Enemies and Neighbours
In the passage in the ‘Sermon on the Plain’ Jesus radically challenges the current teaching arising from Israel's history recorded in the Old Testament. The teaching in the Old Testament can appear to differentiate between how we should behave towards friends often referred to as brothers or neighbours and how we treat others, our enemies. However, Jesus is saying that this needs to be looked at more carefully as we should treat everyone as we would a friend, even when they hate us.
The equivalent passage in the Sermon on the Mount refers to a commonly spoken phrase at the time "Love your neighbour and hate your enemy". Jesus disagrees with this and says we should also love our enemy.
At the beginning of Genesis, the immediate impact of sin is recorded in the tragic murder of Abel by his brother Cain out of jealousy. Cain asks "Am I my brother's keeper?". The rest of the Old Testament answers with a yes. Cain tries to deny his responsibility in the same way Adam blamed Eve who blamed the snake.
God explains this responsibility through the law, recorded in Exodus chapter 20 onwards. The basis of justice is "life for life, eye for an eye...", equality of recompense. In some cases the restitution is greater, perhaps recognising the actual damage caused when considering aspects such as security and trust.
Exodus chapter 22 addresses the issues of lending money and clothing, mentioned by Jesus in Luke. In the law it emphasises how to behave both with neighbours and strangers.
Enemies are mentioned in Exodus. The aim at that time was to establish an alternative society that demonstrates how life can be lived successfully. The danger was that the people may revert to the way life was expressed by others rather than showing a different way. They had just been released from slavery and were to be free to express life as God intended. What God wants to destroy is not people but the destructive way that they live, here expressed in their titles, e.g. Amorites were associated with the extremes of idolatry, probably including child sacrifice. Two of Israel’s worst kings (Ahab and Mannaseh) were compared to them.
"Love your neighbour" is quoted in the law but it doesn't then state hate your enemy. This passage actually goes on to state "Love your neighbour as yourself". Jesus expresses this as "Treat others the same way you want them to treat you". The alternative lifestyle is elaborated in the Jubilee passage in Leviticus chapter 25 that is characterised by caring for our neighbour. The passage also requires care for 'strangers', recognising that we are strangers that God has brought into His family.
The law does differentiate between a neighbour and a foreigner. It is illustrated by the issue of loans and debts. Jews have built an industry based on this passage and are still known as money lenders! There is a tension between people demonstrating how society can live alternatively within a world that continues to have different values. This is summed up by the often-used phrase "The poor will never cease to be in the midst of you". However, if this appears to suggest a permanent status, it is countered by the same passage stating "There will be no poor among you" and it goes on to give a command to eliminate poverty.
There is perhaps a difference in the bible wording between a foreigner and an enemy. To foreigners God wants the people to demonstrate, 'head' up, an alternative society.
Enemies are those who actively wish to destroy the alternative society God is establishing. In Jesus' time, these enemies were identified in different ways. The Pharisees considered that enemies were the unrighteous, those who didn't keep the law in the way they interpreted it. Quotes from the Essenes, the Qumran community described in the Dead Sea Scrolls, include "Love all that God has chosen and hate all that he has rejected" and "Love all sons of light, hate all sons of darkness". To be a member of the Essenes you had to swear to hate the unrighteous and support the just. Jesus deliberately takes a radically different stance to these views. To Jesus, the enemy is not people but Satan and demonic forces that want to destroy humanity. When asked "Who is my neighbour?" Jesus illustrates his answer with the parable of the Good Samaritan. The Samaritans would traditionally have been considered to be enemies.
In his teaching, Jesus advocates countering hate with love. He is establishing a new society where love is the overcoming force within our relationships. A demonstration of this alternative society is where love abounds, even where it is not reciprocated.
Paul in his letters tries to express this in terms of generosity. He is encouraging those who are rich to support those who are poor. He refers to Jesus becoming poor so that we may become rich. Life, as he envisages, is dynamic where at times we support others in their need and at other times and maybe in other ways they reciprocate by supporting us. This is equality in action. The opposite is inertia (e.g. the problem of communism, a pretence of equality but in practice sealing people into an inescapable and bland way of life; or a prosperity gospel that only aims to reward the selfish).
Paul states 'He who sows sparingly will reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will reap bountifully’. The Kingdom of God is always dynamic. Jesus expresses this by stating that God’s economy is always overflowing and needs to be shared. Paul states ‘God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed…’.
Background
Luke chapter 6 verses 27 to 36 - part of 'The Sermon on the Plain' - "But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. 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 Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful…”.
The equivalent passage in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew chapter 5 verses 39 to 48) refers to a commonly spoken phrase at the time "Love your neighbour and hate your enemy".
At the beginning of Genesis, the immediate impact of sin is recorded in the tragic murder of Abel by his brother Cain out of jealousy (Genesis chapter 4 verses 5 to 9). Cain asks "Am I my brother's keeper?". The rest of the Old Testament answers with a yes. Cain tries to deny his responsibility in the same way Adam blamed Eve who blamed the snake (Genesis chapter 3 verses 12,13).
God explains this responsibility through the law, recorded in Exodus chapter 20 onwards. The basis of justice is "life for life, eye for an eye...", equality of recompense (Exodus chapter 21 verses 23 to 25). In some cases the restitution is greater, perhaps recognising the actual damage caused when considering aspects such as security and trust (Exodus chapter 22 verse 1).
In the law it emphasises how to behave both with neighbours and strangers (e.g. Exodus chapter 22 verses 7, 21, 25).
Enemies are mentioned in Exodus chapter 23 verses 20 to 33. The aim at that time was to establish an alternative society that demonstrates how life can be lived successfully (verses 25,26,30). The danger was that the people may revert to the way life was expressed by others rather than showing a different way (verse 33). They had just been released from slavery and were to be free to express life as God intended. What God wants to destroy is not people but the destructive way that they live, here expressed in their titles, e.g. Amorites were associated with the extremes of idolatry, probably including child sacrifice. Two of Israel’s worst kings (Ahab and Mannaseh) were compared to them (Genesis 15 verse 16: Exodus chapter 23 verse 23; 1 Kings 21 verse 26; 2 Kings chapter 21 verse 11).
"Love your neighbour" is quoted in the law (Leviticus chapter 19 verse 18) but it doesn't then state hate your enemy. This passage actually goes on to state "Love your neighbour as yourself". Jesus expresses this as "Treat others the same way you want them to treat you" (Luke chapter 6 verse 31). The alternative lifestyle is elaborated in the Jubilee passage in Leviticus chapter 25 that is characterised by caring for our neighbour (e.g. verse 25). The passage also requires care for 'strangers' (e.g. verse 35), recognising that we are strangers that God has brought into His family (verse 23).
The law does differentiate between a neighbour and a foreigner (e.g. Deuteronomy chapter 15 verses 1 to 3). There is a tension between people demonstrating how society can live alternatively, within a world that continues to have different values. This is summed up by the often-used phrase "The poor will never cease to be in the midst of you" (verse 11). However, if this appears to suggest a permanent status, it is countered by verse 4 stating "There will be no poor among you" and verse 11 goes on to give a command to eliminate poverty.
There is perhaps a difference between a foreigner and an enemy. To foreigners God wants the people to demonstrate, 'head' up, an alternative society (Deuteronomy chapter 28 verses 12 to 14).
Enemies are those who actively wish to destroy the alternative society God is establishing (Psalm 5 verses 8 to 10; 37 verses 16 to 22,110; 139 verses 19 to 22). In Jesus' time, these enemies were identified in different ways. The Pharisees considered that enemies were the unrighteous, those who didn't keep the law in the way they interpreted it (Luke chapter 5 verse 30). Quotes from the Essenes, the Qumran community described in the Dead Sea Scrolls, include "Love all that God has chosen and hate all that he has rejected" and "Love all sons of light, hate all sons of darkness". To be a member of the Essenes you had to swear to hate the unrighteous and support the just. Jesus deliberately takes a radically different stance to these views. To Jesus, the enemy is not people but Satan and demonic forces that want to destroy humanity (Luke chapter 10 verses 17 to 20). When asked "Who is my neighbour?" Jesus illustrates his answer with the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke chapter 10 verses 25 to 37). The Samaritans would traditionally have been considered to be enemies.
In his teaching recorded in Luke 6, Jesus advocates countering hate with love. He is establishing a new society where love is the overcoming force within our relationships. A demonstration of this alternative society is where love abounds, even where it is not reciprocated (verses 27 to 36).
Paul in his letters tries to express this in terms of generosity. He is encouraging those who are rich to support those who are poor (2 Corinthians chapters 8,9). He refers to Jesus becoming poor so that we may become rich (chapter 8 verse 9). Life, as he envisages, is dynamic where at times we support others in their need and at other times and maybe in other ways they reciprocate by supporting us. This is equality in action (chapter 8 verses 13 to 15).
Paul states 'He who sows sparingly will reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will reap bountifully’(chapter 9 verse 6). The Kingdom of God is always dynamic. Jesus expresses this by stating that God’s economy is always overflowing and needs to be shared (Luke 6 verse 38). Paul states ‘God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed…’(chapter 9 verse 8).