Matthew 5:42

Tuesday, 17 December 2024

Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away. Matthew 5:42

“The ‘asking of you,’ you give. And the wishing from you to borrow, not you shall turn away” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus said that when one mobilizes you to go with him a mile, to make it two instead. Next, He says, “The ‘asking of you,’ you give.”

The meaning of this is that when a person comes with a request, the one being petitioned should oblige him and give what is asked for. However, such a request has to come with limitations.

The word is aiteó, to ask or even demand. If this involved an unconditional giving of things when people asked, the one being petitioned would run out of things to give in no time. It would also be contrary to verses such as –

“For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; 8 nor did we eat anyone’s bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, 9 not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us.
10 For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.” 2 Thessalonians 3:7-10

This word is used by Jesus in Matthew 7, saying –

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! 12 Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7:7-12

First, if this was true in the ultimate sense, God would simply be here doing whatever we asked of Him. It would also cause an infinite number of impossible dilemmas. For example, two people may ask God for the same wife.

Obviously, God is not going to arbitrarily give everything that is asked for. But Jesus’ words at the end of the verses explain the matter, “for this is the Law and the Prophets.” The people who Jesus is speaking to are under the law. He is setting the law as the parameters for petitions to God and between one another.

If there is a provision of the law that says a person is to act in a certain manner towards another, it is to be complied with. Next, Jesus continues with, “And the wishing from you to borrow.”

The word translated as borrow signifies to loan on interest. This would be a loan that would be repaid with an amount added. Obviously, if a person did not have money to lend, this could not come about. But more, this is only speaking about non-Jews. A point of the law found in Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy says –

“You shall not charge interest to your brother—interest on money or food or anything that is lent out at interest. 20 To a foreigner you may charge interest, but to your brother you shall not charge interest, that the Lord your God may bless you in all to which you set your hand in the land which you are entering to possess.” Deuteronomy 23:19, 20

Jesus says that when such a person comes asking for a loan, “not you shall turn away.” The word apostrephó is used. It is a strong word that “emphasizes the personal element involved with turning away or rejecting” (HELPS Word Studies).

The Jews were to attend to such requests by non-Jews, and they were not to personally reject such petitions. Again, Jesus is summing up the law and the prophets. These words have no bearing on conduct within the church. Rather, church doctrine is to be obtained from the New Testament epistles.

Life application: When we mix dispensations (meaning taking precepts meant for those under the law and applying them to those in the church), there will always be a contradiction in our theology. This is because those in the church are not under law.

The guidelines for conduct within the church form a new set of instructions that are often at odds with the precepts of the law. This is because Jesus fulfilled the law. In His fulfillment of the law, it is set aside, abolished, obsolete, annulled, etc.

To understand this, imagine the law being like a square. The church could be equated to a circle. Certain laws exist that say square pegs don’t fit in round holes and vice versa. In the fulfillment of the law, there are no more square holes, only round ones. You can beat square pegs over round holes all day long, but you will not obtain a satisfactory outcome.

Instead, you will accomplish nothing but look ridiculous. Now imagine being told, “Anyone who picks up the wrong peg and tries to cram it into a round hole will be displeasing to God.” How inane would a person have to be to keep picking up square pegs?

And yet this is just what some people do. Don’t be a square! Come to Jesus and give up on your futile attempts to shove the law back into your theology. It simply doesn’t work.

Glorious and almighty God, help us to get our dispensations right. When we mix things up that You have already set straight, we only harm ourselves. So, Lord, help us to see what You have done and are doing and then guide us on the right path. Yes, Lord, may it be so to Your glory. Amen.