Geocoding You may have similar interests or similar experiences while growing up. Well, no. Copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The statement "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy" in Matt 5:43 turns out to be a good summary of the sectarian interpretation of Lev 19:17-18. F This remains a challenge for our generation, as well. All rights reserved. That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. To continue hating, resenting, or holding a grudge against another person is to remain on the cross. Interestingly, Jesus considered this the second-highest commandment in the law. Matthew 5:44, the forty-fourth verse in the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament, also found in Luke 6:27-36, is part of the Sermon on the Mount.This is the second verse of the final antithesis, that on the commandment to "Love thy neighbour as thyself".In the chapter, Jesus refutes the teaching of some that one should "hate [one's] enemies". Love your neighbor and your neighbor is this very, very narrow group of . All rights reserved. You shall love your neighbor.. Join today!. Can we find this teaching of Jesus in the Old Testament? He is defending the actual teaching of the Old Testament against this popular misrepresentation of its intent! Is Ephraim my dear son? [46] For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Love for one's enemy even extended to his animal. When you acknowledge that there are differences between you, you can open the door to commonalities., Talk about small things, like hobbies, or films you enjoy even food you like to eat., If you come across a topic that you disagree on, try your best to listen without judgment. The alien is the same as the citizen. In this article, we hope we can help unpack the meaning of two critical passages that guide us in this area: Matthew 6:44 and Luke 6:27. As an Old Testament scholar, the proposed contrast is like nails on a chalkboard. U In the Old Testament, there is a verse in Leviticus 19:18 that states, "Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people. . Dont misquote me on that. Some critics challenge, however, that this creates a problem with Jesus own teaching, which seems (they claim) to indicate that the Old Testament taught hate of enemies and that Jesus replaced this with the stricter ethic of love for even ones enemies. For the Lord your God is testing you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. His most recent book is a second edition release: Hit by Friendly Fire: What to do when Another Believer Hurts You(Resource Publications, 2022). Learn about religious freedom in the workplace, and read Bible verses about work. And because he loved your fathers and chose their offspring after them and brought you out of Egypt with his own presence, by his great power. You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the Lord. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Leviticus 19:9-18 ESV. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. 43You have heard that it was said, (B)You shall love your neighbor (C)and hate your enemy. 44[a]But I say to you, (D)love your enemies, bless those who curse you, (E)do good to those who hate you, and pray (F)for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for (G)He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. Verse 43: "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.' 44 But I say to you, love your enemies." So what Jesus is doing here in these six commandments is showing his disciples how some of the scribes and Pharisees applied the Old Testament teachings, and then, over against that, what he was calling them . When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.. The Wisdom books warn hearers not to rejoice when enemies face disaster (e.g., Prov 24:17; Job 31:29; cf. The word perfect, in the original Greek, means complete. But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! You shall follow my rules and keep my statutes and walk in them. We skipped over the third one, looked at the fourth one last time. Hes the inspirer of it, the giver of it. Matthew 5:43-47 (RSV) "You have heard that it was said, `You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'. To love your enemy means to try and understand them and behave toward them as you would like them to do to you. The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence. Proverbsand we have to remember that these were popular sayingseven states that those who rejoice over anothers misfortune will not go unpunished (17:15). However, we need to stop hating one another because hating one another is the easy way out. 65:913; Luke 12:16, 17; Acts 14:17, NKJV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, Red Letter Edition: Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture, NKJV, Spirit-Filled Life Bible, Third Edition, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print: Kingdom Equipping Through the Power of the Word, NKJV, Woman's Study Bible, Red Letter, Full-Color: Receiving God's Truth for Balance, Hope, and Transformation, NKJV, Abide Bible, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print: Holy Bible, New King James Version, NKJV Study Bible, Full-Color, Comfort Print: The Complete Resource for Studying Gods Word, NKJV, The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People. 4:12; 1 Pet. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, I am the Lord your God. 139:21-22 ). The Lord appeared to him from far away. The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. In exasperation, the king of Syria laid siege to the city of Dothan, where Elisha lived, hoping to root out the source of his military frustrations. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Are you sure youre right about that? Elisha prayed, and miraculously, the enemy army was struck with blindness until Elisha led them bound into the middle of the capital city Samaria, where they stood before Jehoram. But I say, love your enemies! God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. The Old Testament. Jesus emphasizes the reality of reward in loving others. What Every Christian Should Know about the Protestant Reformation. A simple way to look at it is everybodys got something. These three components of our Saviors sermons provide practical ways that we can love and forgive our enemies.. Hes raising the standard, so under the Law of Moses, God didnt want Israel to love their enemies? The most prominent verses cited as evidence are Jesus you have heard it said but I tell you statements, especially His statements about enemies. What Does Colossians 2:6-7 Teach Us about Our Faith Walk? 5:44, "pray for those who persecute you," is a synonymous parallel to "love your enemies." Thus, those persecuting you are included in your enemies. And God said, Let there be light, and there was light. R Yet, there are those who cry foul here, saying that Jesus statement is predicated on a misquotation of the Old Testament and a false assumption that the Old Testament taught people to hate their enemies. And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4(A)If you meet your enemys ox or his donkey going astray, you shall surely bring it back to him again. Let no flocks or herds graze opposite that mountain. So Moses cut two tablets of stone like the first. Your lovers despise you; they seek your life. Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! We read in Proverbs 25:21: If your enemies are hungry, give them bread to eat; and if they are thirsty, give them water to drink. Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven,, love your neighbor and hate your enemy,, If you have any issues, please call the office at 385-246-1048 or email us at. Luke 6:38. Its not in all caps because its not a quote. bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Your submission has been received! In addition to the obvious point that the OT nowhere states that one ought to hate their enemy, and the fact that Jesus describes His teachings as law-fulfilling (Matt 5:17), there are serious problems with this view. There are different examples in the bible of people showing love even to their enemies. As many Christians already know, in Matthew 22:3640, there was a question that was asked of Jesus as to which is the great commandment in the law?, Jesus responded by saying, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. Even when the Romans nailed him to the cross, Jesus said in Luke 23:34, Father forgive them for they know not what they do., Loving your enemies may seem difficult on the surface, but there are many ways to incorporate loving our neighbors into our lives, Despite all of this information on what loving your enemy means, its still hard to implement in everyday life. Labs Oba 1:12). This site and all its content 2023 WTC (Reg. Jesus was consistent with and upheld all that had been revealed before His earthly coming. When he says, Youve heard it said, hes not saying, God said. Of course he didnt say, God said. He said, Youve heard that it was said. But the reality of it, it wasnt said. That youre only obligated to love the people who love you, but you have no obligation to ever show mercy and grace to undeserving people? So that you may be sons of your Father whos in heaven. There was such a big problem with escalating vendettas that this law of retaliation was a way to limit those crimes., The sentencing was carried out by a court of elders, who assessed the damage done and distributed a monetary punishment to the guilty party., In the Old Testament, there is a verse in Leviticus 19:18 that states, Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people.. 1 John 4:16; Mal. Jesus is raising the bar now that hes come to the earth and hes got a set of followers. W He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. We have to pick up here on our next little lesson. Here are some more goodies from the Old Testament: Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: Proverbs 24:17. Proverbsand we have to remember that these were . 19:18; Dt. If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying helpless under its load, you shall refrain from leaving it to him, you shall surely release it with him, (Exodus 23:4-5). A blog by WTC faculty and friends where we can post our latest thoughts and reflections, write about what were working on, or what were teaching on, as well as hosting a variety of contributors. Jesus said the greatest commands were to love God and to love our neighbor as ourself ( Matt. Publisher: OpenBible.info. That's what this guide is all about. Now we will come back to the third and the fifth but Im looking at the ones First of all, theyre the most obvious that make it so plain to us that the ethic that Jesus was subscribing to and conveying to his disciples was in every case Old Covenant ethics of morality. And in a world where donkeys and oxen were means of personal livelihood, it is no small thing that the law commands Gods people to love their enemy by rescuing and returning their animals: When you come upon your enemys ox or donkey going astray, you shall bring it back. Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. All rights reserved. Hatred of others is a useful tool used by ungodly authorities to create a unity based on rage, roots of bitterness, and the past sins of others. But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. They wanted more teaching, more application for living, more understanding, and, thus, more hope. Yet as Jesus implied, it's similar to the first. Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the Lord has spoken: Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me. You may even be surprised at what you find out. And said, By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. Everybody knows Jesus said that. (Matt 5:43). He and his wife, Mae, reside in Western North Carolina. And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. Jesus refers to the Old Testament Scriptures often in Matthews Gospel, and He never uses any phrase like you have heard, to quote them. When you need guidance, turn to God. David was a type of this kind of searching love when he returned to Jerusalem. Thus, even as I promise to do as you say, I'm also asking you to give me the strength to do the impossible. They have forsaken the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged. Theyre trying to figure that out. Thats what God was teaching in the law? During His famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus utters the powerful words: You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, (Matthew 5:43-44). I can't love my enemies without your help. But Jesus doesnt stop there. While no Bible verse explicitly says "hate your enemy," the Pharisees may have somewhat misapplied some of the Old Testament passages about hatred for God's enemies (Psalm 139:19-22; 140:9-11). There is no other alternative for one who knows such love in ones own life. As David Holwerda wrote of Luke 6:17-26: Thus both the beatitudes and the woes [of the Sermon on the Mount and the Sermon on the Plains] are intended to shape the lives of disciples who live in this world as citizens of Gods kingdom., In both Matthew 5:44 and Luke 6:27, Jesus calls for believers to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. When you are facing obstacles, Jesus is always in your corner. He's the inspirer of it, the . "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'. The passage in Luke 6 refers to Jesus Sermon on the Plains. The Lord Jesus had descended the mount after a night of prayer. Of course I have already talked in previous little lessons about how confusing that must have been if it were true to his disciples because often times people who hold to that premise will say, Well, this is the New Covenant law, but yet Jesus was ministering under the Old Covenant. Of course hes quoting from the Old Covenant law, the Law of Moses and hes making counterpoints but hes not correcting himself. This is the first and greatest commandment. It comes from a central word, meaning to set out for a definite point or goal. 32:35; 1 Sam. Its authenticity is not seriously questioned and yet it is a revolutionary command. Notice that Jesus actual words, you have heard it said, are replaced with the formula behold it is written. Now, whenever Jesus used the words It is written, in Matthew, He is always referring to the words of Scripture. E 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if . In the New Testament, quite clearly, Jesus is not presenting a new ethic. Yet the Lord set his heart in love on your fathers and chose their offspring after them, you above all peoples, as you are this day. I am the Lord your God. I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Thanks for joining me. Praying is loving, as our Heavenly Father loves. "Continue to love your enemies and to pray for those who persecute you." But some folks were saying that thats something that the world never heard before and that a new ethic, a new standard of morality. I think anyone whos ever read the Old Testament knows that and so Jesus is correcting this idea thats so prevalent in his day that not only is it okay to hate certain people that you label as enemies, its commanded by God but it wasnt. 1 Corinthians 16:4 - Let all that you do be done in love. Too bad Jason can't trouble himself to have a ", "Hi Dave, I read your article with great interest. Whos my neighbor? Given the Qumran use of Nahum 1:2 in applying Lev 19, we can see why Jesus grounds his instruction of love toward enemies in the character and example of God (v. 45). God bless you. 6506007), WTC is a Registered Charity (No. Oh, my goodness is God long-suffering under the Old Covenant towards people who dont deserve them. We hope that these will help you better understand the meaning and purpose of God's Word in your life today. Why will you continue to rebel? Verse Concepts. Like the man in Luke 10, religious people have compartmentalized who gets God's love through us. Its one thing to have laws and teachings about loving enemies. Like the first fruit on the fig tree in its first season, I saw your fathers. We greatly appreciate your consideration! God loves his enemies. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Such accounts certainly are not to be used in any modern context in such a way. Its human nature., When you provide someone with that basic need, you can often help thaw their cold heart., We can always pray for our enemies because praying is an act of mercy. . So he takes that straight out of the Old Testament, but he also says "you have heard it said that you should 'hate your enemy.'" That is a little more difficult, because nowhere in the Old Testament is there ever a command to hate one's enemy. He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your wine and your oil, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock, in the land that he swore to your fathers to give you. To help you pray for them, here are six police officers' prayers. The Lord said there, You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor. Surely youd want the person to do the same when you voice your opinion., Can you truly forgive an enemy for what theyve done in your heart?, Jesus makes it clear many times in the Bible that we must model our forgiveness of others on God's forgiveness of our sins., In Matthew 6:14-15, the Bible says, "If you forgive others the wrongs they've done to you, your Father in heaven will also forgive you.
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