No one shall come up with you, and let no one be seen throughout all the mountain. The Wisdom books warn hearers not to rejoice when enemies face disaster (e.g., Prov 24:17; Job 31:29; cf. O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest. When you offer a sacrifice of peace offerings to the Lord, you shall offer it so that you may be accepted. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. These, like Matthew, and Zacchaeus, were tax collectors. To learn more visit and subscribe: https://michaelmilton.org/about/. Thanks so much! Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.". However, we need to stop hating one another because hating one another is the easy way out. 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. Jesus taught that we, who were enemies of God, are now called friends of God, through Jesus Christ. It's stressful when someone you love is undergoing surgery. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and . If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help them with it." - Exodus 23:4-5 NIV. Save 15% for life! You come down from the cross, out of the tomb, and are, like the Lord, renewed to eternal life. N It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples. New King James Version (NKJV). You bet! . 44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. Or is it exclusively a New Testament innovation? Want the Verse of the Day sent to your inbox? However, those living without Christ are not unreachable. As the late Dr. John Stott wrote, In each antithesis (You have heard that it was said but I say to you ) he rejected the easy-going tradition of the scribes, reaffirmed the authority of Old Testament Scripture, and drew out the full and exacting implications of Gods moral law.2So, we can say that the presenting issues we observe in the text have to do with a misunderstanding of loving ones enemies. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. CARM |P.O. 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. Yeshua said, "You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy" (Mathew 5:43). 18(A)You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, (B)but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. Q Luke 6:35-36 states, But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. -Matthew 6:43-45. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. [Deut. We can learn how to apply Jesus command in our own lives by following the fullness of the teaching. Pray.com provides people from all walks of life inspiration through Daily Prayers, Bible in a Year Programs, and Bedtime Bible Stories. Something went wrong while submitting the form. Like the man in Luke 10, religious people have compartmentalized who gets God's love through us. He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. The Lord appeared to him from far away. [47] And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? 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. Not just for our own sake, but for the sake of our communities, countries, and all of our fellow human beings on Gods green earth. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. 5:43; 19:19; Mark 12:31; Luke 10:27; [Rom. You don't have to love them like you love your parents or children or best friend. Examples of Loving your Enemies in the Bible; "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.". 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. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. How can you learn to be optimistic? You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. First, just as a beginning, it should be noted that the Israelites were not always commanded to annihilate all their enemies, only certain ones. 2 Corinthians 4:4 says that the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, so they will not see the CARM is a nonprofit, non-denominational, multi-staffed Christian Apologetics Ministry that supports evangelism, radio outreach, and provides full-time support for several foreign missionaries. To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn. 3:6 ), and He cannot hate any person, nor can He command anyone else to do so. This site and all its content 2023 WTC (Reg. Christ loves you. In practice, many people felt that they should love fellow Jews and it did not matter if . That is a valid question because under the Old Covenant, God told Israelites in some cases to wipe out people and to be separate from certain people, not to associate with certain people because of their incredibly sinful cultures and lies. We hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe. He has authored numerous books, including a 500-page equipping manual titled The Disciple Making-Minister, which has been translated into more than 30 languages. Cite this page: Editor: Stephen Smith. All rights reserved. "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'. 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. First of all, Jesus Himself said that His teachings were a development of existing ones in the Old Testament: This looks bad at first glance, but upon close examination, I think it is simply expressing the thought that those whom God judges, I also judge [in agreement with Gods prior decision]; they deserve their condemnation. Its expressing the notion of judgment or proper justice or righteous indignation at those who indeed are among the reprobate, on their way to hell. Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world. On the other hand, there are passages that come quite close to what Jesus said about love of enemies: The prophet Elisha counseled mercy towards Syrian prisoners of war. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. A simple way to look at it is everybodys got something. 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. . If you meet your enemy's ox or his donkey going astray, you shall bring it back to him. Always remember that life in the community of man is not divided into the 'Hatfields and McCoys.' I will love them no more; all their princes are rebels. "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and you shall keep my Sabbaths: I am the Lord your God. And prepare for me delicious food, such as I love, and bring it to me so that I may eat, that my soul may bless you before I die., Because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.. Learn about the best Christian goals and how to accomplish them with pray.com. And I will betroth you to me forever. Im not implying that God is telling anyone to kill anybody today. These are just a few ways to go about it. They and other unscrupulous figures who use their delegated authority from Rome to fleece their own people represent an existential threat to Israels identity. When you love your enemies, you eliminate hatred from your heart and you show that Jesus is the Lord of your life. Dr. Lukes Sermon on the Plains, is shorter than the Sermon on the Mount. Leviticus 19:9-18 ESV. That's Proverbs 25:21-22. Moreover, those who persecute us today may, in Gods grace, become those who protect us tomorrow. H Love for one's enemy even extended to his animal. Y How can we know this? Is Ephraim my dear son? During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told the listeners: You have heard it said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy' but I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you that you may be children of your Father in heaven. Well, no. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. U You shall not walk in their statutes. In Matthew 5:43-48, Jesus says, You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. Thou shalt "hate thine enemy" was a rabbinical invention pure and simple. Now, lets keep reading. Ill focus on one in this first post, and offer it in the form of a positive thesis. bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. [29] To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from him who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. (cf. Werent they all to be stoned or run through with swords? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?, Luke 6:27-29But I say to you that hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,[28] bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. Luke 6:35-36. As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem. 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. David has served for more than 40 years in vocational ministry, pioneering and pastoring three churches during 20 of those years, and personally ministering in more than 50 of the worlds nations. Matthew 5:43-48 ESV / 168 helpful votesHelpfulNot Helpful. What does the Bible say about witchcraft? In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. In both passages, Jesus provides the theological necessity for loving our . T Part of it was what was said but not all of it. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord. Love for Enemies. 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. Proverbs 25:21-22 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, You will heap burning coals of shame on their heads, and the LORD will reward you. J He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:16-18), God saves because we need saving! However, in the end, we must come to accept one another as children of God. Enemies in the Old Testament. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Hes the inspirer of it, the giver of it. of When we show respect to our enemies, we allow ourselves to become more like the Holy Spirit. Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com. These words have been a central part of Christian ethics for nearly two thousand years and resonate even with many unbelievers around the world. Thank you! The Gospel of Matthew doesnt present Jesus as speaking of the Scriptures themselves as something heard, but rather as something read. So in Matthew 5, when Jesus uses the formula of you have heard it saidbut I say, Jesus is not arguing with the passage itself. It may come as a surprise that some specific teachings on showing love toward enemies appear only in the Old Testament. Read the Old Testament. 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. Well that's the Old Testament. Now more than ever, we need to implement these teachings into our lives. However, your enemies will force you to take a closer look at your life. Jesus was consistent with and upheld all that had been revealed before His earthly coming. Receive the Daily Devotional, Share prayers with others, and more on the Pray.com app. We must always remember Saint Paul; he was the persecutor of the believers the enemy of the Saints who became the great Apostle to the Gentiles. So what about those enemies in the Old Testament? He is addressing faulty interpretations of the Law. All right, so you've got tradition in Jesus time. Therefore, we are taught by Jesus in the same passages to pray for them. [1] In addition to ethical Docetism, attempts to see Jesus as a lone and subversive revolutionary often lead to the anachronistic claim that he taught something completely unprecedented here. Thanks for joining me. Every evil of theirs is in Gilgal; there I began to hate them. 4:4. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and . Is that something that started with the New Covenant? 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. The Arameans no longer came raiding into the land of Israel. (v. 23), [In my next post Ill look at the relationship between Jesus views on revenge and the Old Testament teachings on that topic (e.g., Matt 5:38).]. 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). What happens next is crucial, for Elisha (as if in the persona of Jesus)[2] responded as follows: You shall not strike them down. Sign up for a free PRAYaccount and youll begin receiving our Weekly Wisdom Devotionals, sent to your inbox every Tuesday. 27 "But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. Why Does God Compare Our Relationship with Him to That of a Bride and Groom? All rights reserved. You shall not spread a false report. Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany, Year C,, Hit by friendly fire: what to do when fellow believers hurt you, 3 Real Ways Christians Can Love Their Enemies. M To subscribe to David Servant's periodic e-teachings, click here. 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. It can have affectionate, benevolent, strong liking, romantic, or sexual implications. Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. Police officers do a dangerous, but necessary job. F For the Lord is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face. The word perfect, in the original Greek, means complete. That nowhere in the Old Covenant and the Law of Moses that there was any provision for showing mercy and grace for undeserving people and turn the other cheek? Were going to skip over the fifth one and look at the sixth one. He and his wife, Mae, reside in Western North Carolina. You could also have similar jobs, common friends or family members, or similar personality traits., One surefire way to find common ground is by acknowledging your differences. Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. You may even be surprised at what you find out. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Proud member So, when Jesus challenges what the people have heard, love your neighbor and hate your enemy, He is not twisting the Old Testament to attack it. Jesus teachings on loving enemies were woven from the richly varied threads of Scripture, which He heard, learned, debated and taught from a very young age. 1:3 ). And Jesus knew this when he said, Forgive them, Father.. There are different examples in the bible of people showing love even to their enemies. Pray for those who persecute you! It's fascinating that to love one's neighbor is the second commandment. But Jesus doesnt stop there. 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. Everybody knows Jesus said that in the Sermon on the Mount. This is a worthwhile act of empathy that anyone can do in any situation.. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. 4:12; 1 Pet. There is no transformation in such scenarios. "1 Samuel 25-26: Love Your Enemies," Old Testament Seminary Student Study Guide . Is the god of this world Satan or Jesus in 2 Cor. It's not Jesus, it's the Jewish law of Moses, it's the Pentateuch of the Old Testament. And he rose early in the morning and went up on Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and took in his hand two tablets of stone. 1 John 4:16; Mal. I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence. Luke 6:38. Therefore my heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him, declares the Lord. When you need guidance, turn to God. Proverbsand we have to remember that these were popular sayingseven states that those who rejoice over anothers misfortune will not go unpunished (17:15). A crowd awaited. When we follow the rich, life-giving teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ, we become spirits set free, free from yesterdays pain, free from the ugliness of sin that stains and infects our relationships, free from the life-crippling burden of unforgiveness. 1 John 4:7. The command says to love your neighbor, but it never says anything about hating your enemies. But one of his most notable teachings was his thoughts on loving your neighbor., Its easy to remember Matthew 5:44, But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you., First, in order to understand why Jesus said this, we have to go further back into the Bible, to the Old Testament., In ancient times, there was something known as the Lex Talionis, or the law of retaliation. It was basically An eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth type thinking.