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What the Fathers say
Eastern Fathers
John Chrysostom
"If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him to drink; for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." Why, he means, am I telling you that you must keep peace for? I even insist upon your doing kindness. …
Theophylact of Ohrid
Here he demands from you the highest degree of love of wisdom. What am I saying, he reasons, that one must live in peace? I even command to do good. He said, "you will heap coals of fire on his head," condescending to the faintheartedness of those who are insulted; for nothing is more pleasant for a person than to see an enemy punished. He speaks as if to say: do you wish to take revenge on him? Do good to him; in that case you will take revenge on him far more severely. …
Western Saints
Jerome
Therefore the apostle too says that we should give our enemies to eat and to drink. And what does he say? "Doing this," he says, "you heap coals of fire upon his head." Someone may say: Enemies do this; do I therefore do good to my adversary in order to heap coals of fire upon his head? But something else is meant. If he has done you evil, and you have done him good, you heap coals of fire upon his head: that is, you cleanse his vices, and you boil away his malice, so that he may turn to repentance.
Thomas Aquinas
Second, he proves what he said about kindness to one's enemies by an appeal to authority. First, he presents the scriptural teaching that we help enemies who are in danger of death, because this binds by a necessity of precept, as stated earlier. And this is what it says: if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink: do good to those who hate you (Matt 5:44). Second, he assigns the reason, saying: for, doing this, you will heap coals of fire upon his head. …
Bernard of Clairvaux
But that this rather pertains to actual charity seems to appear most especially from this: that when the Lord had said, "Love your enemies," he at once adds concerning works: "Do good to those who hate you" (Lk 6:27). Likewise Scripture: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he thirsts, give him drink" (Rom 12:20). And here you have what concerns act, not affection.
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