“If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, 22 for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you.”
Proverbs 25:21-22 ESV
At the end of Romans 12, we see Paul quote this passage almost word for word. He adds his own summary in verse 21.
“To the contrary, ‘if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’ 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Romans 12:20-21 ESV
The thought here is two-fold. First, the love extended must be sincere. We see this in verse 9 when Paul writes, “Let love be without hypocrisy.” When love is sincere, it penetrates the heart. Sincere love, as defined and demonstrated by Christ, is unconditional. It does not expect anything in return, and it serves completely without holding back.
Second, when the love is sincere, it allows the giver to avoid harboring bitterness. In this way, it is proactive against the traps of the enemy. The snare Satan uses to trip us is bitterness and jealousy. This comes easily with our enemies. Loving others instead of returning evil for evil harnesses our ego and pride. When we unconditionally love our enemies like Christ, their conscience is overwhelmed by a deed they are unworthy to receive. This is the essence of the Gospel. This is what it means to live and extend God’s Kingdom.