Matthew 5:43

Wednesday, 18 December 2024

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ Matthew 5:43

“You heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor, and you shall hate your enemy.’” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus spoke of giving to all who ask of you and to not turn away those wanting to borrow. Now, He says, “You heard that it was said.”

Jesus will again cite precepts from the law of Moses. The first clause is very close to a direct quote from the law. However, the second clause is something that is more to be inferred. It may be that rabbinic commentaries went further in their analysis than the law, but what Jesus says can be rightly inferred from various portions of the law. They are not far from what Moses said in some ways. And so, He begins with, “You shall love your neighbor.”

The words are formed from a greater precept found in Leviticus 19:18 –

“You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.”

Jesus cites this to His disciples to begin the instruction which follows. Before He gets to that, He next cites the contrary precept saying, “and you shall hate your enemy.”

This precept could be found in the law. For example –

“When the Lord your God brings you into the land which you go to possess, and has cast out many nations before you, the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than you, 2 and when the Lord your God delivers them over to you, you shall conquer them and utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them. 3 Nor shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to their son, nor take their daughter for your son. 4 For they will turn your sons away from following Me, to serve other gods; so the anger of the Lord will be aroused against you and destroy you suddenly. 5 But thus you shall deal with them: you shall destroy their altars, and break down their sacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images, and burn their carved images with fire.” Deuteronomy 7:1-5

Likewise, this was instructed in Exodus 17 –

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.’ 15 And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-Lord-Is-My-Banner; 16 for he said, ‘Because the Lord has sworn: the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.’” Exodus 17:14-16

Moses then repeated the precept in Deuteronomy –

“Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you were coming out of Egypt, 18 how he met you on the way and attacked your rear ranks, all the stragglers at your rear, when you were tired and weary; and he did not fear God. 19 Therefore it shall be, when the Lord your God has given you rest from your enemies all around, in the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance, that you will blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. You shall not forget.” Deuteronomy 25:17-19

As these words are found in the law, Jesus cannot be said to be citing only rabbinic commentaries. Anyone who reads these instructions could only conclude that these particular enemies were to be hated and destroyed.

Life application: A large majority of the commentaries on Jesus’ words in this verse say that He is citing the law in the first clause and only citing rabbinic commentaries in the second. As seen, this is not necessarily correct. If God said to utterly destroy particular people groups, it means that they were not to be associated with. They were to be hated and abhorred.

A problem arises, however, when the term “enemy” is abused. The law notes that when Israel is attacking an “enemy,” if they accept the terms of peace set forth by Israel, they are to be given leniency (see Deuteronomy 20:10-15).

If the rabbis were saying that all “enemies” of Israel were to be hated, it would be contrary to the tenor of Scripture concerning the guidelines for warfare in Deuteronomy 20 as well as other places where enemies become allies.

As such, we need to be attentive to not accept commentaries on Scripture, Christian or otherwise, without checking to see if what those commentaries say aligns with Scripture. But we cannot actually do that unless we are familiar with Scripture already. Putting your trust in what other people say without checking is not a good way to run your life. How much more when it involves spiritual matters that can affect one’s eternal destiny?

Be sure to read your Bible daily. Take in what it says and store it away as the finest of treasures. When it is time, take it out and enjoy it again as you carefully consider each word.

Heavenly Father, Your word is wonderful. It is without contradiction, but it has to be considered in light of the context You provide in each passage. Help us to maintain the proper context and carefully consider what You are telling us. In this, we will have a more perfect understanding of Your will and intent for us. Thank You, O God. Amen.