Romans 12.20 - Feed your enemy.
In this message, we are going to dive deep into a fascinating passage in Scripture. Paul is giving a reminder in the book of Romans to 'Feed your enemy'. This leaves us with several pressing questions which we are going to address in this message. First, let us read the passage in question and the corresponding verses in the Tanakh which Paul is most likely alluding to.
Main Passage Brit Chadasha (New Testament)
Rom 12.20
Therefore "If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing so, you will heap coals of fire on his head."
Corresponding Tanakh Passages (Old Testament)
Prov 25.21
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat. If he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
Midrashic Exegesis
The overarching picture of 'feeding your enemy' can be understood to have different meanings:
1. Practical
A call to empathy, love, compassion, humility, service, as commanded by God through Yeshua Messiah.
The enemy in the practical case meaning a physical, literal enemy. Someone who persecutes you, someone who wants to do harm. A physical, existential threat, so to speak.
2. Spiritual
The deeper, hidden meaning of "spiritual enemy" is unveiled in the Tanakh and the Midrash.
We are focusing on the latter in this message: the deeper, spiritual meaning of 'feeding your enemy'. A meaning which remains obstructed—or veiled—to those reading the New Testament from a traditional Christian perspective only. The true meaning unfolds when we read this passage in Romans with the understanding that Paul is likely using Midrash to get his point across.
Echoing Yeshua in Romans 12:20
Upon reading the broader passages around Romans 12:20 (Rom 12:14-21), we come to find that Paul (Sh'aul) echoes Yeshua's teachings:
- Bless those who persecute you [1]
- Live in harmony with one another [2]
- Repay no one evil for evil [3]
Also Peter echoes this sentiment in his first epistle [4]
It is striking that Paul and the book of Romans is oftentimes used by traditional Christian thinking to 'prove' that he abolished the Torah (Law) after Yeshua's ascension. Many denomination appear to be followers of Paul, not followers of Yeshua. It is wise to be diligent and test everything, as even taught by Paul himself [5]. We will see that Paul—as Yeshua and other disciples—not only affirm Torah, but lead believers back to the Torah, the Midrash, and even the oral traditions to get their points across. Romans 12:20 is no exception.
'Feeding' what to whom?
The image of 'feeding' someone—friend or fiend—which comes to most of us is to be hospitable. To provide food and drink to those who seems to be opposed us.
In Yeshua's time, what would have been there to feed someone with? Certainly bread, vegetables, and water.
Now, where have we heard about feeding someone (with bread) and giving someone a drink?
Yeshua, Bread of Life, and Living Water
Yeshua spoke about Bread and Water on multiple occasions. One of the most prominent is His conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well.
Living Water
John 4.14
but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst again; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life."
John 4.32
But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you don't know about."
John 7.38
He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, from within him will flow rivers of living water."
Bread of Life
At other times, Yeshua speaks about the Bread of life
John 6.35
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will not be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
John 6.51
I am the living bread which came down out of heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. Yes, the bread which I will give for the life of the world is my flesh."
Matt 26.26
As they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks for it, and broke it. He gave to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is my body."
These are important passages for us to remember when we now begin to dive into the Midrash. Through the Midrash, we will gain profound insights into the deeper meaning of 'Feeding your enemy'—one of which Paul was very aware of being a highly educated Jew and former Pharisee.
'Feed your enemy' in the Midrash
IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, GIVE HIM BREAD TO EAT. This is the evil drive.
GIVE HIM BREAD TO EAT from the bread of Torah, just as it says (of wisdom in Prov. 9:5[6]): COME AND EAT OF MY BREAD.
(Prov. 25:21, cont.:) AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM WATER TO DRINK from the waters of Torah, just as it says (in Is. 55:1): HO, ALL WHO ARE THIRSTY, COME TO THE WATERS.
For what reason? (Prov. 25:22:) BECAUSE YOU WILL BE HEAPING BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.
Ergo (in Prov. 16:7): WHEN THE LORD IS PLEASED WITH ONE'S WAYS. This refers to the good drive. (ibid., cont.:)
HE MAKES EVEN HIS ENEMIES TO BE AT PEACE WITH HIM. This refers to the evil drive.
David said (in Ps. 35:10):
ALL MY BONES SHALL SAY: LORD, WHO IS LIKE YOU? YOU DELIVER THE POOR FROM ONE STRONGER THAN HE, the good drive from the evil drive.
https://www.sefaria.org/Midrash_Tanchuma_Buber%2C_Beshalach.3.2
👉 See footnote for Prov. 9:5 [6:1]
Evil inclination
This fundamental commentary in the Midrash is the clarifier we need in order to truly understand what Paul wants to convey in Romans 12:20.
| Picture | Alluding to |
|---|---|
| Enemy | Evil drive |
| Bread | Torah / Yeshua |
| Water | Torah / Yeshua |
| Obedience | God will deliver the good inclination from the evil inclination |
| We see clearly that the only way to defeat the enemy within is through Tora—and ultimately Yeshua. Obedience to the Torah, to God's Law, leads to the Father being pleased with us [7]. And when the Father is pleased with our ways—Torah obedience & belief in Yeshua Messiah—He will make our enemies (our evil inclinations) to be at peace with us. |
These findings particularly make sense when we look at the passage context in Romans 12:20 as we have evidenced in this segment of this message. Paul is speaking primarily about the inner heart attitude: bless, rejoice, live in harmony, do not be haughty, do what is honourable. All these are part of the inner man, the renewed man. And in order to become more and more renewed, the Midrash and Yeshua tells us that we need to feed on the Bread and the Water of Torah (and Yeshua). By following Yeshua, we commit ourselves to become His disciples and do as He did: obeying the Father, and keeping His commandments.
Dealing with evil urges
The Midrash gives us further parables and insights on how to deal with evil urges. All of which are ultimately leading back to Torah. In John 1:14, we read clearly that the 'Word became flesh'. Many scholars agree that this suggests that the Torah became alive in and through Yeshua Messiah. By obeying Yeshua, we obey the Torah automatically because Yeshua came to teach Torah and intensify Torah—from the flesh into our hearts, from the outward to the inward. This is by no means to say that Yeshua abolished the Torah [8]
Rabbi Reuven ben Itzrubali would say: How can a person stay away from the Evil Urge inside of him? ... The Evil Urge rules only over the doors of the heart, as it says (Genesis 4:7), “Sin crouches at the door.”
Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar would say: I will give you a parable. What (is [the Evil Urge] like)? The Evil Urge is like a piece of steel that they put into the fire. While it is in the fire, they can make any tool they wish from it.
So it is with the Evil Urge. There is no way to fix it except with words of Torah alone ([which are like fire]), as it says (Proverbs 25:21–22), “If your enemy is hungry, feed him bread. If he is thirsty, give him water. You will be heaping fiery coals on his head, and the Eternal will reward you.” Do not read it as “reward you” (yeshalem lekha) but “give you peace” (yashlim lekha).
Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi would say: I will give you a parable: What (is [the Evil Urge] like)? The Evil Urge is like two people who go into an inn. One is captured by robbers. They say to him: Who is with you? He could easily say: No one else was with me. But he says to himself: Since I am going to be killed, my friend should be killed with me. So it is with the Evil Urge, which says: Since I will be lost in the World to Come, (I) want take the whole body with me!
Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai would say: From this you know that Israel will never see the face of Gehenna. They give a parable: To what can this be compared? [It can be compared] to a human king who had a barren field. Some people came along and rented it for a ten bundles of wheat. They fertilized it, plowed it, watered it, and harvested it, but they yielded only one bundle of wheat the whole year. The king said to them: What is this? They said: Our master the king, you know that with regard to the field you gave us, in the beginning you were not able to yield anything from it. Now we have fertilized it, harvested it, and watered it, yet we have still not been able to yield more than one bundle of wheat the whole year. So will Israel say one day before the Holy Blessed One: You know well that the Evil Urge has tempted us, as it says (Psalms 103:14), “For He knows our urges” [lit., how we were formed].
https://www.sefaria.org/Avot_DeRabbi_Natan.16.3
We could go deeper into Midrash examining the other Tanakh passages mentioned in the commentary above. However, we will leave it for today and focus on what we have.
Let us move on from the evil inclination to the good inclination.
Good inclination
Through the Midrash and also through Yeshau, we have the knowledge of how we can defeat the enemy, i.e. our evil inclination. The outward man which Paul is struggling with in Romans chapter 7 [9]—Paul delights in the Torah, in God's Law, with his inward man. But still the struggle with temptation and evil inclination on the outward are perceivable between the lines.
Heap burning coals
We have seen in the Midrash a fascinating connection to Prov. 16:7 [10]. God makes our enemies (our evil urges) be at peace with us when He is pleased with us. How can we do what pleases the Father? By imitating Yeshua. Messiah told His disciples that He always did what pleased the Father, and that we (His disciples) shall do as Yeshua says because He did as the Father said [11].
The reference to the burning coals is quite interesting.
Did not John say that Yeshua would baptise us with the Holy Spirit and fire?
Did not Yeshua say that he did not come to bring peace but a sword?
When reading the Midrashic context of Romans 12:20, we could come to the suggestion that the Torah, God's word and Law, are the burning coals on the enemy's head for which God will reward us. This seems to suggest that following Yeshua, following God's Torah & word, obeying His Commandments, believing in salvation through faith in Yeshua is the way God wants us to live so that He and Yeshua Messiah are glorified.
Footnotes
-
↩︎
44. But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
-
↩︎
34. A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
-
↩︎
39. But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.
-
↩︎
9. not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.
-
↩︎
21. Test all things; hold fast what is good.
-
↩︎ ↩︎
5. “Come, eat of my bread And drink of the wine I have mixed.
-
↩︎
7. When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
see part 1 in this series
-
↩︎
21. I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good.
22. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.
23. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
25. I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. -
↩︎
7. When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
-
29. And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.”
If we want God to not leave us alone, we do well by imitating Messiah and do the things that pleases Him and the Father.
In other words, Keep His Commandments (John 14:15) and accept the Torah in our hearts (after all, God put His Law there - Ezekiel 36:27) in as much as it applies to us. Some parts of Torah only apply to women, some only to men, and so on.
↩︎10. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.