"But if your enemy is hungry, feed him and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head."
Traditionally people have understood this verse in this way. If you do good to your enemy, you will make him feel really bad for being mean to you. But I was very uneasy about this interpretation for years. The immediate context says that we should never "take our own revenge" (v. 19) and this sounds a lot like taking revenge. Be nice so that your enemy will feel terrible like hot coals are on his or her head.
Several years ago a seminary professor explained to me that the ancient Egyptians had an unusual practice. When someone became convinced that he or she had wronged another, that person would put a metal basket on his or her head, and would put burning coals in the basket and walk around for a day with this arrangement to publicly demonstrate he or she was sorry for their actions. In other words, this was a public display of repentance. I know it sounds weird, but it is historically true, and it fits the context much better.
When others hurt us with their words or behavior, as Christians, we are not to plot revenge. But treat them like Jesus would, not to make them feel crummy for being mean to us, but so they will realize they were wrong and repent of their sinfulness. This is the principle that Paul states in the very next verse; "do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
If we as Christians could live consistently by this principle, we would revolutionize our testimony and our world!
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