Jesus uses this phrase several times in the Sermon on the Mount before introducing a new topic. In each case, it is followed by a commandment from the Old Testament. For example, “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder’...“ (Matthew 5:21). And, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’...” (Matthew 5:27). He follows this same pattern when talking about divorce, making oaths, and seeking vengeance. In each case, Jesus uses a familiar instruction from the Torah as the basis for his own, deeper teaching about life in the kingdom of the heavens.
This pattern continues in Matthew 5:43, but with a twist. “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’” While the Old Testament law commands God’s people to love their neighbor, it nowhere commands them to hate their enemies. In fact, there are numerous passages in the Old Testament where they are told to have love for or mercy upon their enemies: Exodus 23:4; Proverbs 25:21, Genesis 45:1; 1 Samuel 24:7, 2 Kings 6:22. So, if the call to hate your enemies is not in the Torah, why does Jesus link these two commands together?
It appears to be a case of inference. When God’s people heard the command “love your neighbor,” they incorrectly assumed that God also endorsed the inverse. They inferred that godly wisdom meant we should not love anyone who is not our neighbor. Over time, this became codified as “hate your enemy,” a command that appears nowhere in Scripture but was nonetheless preached with divine authority. Jesus rejected this false assumption. Instead, he called the people to love their neighbors and their enemies.
We still see this tendency to infer negative applications of God’s good commands today. For example, the good call to “go and make disciples” does not mean we should devalue the work of Christians called into other vocations. Affirming the good Christian vision of marriage does not justify demonizing or persecuting those with a different understanding. Holding to the authority of Scripture does not mean all other sources of truth—including science—must be delegitimized.
Very often, what gets Christians into trouble is not holding to God’s commands, but stridently holding to the bogus assumptions we’ve inferred from God’s commands.
Daily Scripture
Matthew 5:43–48
Mark 3:1–6
Weekly Prayer
From John of the Cross (1542 - 1591)
I no longer want just to hear about you, beloved Lord, through messengers. I no longer want to hear doctrines about you, nor to have my emotions stirred by people speaking of you. I yearn for your presence. These messengers simply frustrate and grieve me, because they remind me of how distant I am from you. They reopen wounds in my heart, and they seem to delay your coming to me. From this day onwards please send me no more messengers, no more doctrines, because they cannot satisfy my overwhelming desire for you. I want to give myself completely to you. And I want you to give yourself completely to me. The love which you show in glimpses, reveal to me fully. The love which you convey through messengers, speak it to me directly. I sometimes think you are mocking me by hiding yourself from me. Come to me with the priceless jewel of your love.
Amen.
