Wednesday, November 10, 2010 - Matthew 5:43-44

Durruck

Durruck

Pirate!
Oops, a little behind. Anyway....here's Wednesday's VotD.

Matthew 5:43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you"

As part of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus presented what seemed to be very radical ideas. But He pointed straight to Leviticus 19:18. If you read the Old Testament Law, it doesn't mention hating your enemy.
 
Sorry the post wasn't up to my usual level of study and explanation. Was trying to post from work and had to take a 9-1-1 call, so I just posted where I was. Glad I had at least finished a sentence. :)

An interesting aspect of the "You have heard it said.... but I say..." points back to Jesus' baptism by John and God's announcement in Luke 3:22. It was important for John (himself a rabbi) and God to both affirm Jesus before He started a public ministry.

Part of being prepared to become a rabbi was to be taught by another rabbi. The student would train under the rabbi's teaching - their yoke. To become a rabbi, they had to be blessed by both their teacher and a second rabbi. This made sure that they didn't go off and teach heretical ideas - they were teaching what had been approved. Think of this like a teacher or lawyer today getting "board certified."

We're not told who "signed off" on John, if at all. But he was a recognized teacher. So with his approval of Jesus, that was one of the two "certifications" that Jesus needed to be recognized. God, of course, also gave His approval and Jesus started His ministry. Both John and God approved Jesus' message and later teaching since Jesus was over the law, rather than under it.

The Jewish people would have been far less receptive to Jesus' ministry without the dual-certification. ...Not that the majority of them listened, anyway :)

But without the dual-approval, they would not have recognized anything Jesus prefaced with "but I say..."
 
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