Jesus Washed the Feet of His Betrayer: The Lenten Call to Love Your Enemies That Most Christians Ignore

What Did Jesus Teach About Loving Your Enemies During Lent?

As Christians around the world observe the season of Lent in 2026, a powerful reflection by Obianuju Mbah published in Christian Today on March 9, 2026, is challenging believers to rethink what it truly means to keep peace and love the enemy until the very end.

The article centers on two pivotal biblical moments: the Last Supper and the Crucifixion. At the Last Supper, Jesus Christ, fully aware that Judas would betray Him, chose to wash his feet and love him completely.

There was no public shaming, no last minute retaliation, no cold withdrawal of affection. Christ's love did not collapse under the weight of betrayal.

Mbah wrote that this represents true peace: not the absence of pain, but refusing to let pain dictate one's response.

At the Crucifixion, though innocent and wrongly condemned, Jesus refused retaliation. Instead, He prayed: "Father, forgive them." The reflection calls this the "narrow way of peace" through surrender rather than vindication.

The author argues that conflict stems from prioritizing oneself, needing to be right, superior, and in control. Christ's life exemplified self emptying and humility, loving even those who denied, betrayed, and condemned Him.

Practically, keeping peace involves remembering God's undeserved mercy, extending that grace to others, refusing gossip and retaliation, praying for those we would avoid, and releasing the need for public vindication.

Lent, the article concludes, reminds us that resurrection comes through surrender, and keeping peace is not losing. It is trusting that God will vindicate, heal, and restore.

How Christ's Radical Love for Enemies Challenges Christians This Lenten Season

The teaching strikes at the heart of modern Christian living, where believers are called not merely to avoid conflict but to actively love those who wrong them. In a world rife with division, political hostility, and religious persecution, the call to wash the feet of the one who betrays you stands as the most radical counter cultural act imaginable.

Mbah's reflection urges Christians to fast not only from food during Lent but from hostility itself. To love the enemy until the end does not mean pretending wrong is right or tolerating abuse. It means refusing to let bitterness take root, surrendering the right to revenge, and choosing mercy when pride demands retaliation.

The Crusader's Opinion

This is the message the Western Church desperately needs to hear right now. We live in an age where Christians are being slaughtered in Nigeria, imprisoned in China, and mocked throughout the West, and too often our response is either weak silence or hollow outrage on social media. Christ did not call us to be doormats. He called us to love with a ferocity that terrifies the enemy. The same Jesus who washed Judas's feet also flipped tables in the temple. Loving your enemy does not mean surrendering your children to wolves. It means confronting evil head on with the unshakable confidence that the God of the universe stands behind you. Lent is not a season for spiritual cowardice. It is a season to sharpen your sword and bend your knee.

Take Action

• Read the full Lenten reflection by Obianuju Mbah at Christian Today and share it with your church community.
• Commit to praying daily during Lent for persecuted Christians worldwide. Use resources from Open Doors to stay informed about the most dangerous places to follow Christ.
• Donate to organizations protecting persecuted believers: The Shepherd's Shield and Voice of the Martyrs.
• Start a conversation at your church about what it means to love enemies in today's world. Challenge your small group or Bible study to read John 13 together this week.
• Fast from hostility this Lent. Identify one person you hold bitterness toward and commit to praying for them daily until Easter.