For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you. All right, so you've got tradition in Jesus time. 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. And Elisha wasnt playing by the rules. You may have similar interests or similar experiences while growing up. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Pray.com is the easiest way to incorporate prayer into your daily life and grow your faith journey. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. There is no other alternative for one who knows such love in ones own life. If you meet your enemy's ox or his donkey going astray, you shall bring it back to him. But they came to Baal-peor and consecrated themselves to the thing of shame, and became detestable like the thing they loved. The assumption is that Jesus contrasts the ethics of the Old Testament with His ethics. Matthew 5:43-48 ESV / 168 helpful votesHelpfulNot Helpful. Love Your Enemies: Old Testament Teaching Too? For more insight, daily prayers, Bible stories, and more, download the pray.com app on the iOS App Store and Google Play. (Matt 5:43). Such radical gospel transformation is, now, the operating hypothesis for the people of God. It is the case, though, that God's People have always sought to circumvent this teaching of Scripture down through the centuries. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. 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. R A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. 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. Milton has also served as chancellor and president of seminaries and is the author of more than thirty books. This undesirable state creates a culture of suspicion, intrigue, concealment, treachery, and sabotage casting a shadow on unity, and turning a nation into a divided people. Well that's the Old Testament. The second part, "hate your enemy," doesn't appear anywhere in the Old Testament. This is consistent with other statements in the law like: If you meet your enemys ox or his donkey wandering away, you shall surely return it to him. 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. Christ loves you. Jesus refers to the Old Testament Scriptures often in Matthews Gospel, and He never uses any phrase like you have heard, to quote them. Your lovers despise you; they seek your life. Is the god of this world Satan or Jesus in 2 Cor. In both passages, Jesus provides the theological necessity for loving our . He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. "Love Your Enemies." This is one of the few statements Jesus made that is readily accepted by believers and skeptics alike. But its quite another to express that love.. Love your neighbor and your neighbor is this very, very narrow group of . If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? It's fascinating that to love one's neighbor is the second commandment. 3 Lessons on Real Ways to Love Your Enemies. Is he my darling child? For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and . "In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets. If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying down under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him with it; you shall rescue it with him. Youll see that today is no different and that helps then put the other two within context. . Now, therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love, let not all the hardship seem little to you that has come upon us, upon our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers, and all your people, since the time of the kings of Assyria until this day. Sign up for a free PRAYaccount and youll begin receiving our Weekly Wisdom Devotionals, sent to your inbox every Tuesday. There is no reason for you to remain on a painful cross of unlovingness, or in the shame-shrouded tomb of lifelessness. Enemies in the Old Testament. Then Jehoram even asks Elisha twice, Shall I strike them down? I talked about previously on little lessons about how all of Gods moral commandments all emanate from his own character. The passage in Luke 6 refers to Jesus Sermon on the Plains. The Lord Jesus had descended the mount after a night of prayer. [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. Paul quotes this proverb in Romans 12:20, most likely as a specific instantiation of Jesus command in the Sermon on the Mount. Discover 12 of the most powerful quotes on prayer from the worlds most notable figures. Leviticus 19:9-18 ESV. Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. 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. Hes the inspirer of it, the giver of it. "If you come across your enemy's ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to return it. Geocoding One must concede that there is (more publicized) material in the Old Testament from which one could derive an ethic of hatred toward enemies (e.g., Ps 137 or Joshua), and well save that discussion for another day. Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. Oops! 10:30], Matt. You shall love your neighbor.. In the Old Testament the enemy is our neighbor. 1123573), Ali Blacklee Whittall Seeing the Women of the OT, Ruth Perrin and Ed Earnshaw Student Ministry, Jasper Knecht Reading the Scriptures with the Early Church, Christine Westhoff Reframing the Prophetic, Tim Mackie Biblical Studies and Christology, The Bible as Narrative Tobias Siegenthaler, The value of friendship in the Christian life Andy Hudson, Tobias Siegenthaler The Bible as Narrative, Bridging the funding gap for deaf students Janey Lawry-White, The Bible and Culture by Ben Witherington. Labs In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. The Old Testament commands to kill entire enemy peoples were specific and limited to particular events. 19:18; Dt. Several years ago I wrote a book called Hit by Friendly Fire: What to do when other believers hurt you. Theyre twisting which has become so clear as weve been reading through this and weve already looked at three out of the six you have heard but I say to you statements by Jesus. But showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. But along came the prophet Elisha (2 Kgs 6). Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 5:43; 19:19; Mark 12:31; Luke 10:27; [Rom. In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. What did Jesus mean when He instructed us to turn the other cheek. 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. More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! You shall not walk in their statutes. Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! 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.. Its authenticity is not seriously questioned and yet it is a revolutionary command. Careers Workplace and Religion Columnists, Recreation Outdoors and Religion Columnists, Religious Music and Entertainment Columnists, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Solomons Temple and its Archaeological Analogies. However, those living without Christ are not unreachable. The lessons for their life might not be the same as yours, and thats okay., There's something we have in common with everybody if we look closely enough. Therefore, we are taught by Jesus in the same passages to pray for them. The Wisdom books warn hearers not to rejoice when enemies face disaster (e.g., Prov 24:17; Job 31:29; cf. It comes from a central word, meaning to set out for a definite point or goal. 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. When Jesus said we are to love our enemies, He was creating a new standard for relationships. God doesnt change. 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.". 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. Witchcraft is a practice that involves the use of spells, incantations, special objects, symbols, and ceremonies to by Matt Slick | Mar 22, 2023 | Questions, Marriage, Sexuality. Jesus said the greatest commands were to love God and to love our neighbor as ourself ( Matt. Benjamin Breckenridge Warfield (1851-1921) of old Princeton reminded us that the greatest truth of John 3:16 is that God pursues those who rebelled against Him that He might bless them. 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. Matthew 5:43-48 NIV. 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.. [46] For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? It may come as a surprise that some specific teachings on showing love toward enemies appear only in the Old Testament. [Deut. Im not implying that God is telling anyone to kill anybody today. And hes not demanding something new. But instead, hes demanding more than most people were willing to do at the time. Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? John Donne (1572-1631), the poet-preacher of St. Pauls, London, wrote of Matthew 5: All the articles of our religion, all the canons of our church, all the injunctions of our princes, all the homilies of our fathers, all the body of divinity, is in these three chapters, in this one Sermon on the Mount.1The Sermon on the Mount, on a hill north of Galilee, has been called a radical re-interpretation of the Old Testament Scriptures by Jesus. "Continue to love your enemies and to pray for those who persecute you." 1 John 4:16; Mal. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. I'm a "progressive" ", "Dear Bob, Read Chapter 6 of Orgien's On Prayer, a work that Mr. Engwer himself ", "Excellent as always. What Did Jesus Really Mean by 'Love Your Enemies'? Turn to these in moments where forgiveness seems too difficult to manage., In 1 Corinthians 13:45, the Bible says, Love is patient, love is kind. Humans have feelings of hate, motivated by an idea that another person has harmed us in some way. [44] But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, [45 . Loving your neighbor vs. loving your enemy. But the casual, easy interpretation by the Pharisees and the Sadducees led the people of Israel to see all the Gentile nations as prominent and perennial enemies. Y If we look upon those who oppose, hurt, or persecute us as irredeemable, unchangeable Creatures of the Black Lagoon that are undeserving of our love and our forgiveness, then we must quickly run to the cross! This is the first and greatest commandment. Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect., Jesus said that when we love our enemies, we resemble our Heavenly Father, who is perfect and merciful.. I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments. In other words, Gods character is loving and merciful. We greatly appreciate your consideration! The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation.. Hes expecting more out of them than God expected out of anyone before them. 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. What did Jesus mean when He instructed us to love our enemies? Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world. You can love your enemies too. Theres a little revelation there. Youre proving that youre sons of your father when you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute. These are people who are under the oppressive regime of the Roman empire. 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. Blog, A And he did so along the grain of its core ethical teachings. All rights reserved. Its one thing to have laws and teachings about loving enemies. We should be surprised when they are not. When Jesus says, "You've heard it said," then he says, "You shall love your neighbor, hate your enemy," he's smart enough to know that the second part of that is not in the Old Testament anywhere. A simple way to look at it is everybodys got something. Matthew 5:35: Psalm 48:2 . It is important to acknowledge ways that Jesus teachings stand in tension with some aspects of the Old Testament. 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. . Say nice things to them, have an open discussion about whats happened or your feelings give them a hug, do something nice for them, smile, make a joke. The Queen of Sheba, Solomon, & Archaeology, Solomon's Temple and its Archaeological Analogies, Solomon's "Impossible" (?) Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master. So the king prepared for them a great feast, and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. (2 Kgs 6:21-22), Did this non-violent response work? ' And in my Bible, those one, two, three, four, five words You shall love your neighbor are all capitalized indicating thats a quote from the Old Testament, from the law. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. You shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations. Today's climate makes it easy to harbor feelings of resentment toward others or toward a specific group of people. P Do not even the tax collectors do the same? When you need guidance, turn to God. No, the Old Testament never teaches to hate our enemies any more than the New Testament does. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, I am the Lord your God. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? To the choirmaster. You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. 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. The Old Testament is love your neighbor and your neighbor includes your enemy. 13. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. To help you pray for them, here are six police officers' prayers. His most recent book is a second edition release: Hit by Friendly Fire: What to do when Another Believer Hurts You(Resource Publications, 2022). By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you. What does it mean that the rain falls on the just and the unjust? A Psalm of David. There are many ways to express love, even for an enemy. . No end was in sight. Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and you shall keep my Sabbaths: I am the Lord your God. These words have been a central part of Christian ethics for nearly two thousand years and resonate even with many unbelievers around the world. 6:35). He knows the Bible pretty well. Pray for those who persecute you. The simple answer is that Jesus doesnt say that at all. . All rights reserved. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your . 139:21-22 ). Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. The practical implication of this teaching is clear: There is great reward in loving our enemies and forgiving them for their sins against us. First, seek to understand their side and try hard to understand where they're coming from. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord. First, just as a beginning, it should be noted that the Israelites were not always commanded to annihilate all their enemies, only certain ones. Box 1353 |Nampa, ID 83653 USA1-800-803-8093, 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,, For example, Matthew 12:3, Matthew 12:5, Matthew 19:4, Matthew 21:16, Matthew 21:42 Matthew 22:31, For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven,, Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. Psalm 136:1-26 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! With weeping they shall come, and with pleas for mercy I will lead them back, I will make them walk by brooks of water, in a straight path in which they shall not stumble, for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn. Thanks so much! 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. You cant find that anywhere in the Law of Moses? It may have been assumed by some Hebrews that to love the neighbor (a fellow member of one's community . But if he says to you, I will not go out from you, because he loves you and your household, since he is well-off with you. Be very careful, therefore, to love the Lord your God. W 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. Your submission has been received! Verse 2, "If your brother be not near unto thee or if thou know him not," maybe it's somebody you don't even know. When you love your enemies, you grow and develop spiritually. How can we know this? Moreover, those who persecute us today may, in Gods grace, become those who protect us tomorrow. These three components of our Saviors sermons provide practical ways that we can love and forgive our enemies.. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and . To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. Grace Alone and Faith Alone: What is Wrong with the First Two Solas?