3 Lessons on Real Ways to Love Your Enemies. 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. 2:23, Job 25:3; Ps. Why will you continue to rebel? 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. Every evil of theirs is in Gilgal; there I began to hate them. Dr. Lukes Sermon on the Plains, is shorter than the Sermon on the Mount. Love Your Neighborand Your Enemies Pray that God will help you to love them and forgive them as you remember how God loved and forgave you. In the Book of Mormon version, however, Jesus words are reported as: And behold it is written also, that thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy; But behold I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you, (3 Nephi 12:43-44). God causes the sun to rise on evil people as well as the good and sends rain on the righteous and unrighteous. 19. You come down from the cross, out of the tomb, and are, like the Lord, renewed to eternal life. It exemplifies the deep love that God has for us. 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. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. Today, the hatred we feel for other people is a universal problem.. Either you can hate what happened in the past and not change a thing, or you can accept it and move forward., Its one thing to feel love for someone, even if you consider that person to be an enemy. Indeed, Jesus later cites this very passage love your neighbor as yourself, (Leviticus 19:18) as the second greatest commandment of the whole law.2Matthew 22:39 So, Jesus is not critiquing the words of Scripture, but rather the way those Scriptures were being taught and interpreted by the teachers and practices of His day. And I said, O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice., He said, Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you., Then he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. What happens next is crucial, for Elisha (as if in the persona of Jesus)[2] responded as follows: You shall not strike them down. Does the Old Testament teach to hate your enemies? | carm.org You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your . He has composed and performed original music for five albums. Love Your Enemies - Rival Nations Matthew 5:43-48 - Love your enemies; Old Testament references. And hes not demanding something new. But instead, hes demanding more than most people were willing to do at the time. 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. Pray for those who persecute you. Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com. 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, . To learn more visit and subscribe: https://michaelmilton.org/about/. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. 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. Jesus began to teach a message very similar to the Sermon on the Mount. When you see the donkey of one who hates you lying under its burden and you would hold back from setting it free, you must help to set it free. Love for Enemies. To love as Christ loved us is to receive and share the reward of such love: new life. God bless you. Copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. 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. In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. Because of the wickedness of their deeds I will drive them out of my house. And of course, Jesus also condemns wickedness and is appointed by the Father to judge the world at the end of the age. Is Ephraim my dear son? We'd love to keep you up to date with what is happening at CARM. What Every Christian Should Know about the Protestant Reformation. E 6:35). Often, theres more than one person who has caused us anger, hatred, or resentment in the past., There is something in the teachings of Jesus that is worth considering regardless of whether youre a Christian or not.. I think its a valid question. As with other Jewish teachers of His day, Jesus validated it through reuse and reappropriation. You shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. 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. Whether its a loss of a job, a loved one, self-esteem, or their own health, there are plenty of reasons people do what they do., The next step is to accept where they are in their life. 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. . His most recent book is a second edition release: Hit by Friendly Fire: What to do when Another Believer Hurts You(Resource Publications, 2022). This separates us from those who have evil and hatred in their hearts. I can't offer kindness to those who have wronged me unless your Spirit stirs within me. But God is always there. How can you learn to be optimistic? God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. G is love your enemies in the old testament You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the Lord. Love for ones enemy even extended to his animal. There is no transformation in such scenarios. Remember he's God. Exodus 23:4-5,Leviticus 19:18,Matthew 5:43-45 NKJV - "If you meet your Think on what is, perhaps, the most famous verse in the Bible: John 3:16. That's what this guide is all about. He is addressing faulty interpretations of the Law. When you love your enemies, you grow and develop spiritually. Love Your Enemies, Part 2 - Grace to You 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. 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. The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you. This is the first and greatest commandment. "You Have HeardBut I Say"Jesus' Six Counterpoints: Moral Upgrade or Moral Reclamation. When we show respect to our enemies, we allow ourselves to become more like the Holy Spirit. 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. Why will you still be struck down? 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! But the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love. 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. ", As stated previously, forgiveness doesnt mean you have to invite the person to dine at your table. This humbling situation is magnified by the appointed Jewish governors and other public officials who are seen as turncoats. The assumption is that Jesus contrasts the ethics of the Old Testament with His ethics. Visit the Bible online to search for words if you dont know the specific passage yourre looking for. However, we need to stop hating one another because hating one another is the easy way out. This looked like the makings of an execution. 23:6; Ps. Sign up for a free PRAYaccount and youll begin receiving our Weekly Wisdom Devotionals, sent to your inbox every Tuesday. What does it mean to love your neighbor as you love yourself? That they may not teach you to do according to all their abominable practices that they have done for their gods, and so you sin against the Lord your God. 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. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and . 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). Enemies in the Old Testament : r/Christians Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread. It has become increasingly commonplace in popular theological works to draw a sharp contrast between Jesus teachings in the Sermon on the Mount and, well the whole Old Testament. Jesus says in verse 44, But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Now, some people say, We never heard that before. Hes raising the standard now. But did Israel really live this out this ethos? The Twisting and Truth About Jesus' Olivet Discourse Parables, Surprising Biblical Truths About Grace and Works, The Hyper-Grace Twisting of Paul's Teaching About Salvation. As an Old Testament scholar, the proposed contrast is like nails on a chalkboard. The alien is the same as the citizen. 1 John 4:16; Mal. In vain you beautify yourself. These, like Matthew, and Zacchaeus, were tax collectors. Theyre not quite as easy to see but actually theyre not that difficult to see either. Love for Enemies in the Old Testament - TheoMisc Blog 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). This site and all its content 2023 WTC (Reg. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. Actually, those persecuting you are those of your enemies most likely to be convicted by the Holy Spirit and turn to Christ. Just have loving feelings toward them and, if possible, express that through words, by doing something nice, or even with a smile. There are many ways to express love, even for an enemy. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Matthew 5:43-47 (RSV) "You have heard that it was said, `You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'. Werent they all to be stoned or run through with swords? Peacock's 'Mrs. New King James Version (NKJV). 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.. 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. He knows the Bible pretty well. (Luke 23:33, 34) His teachings about loving our enemies harmonize with what is stated in the Hebrew Scriptures, commonly called the Old Testament.Exodus 23:4, 5; Proverbs 24:17; 25:21. 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. I will strike them down. (v. 21a). 13:9; Gal. Because if its a new ethic, a new standard, what youre saying is it cant be found in the Old Covenant anywhere. It may come as a surprise that some specific teachings on showing love toward enemies appear only in the Old Testament. 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.
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