Cite this page: Editor: Stephen Smith. Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. The proposed idea is that Jesus turns the vengeance-consumed Old Testament on its head. Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Do not even pagans do that? Luke 6:27-36 NIV - Love for Enemies - "But to you who - Bible Gateway 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. All rights reserved. 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. Grace Alone and Faith Alone: What is Wrong with the First Two Solas? 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. According to David E. Holwerd in The Lectionary Commentary, Lukes sermon is much shorter (30 verses to Matthews 107), and it contains only four beatitudes compared to Matthews eight.Yet, both of these divine sermons have the same goal. The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence. 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. 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. In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. 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. Visit the Bible online to search for words if you dont know the specific passage yourre looking for. And that is not only how to love your enemies, but also why we must love them. 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. 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. 5:14]; James 2:8, Leviticus 19:18 in all English translations, Luke 23:34; Acts 7:60; 1 Cor. "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:44-45). His most recent book is a second edition release: Hit by Friendly Fire: What to do when Another Believer Hurts You(Resource Publications, 2022). Jesus goes on . 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. 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. Oops! Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? Youre proving that youre sons of your father when you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute. Jesus said the greatest commands were to love God and to love our neighbor as ourself ( Matt. Do not even the tax collectors do the same? . Well that's the Old Testament. Thank you for your interest in supporting CARM. 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. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? There are many ways to express love, even for an enemy. 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. But God is always there. You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. What is the meaning of the Greek word "" in Matthew 5:44? Love for ones enemy even extended to his animal. Is there a Bible contradiction in Matthew 5:43? - Defending Inerrancy 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. Do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the Lord., And the Lord said to me, Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the Lord loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins.. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. To the choirmaster. When you love your enemies, you eliminate hatred from your heart and you show that Jesus is the Lord of your life. You cant find that anywhere in the Law of Moses? Everybody knows Jesus said that. Luke 6:38. Throughout the Scriptures, we are commanded to treat even those who hate us with dignity and compassion as men and women created in the image of God. He keeps saying something and he says, And hate your enemy. In my Bible, And hate your enemy is not in all caps. 3 Lessons on Real Ways to Love Your Enemies. Jesus taught that we, who were enemies of God, are now called friends of God, through Jesus Christ. How Was the Old Testament God's Love Letter to His People? 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. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and . To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn. B Theyre not quite as easy to see but actually theyre not that difficult to see either. 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. We can learn how to apply Jesus' command in our own lives by following the fullness of the teaching. Indeed, the fact that it forbids vengeance seems to indicate that you are to love your neighbor even if they are your enemy. Police officers do a dangerous, but necessary job. Therefore, we are taught by Jesus in the same passages to pray for them. 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. He has composed and performed original music for five albums. I'm a "progressive" ", "Dear Bob, Read Chapter 6 of Orgien's On Prayer, a work that Mr. Engwer himself ", "Excellent as always. 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. 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. That makes it fundamental to our very existence., But, as we all know, there's a huge difference between loving your enemies and loving your friends. Theres a little revelation there. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. And Jesus knew this when he gave his sermon on the mount in the book of Matthew., On a mountainside, Jesus gave a long sermon on a number of topics ranging from adultery to murder. "1 Samuel 25-26: Love Your Enemies," Old Testament Seminary Student Study Guide (2002), 98 "1 Samuel 25-26," Old Testament Seminary Student Study Guide, 98 1 Samuel 25-26. The thesis of the book is simply is this: as Jesus forgave those who crucified Him, the cross of Christ was transformed from an instrument of shame to a sign of salvation. 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.. Love Your Enemies - Rival Nations 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. [47] And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Is he my darling child? The very core of the heart of God is summed up in three words: "love your enemies" ( Romans 5:10 ). It does not dishonor others, it isn't self-seeking, it isn't easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.". (Exod 23:4-5). God loves your enemies. 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. To continue hating, resenting, or holding a grudge against another person is to remain on the cross. All right, so you've got tradition in Jesus time. I did a proximity search in my online Bible of hate+ enemy / enemies and could find only one passage even suggesting hatred of enemies: St. Paul cites and further interprets this teaching: Furthermore, not only is this ethical teaching found in the Old Testament and Judaism, but also in virtually all of the major world religions: C. S. Lewis noted that these affinities with other religions, along with various pagan precursors to Christianity far from being a, Definition of "Radical Catholic Reactionary": Dialogue, "This is, obviously, a very detailed paper on parallels for Solomon's Temple. Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. These, like Matthew, and Zacchaeus, were tax collectors. 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. 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. Your lovers despise you; they seek your life. Sunday Welfare and Thanksgivng Service | Sunday Welfare and Thanksgivng You come down from the cross, out of the tomb, and are, like the Lord, renewed to eternal life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. Michael A. Milton (PhD, Wales) is a long-time Presbyterian minister (PCA) and a regular contributor to Salem Web Network.