by Grace Hunter

 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 5:43-48 NIV

But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. Psalm 86:15 NIV

Jesus again begins a section of His sermon with, “you have heard that it was said”. Then he goes on to quote what the law in Leviticus 19:18 actually says, together with telling His disciples what this principle is in the Kingdom of God.

Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD. Leviticus 19:18 NIV

Did you notice? The instructions in Leviticus do not say, “hate your enemy”. The phrase “love your neighbor as yourself” is found in many places throughout the New Testament: Matthew 19:19, Matthew 22:39, Mark 12:31, Luke 10:27, Romans 13:9, Galatians 5:14, and in James 2:8. But, “hate your enemies” is not in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, or in Deuteronomy. However, similar  attitudes are found in various places in the Psalms. Usually, these views are presented as hating enemies of God.

If only you would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men! They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD, and abhor those who rise up against you? I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.
Psalm 139:19-22

David is having a conversation with God in this Psalm. David reflects a common attitude in Israel — that he hates God’s enemies and adversaries. Jonah, one of God’s prophets, displayed a similar attitude toward the Ninevites (Assyrians). Both David and Jonah displayed a frustration with God’s patience toward His enemies. But another phrase — like a golden thread throughout the Old Testament — is one found in Jonah 4:2b.

I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.

Similar phrases are found in Exodus 34:6-7, Numbers 14:18, Nehemiah 9:17, Psalm 86:15, Psalm 103:8, Psalm 145:8, Joel 2:13.

So even though many in Israel had the attitude of hating their enemies (that was perhaps even taught by rabbis and scholars), God had been known as a God who was slow to anger, who was compassionate and patient, even with His enemies (as in Jonah 4:2). Once again, Jesus is teaching His disciples what His Kingdom looks like and how His Kingdom works. Think about the implications of this for your own life as you read through and pray the Lord’s Prayer.

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by Grace Hunter

You have heard that it was said, `Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. Matthew 5:38-42 NIV

At first glance, Jesus seems to be directly contradicting the law of Moses in this section of His Sermon on the Mount teaching. Is that really what is happening here? Let’s look a little deeper. We are looking at little segments of the Sermon on the Mount each week, but it is important to keep the broader context in mind as well. Earlier Jesus said,

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:17-20 NIV

So, is Jesus teaching against the law? Or perhaps is He teaching that the law had been misinterpreted by leaders, Pharisees and scholars, that this is what He is seeking to correct. This section is prefaced once again with the statement, “You have heard that it was said” Matthew 5:38a. My NIV text note on Matthew 5:21 says,

The contrast Jesus sets up (Matthew 5:21, 27, 31, 33, 38, 43) is not between the Old Testament and his teaching (he has just established the validity of the Old Testament Law Matthew 5:17-20). Rather, it is between externalistic interpretation of the rabbinic tradition on the one hand, and Jesus’ correct interpretation of the Law on the other.

The law that Jesus is referring to in this section is found in Leviticus 24:19-20, Exodus 21:22-24, and in Deuteronomy 19:16-21. Each has similar wording, but Deuteronomy gives us some extra context.

If a malicious witness takes the stand to accuse a man of a crime, the two men involved in the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD before the priests and the judges who are in office at the time. The judges must make a thorough investigation, and if the witness proves to be a liar, giving false testimony against his brother, then do to him as he intended to do to his brother. You must purge the evil from among you. The rest of the people will hear of this and be afraid, and never again will such an evil thing be done among you. Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. Deuteronomy 19:16-21 NIV

These instructions were given to judges and priests – not to everyone. This was a principle to be applied by judges or priests in judgements of wrongdoers. It described the punishment fitting the crime, not literally cutting off someone’s foot or hand. It was also described as a deterrent against wrong doing in general. Some leaders in Jesus’ day were not applying this law correctly. Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5:39-42 demonstrates how the law of love, not a law of retaliation, is applied in God’s kingdom. Pray through the Lord’s Prayer while thinking on these principles.

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Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:26-27 NIV

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning–the sixth day. Genesis 1:31 NIV

Jesus introduces a new topic – adultery with, “It has been said, `Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.” (Matthew 5:31-32 NIV) Jesus goes into more detail later in the book of Matthew when He was approached by Pharisees who wished to test him.

They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”

“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator `made them male and female,’ and said, `For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”

“Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”

Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.” Matthew 19:3-9 NIV

Once again, the Pharisees were seeking to put a fence around the law, to emphasize what was allowed and what wasn’t. But Jesus demonstrated with His answer, referring to Genesis and the first marriage (Genesis 2:18-25), that His focus was on the sanctity of marriage, the sanctity of the marriage bed, and on the lifetime commitment made by a husband and a wife to each other in marriage. Jesus points the Pharisees and His listeners to the beauty and the idyllic state of the first marriage in the Garden of Eden. In this relationship before the fall, Adam and Eve were companions, there was no shame, they had complete honesty (openness) with each other and with God. Jesus wanted His hearers to recognize the ideal in marriage, the high value God places on marriage — instead of looking for the loophole that would allow a man to leave his wife for any reason imaginable.

Think about divorce in our society today. It seems that many people consider divorce an uncomplicated and valid choice over sticking with difficulties in a marriage. Jesus’ answer above leads me to believe that He valued women, valued marriage, and saw it as a lifetime commitment. Christian marriage demands mutual respect, mutual concern and a willingness to act in a self-sacrificing way by both husband and wife. Paul describes this type of marriage relationship in Ephesians 5:21-33. Consider all of these exhortations from scripture, and ask God to show you what you need to see and understand about marriage.

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“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, * ‘Raca’, is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, `You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.” Matthew 5:21-22 NIV

* Also in the Old Testament Hebrew: “req”.

“In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold, Ephesians 4:26-27 NIV

Anger is a normal human emotion we all feel from time to time. Jesus displayed a righteous anger against the moneychangers (Matthew 21:12-13), and against the Pharisees who had no compassion toward a man with a shriveled hand, in Mark 3:1-6. But Jesus was both fully man and fully God. What are we as fallible humans to do with our angry thoughts when our will is violated or when we witness injustice?

David and many other Old Testament writers turned their anger into prayers. These “Psalms of Vengeance” as they are sometimes known can be difficult to understand on the surface. It is important to keep several points in mind when reading and praying these vengeance Psalms.

• First, they ARE prayers; these writers were bringing the full scope of their emotions to God, expressing their feelings, frustrations, and distress to God. This is the correct way to deal with these complex and deep emotions – in prayer to God.
• Second, many of these Psalms express the desire for the wicked to be judged by God. It is important to remember that the curses and strong language used in these Psalms are directed at God’s enemies, those who have rejected God and who have failed to repent.
• Third, the Psalmists were not looking to avenge the wrongs done to them personally; instead, they were asking God to avenge His enemies.
  Deuteronomy 32:35-43, Romans 12:19, Hebrews 10:30-31 also express that vengeance is God’s job, not ours.

So, the question confronting us is: what should we do with our anger? Perhaps praying one of these imprecatory Psalms is a good idea. Look at Psalm 55. Read it through and think about how you could pray through those verses and put words to your distress and anger, into a prayer. Phrases from verses 10-11 can be prayed against those who are acting as God’s enemies. Verse 22 implores people to turn to God, to cast their cares on Him, and 23 talks of the reality of what will happen to those who refuse to repent, and ends with an appeal for us all to trust in the Lord.

Other “vengeance” Psalms are 69, 109, 139:19-22, and Psalm 18. I found two articles that help to explain these Psalms and how to use them in prayer. I have included links if you would like to study further.

A blog about how to pray with these Psalms: https://abramkj.com/2019/08/27/psalms-of-vengeance/

An Article about vengeance Psalms from Ligonier Ministries: https://www.ligonier.org/podcasts/ask-ligonier/how-should-christians-view-the-imprecatory-psalms

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For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:20 NIV

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 NIV * “The Shema”

* Sh’ma: literally means listen, heed, or hear and do (according to the Targum, accept).

Some may think that only the New Testament presents the idea that God desires a relationship with us. I have been impressed, intrigued and challenged by the many times the word “heart” occurs in the Bible and especially in the Old Testament. Often it is used in a way that describes an intimate relationship and dialogue between a person and the God of the Universe. Here are some examples:

But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.
Deuteronomy 4:29 NIV

And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask 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, and to observe the LORD’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?

To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. Yet the LORD set his affection on your forefathers and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations, as it is today. Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt. Fear the LORD your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name. He is your praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes. Deuteronomy 10:12-21 NIV

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you. Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Psalm 51:10-17 NIV

Do you see the relationship being cultivated between God and man in these verses? When the Bible speaks of the heart, it is not talking about the physical muscle that beats and pumps blood throughout our bodies, keeping us alive. Instead, it is referring to “the center of the human spirit, from which spring emotions, thought, motivations, courage and action”. * Proverbs 4:23 advises us “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”

* NIV study Bible text note on Psalm 4:7 1985 edition

Of course, the New Testament presents this idea as well. Je.sus quotes the Jewish “Shema” in Matthew 22:37-40 in answer to the question of “which is the greatest commandment?” He also talked of the connection between the heart and our words and actions in Matthew 12:34-35,

“You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.”

I believe the God of the Universe desires our hearts, souls, minds and bodies to be in a living breathing relationship with Him. Amazing! Look at what
Ezekiel said:

I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. Ezekiel 36:25-27

Think of how the Lord Almighty has always desired a relationship with His creation. Think of how He provided the way for that to occur as you pray the Lord’s prayer today. If you want to study some other heart verses, here are some good ones to read, meditate on and pray over: Joshua 22:5, I Samuel 16:7,
I Chronicles 28:9, Psalm 73:26, Psalm 119:2, 10, 36, 58, 69, 161, Lamentations 2:19, Ezekiel 11:18-20, Joel 2:12-13, Acts 1:24, 15:8, 16:14, Romans 10:9-10, Hebrews 4:12.

From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” Matthew 4:17 NIV

Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them, saying:… Matthew 5:1-2 NIV

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Matthew 5:7 NIV

Let’s remember the context of the verses above. Jesus was seated; He was teaching his disciples; the crowd was listening. In the beatitudes, Jesus was describing what a disciple is, what he or she does and what he or she looks like following such injunctions.  “[He] has put together a profile of kingdom-people, twice born people, Spirit-filled people. Jesus is describing a humanity transformed by Him and His good news.” The Beatitudes, p.16, Darrell W. Johnson.

Keeping this in mind, let’s think about what Jesus meant by being merciful and showing mercy to others. There are two excellent parables Jesus taught that clearly describe mercy. The first is about the good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37. As you reread this familiar parable, think about the risks the Samaritan took, the fact he didn’t need to know why the man was hurt and in need, but he simply acted. The Samaritan showed kindness and compassion – he displayed mercy to a stranger in need.

In another parable, Jesus taught a different aspect of mercy – the forgiveness of a debt. This parable is in Matthew 18:21-35. As you reread this parable, think about how you feel when someone has forgiven you for an offense you caused. Then, think about the question Peter asked at the beginning, how often should I forgive my brother? Consider – mercy cancels debts.

Let us remember – Jesus came to this earth to extend mercy to all who will accept His gift of grace that is offered because of the sacrifice He made on the cross, because of our sin. We deserve to die for our own sin, but instead, Jesus paid that price, canceled our debt and extended mercy to each of us who choose to accept it.

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. II Corinthians 5:21 NIV

So, if we are unwilling to forgive, nor to extend mercy to others, while at the same time asking God to give us mercy, then we are not really asking for mercy, instead we are in fact not in right relationship with God.

Pray the Lord’s prayer and think about how the mercy God has extended to you enables you to extend mercy to others around you.

`Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. *For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Matthew 6:9-13

* Note. This benediction is quoted in many other versions of verse 13, translations based upon the Textus Receptus.