NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER FIVE

Part IX (con’t)

Verses 43-48: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies. Pray for those who treat you badly.”

Here our Lord mentions a verbal tradition that was well-known among those in His audience. The Jews have thousands of pages in hundreds of books filled with sayings passed down to them from ancient scholars, among them are those that promote loving one’s neighbor and hating one’s enemies. For instance, speaking about the 613 positive and negative laws, one Jewish commentator tells us that: “The Ten Commandments, commencing with this verse¹ are the summary of the entire Torah in capsule form. The source of this observation is found in commentary on Numbers² where it is pointed out that the number of letters in the Ten Commandments, commencing with the letter for “I AM” and concluding with the letter for “neighbor” is 613, corresponding to the number of commandments in the Torah.”³

In the collection of Rabbinical sayings, we find that when the LORD God said: “I am Adonai your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the bondage of slavery,”⁴ the Rabbis say: “These words are to be considered in the light of this verse” ‘God’s chariots are myriads, repeated thousands; ADONAI is among them as He was in Sinai, in His holiness. ⁵ This of course is a reference to God’s Shekinah glory in a pillar of fire guiding His people through the wilderness. But for the most part, the Israelites thought of the heathen nations around them as enemies, especially the Philistines, and later the Romans. So their words must be taken with this in mind. However, over time the term enemy took on a new nuance, and pointed to what we called today as antisemitism.

In His explanation, Jesus combines several verses from the Old Testament. First we find similar encouragement on loving once neighbor: “Forget about the wrong things people do to you. Don’t try to get even. Love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.”⁶ But we also find that hating one’s enemy was not forbidden. As one Jewish commentator put it: “One must strive to love his or her fellowman in such a manner that it shows he or she is taking into consideration their personal interests being just as dear to them as their own.”⁷ Nevertheless, the people of Israel were told: “You must never try to make peace with the Ammonites or Moabites. As long as you live, don’t be friendly to them.”⁸ But we find that David was caught up in such a love/hate relationship with friends who became enemies.⁹ Then again, David felt torn because he hates those who hate God.¹⁰ But knowing that he himself was not perfect, he asks God to examine his own heart to make sure he does not judge other people wrongly.¹¹ In looking for a good way to adopt this precept is first to get the wording right.

For the English reader, the word “enemy” more often than not conjures up the picture of a military combatant on the battlefield. But Jesus was not talking about the venue of physical war, but emotional, philosophical and psychological war. The Greek word used here for “enemy” is echthros. It points to someone who is unfriendly, hateful, and opposing. Just like one neighbor may like you because of who you are and what you stand for, another neighbor may have just the opposite opinion. But this did not fit well with some of the Jesus’ Jewish listeners as we can see by one polemic writer who calls it: Matthew’s imaginary commandment to hate your enemy.¹² But the Rabbi had no reason to say that Matthew had Jesus inventing a new saying.

When we examine the collection of the 613 laws called the “Taryag Mitzvot” we find numbers 237-243 of the positive laws all comment on the treatment of one’s neighbor.¹³ One should not withhold aide from a neighbor, not hate or despise your neighbor, rebuke your neighbor regardless of age, not shame your neighbor, not take vengeance on your neighbor, not bear a grudge against the sons of your neighbor, and finally, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” It is clear that the same love/hate relationship is seen here, just as Jesus said. Likewise, one venerable Rabbi commented: “The enemy mentioned in the Torah is not a Gentile, but rather a Jew. One might ask: How is it possible for one Jew to hate another? Is it not written: ‘Do not hate your brother in your heart’?¹⁴ Our Sages explained that this is referring to a person who while alone sees a colleague violate a transgression and rebukes him, but the colleague did not cease transgressing. In such an instance, it is a mitzvah to hate the person until he repents and abandons his wickedness.”¹⁵ It is clear that Jesus was taking this already established rule of loving one’s neighbor, and pressing His own followers to continue this virtue as believers.

We find that among the Essenes there was rules in the community that dealt with this teaching about hating one’s fellow believer. In the Rules of the Community we read: “Let no man address his companion with anger, or ill-temper, or obduracy, or with envy prompted by the spirit of wickedness. Let him not hate him because of his unsanctified heart, but let him rebuke him on the very same day lest he incur guilt because of him. And furthermore, let no man accuse his companion before the Congregation without having admonished him in the presence of witnesses.”¹⁶ And another rule reads this way: “Every one should rebuke his fellow in truth, and virtuous humility and with righteous intention in the Community of God. And whoever has erred when returning to the truth, they shall rebuke him according to their commandments. They shall rebuke him and have mercy on him if he transgresses. Let no man bear grudge against his fellow from one day to another. Let him not hate him in his heart so as not to bear guilt because of him.”¹⁷ We can clearly see that one’s neighbors and enemies are one and the same, except that as a good neighbor you are to love him, but do not be a rebellious and sinful neighbor and hate him until he repents. Jesus is teaching us that while the law may say one thing about who we should hate and despise, through grace we have options. However, one thing I’m sure of, Jesus hated Satan and we can do the same without any reprisals.

Now Jesus goes on to explain His reasons behind such teaching. “If you do this, you will be children who are truly like your Father in heaven. He lets the sun rise for all people, whether they are good or bad. He sends rain to those who do right and to those who do wrong.”

Here Jesus touches on actions that were well-known to the Jews. For instance, Moses taught on this principle and gives an illustration in verses 4-5, “If you see a lost bull or donkey, then you must return it to its owner – even if the owner is your enemy. If you see an animal that cannot walk because it has too much to carry, you must stop and help that animal. You must help that animal even if it belongs to one of your enemies.”¹⁸ Solomon also recommends being kind to one’s enemies so that it will have a positive residual effect.¹⁹ For our Lord, His Father in heaven sets the example by allowing the rain to fall on the fields of those who are fair and just as well as those who are evil and stingy. This Father in heaven concept was given greater meaning when God was telling Samuel about David: “I will be his father, and he will be my son.”²⁰ And we hear God say: My decree is: ‘You are leaders, sons of the Most High all of you.”²¹

This was taught in many synagogues by elite Rabbis. And some Rabbis asked: “Now, according to two great Rabbis, how do they interpret this verse, ‘You are sons of the Most High? – That is because it was always taught: ‘You are sons of the Lord your God’; when you behave as sons you are designated as sons.”²² And one Jewish commentator notes: “The approach of Pharaoh on the shores of the Red Sea prompted a hundred fast days and a hundred formal or ordinary prayers. It caused the Israelites to lift up their hearts and eyes in trust and sincerity to their heavenly Father, to whom they prayed and to whom they looked for help.”²³ But not every Jewish teacher saw it that way. For instance, another Rabbi points out that when the children of Israel stood at the foot of Mount Sinai and said: “All that the Lord has spoken, we will do, and obey,”²⁴ a part of the splendor of God’s presence was bestowed upon them.” But the Rabbi goes on to say that: “…when they turned from God and made the golden calf and declared it to be the God of Israel, the Holy One changed His intention toward them and concluded by saying, ‘Surely you shall died like men.’²⁵”²⁶ Perhaps this will help shed light on why when the disciples came to Jesus asking Him to help them in praying, He started out by saying, “Our Father who art in heaven.”