How would the average person in the twenty-first century finish this sentence, “If your enemy is hungry, __________”? There are all sorts of possibilities: smile, laugh, take pleasure in it, use it to your advantage, let him starve, etc. What if you added two more words? How would you finish the sentence now, “If your enemy is hungry, give him ________”? Maybe: a hard time, a pat on the back, a lump of coal, etc. Of course, none of these would reflect the spirit of Christ! 
Do you know how Christ finishes the sentence? “If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink” (Prov. 25:21; Rom. 12:20). In other words, if your enemy has a need, the Christian’s responsibility is to meet that need (that’s what agape love is all about in Matthew 5:44). The Lord continues: “For so you will heap coals of fire on his head, And the LORD will reward you” (Prov. 25:22).
Ultimately, whose approval do we seek? Whose example do we seek to emulate?