Brian is also committed to the work of assessing, training, and coaching church planters across the US through his work with 242 Network and MyBlvd. When Brian isn’t engaged in the work of Mission Mississippi or City Light, you will find him either dating his wife, reading books, watching Marvel movies with his boys, or watching sports of any kind.