Luke 17:3-4 – Take heed to yourselves: If your brother should sin, rebuke him; and if he should repent, forgive him. And if he should sin against you seven times in the day, and seven times should return to you, saying ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”
Forgiving someone when they have wronged us almost always feels like a huge effort on our part. Whatever they have done or said, we have been slighted, misunderstood, or worse, harmed in some way by someone’s offense against us. If we are able in those instances to gather our senses and relate to them how we have been slighted, they will many times be remorseful and apologetic of having overstepped a boundary. When we remember and enact these words of the Messiah, we can feel very spiritual and obedient by forgiving the harm that may have been done.
But what if that individual turns right around and commits the same offense or another transgression against us? How does that compounded offense make us feel? We even have a saying for it, it’s as if they have “added insult to injury.”
In no uncertain terms, Yeshua commands us to continue the forgiveness and release that we originally offered to them when they are demonstrating remorse at having offended us. Seven times, or “seventy times seven” times, the number is irrelevant, because the emphasis is on the repeated nature of the offense. Usage of the number is not meant by Yeshua to be a literal definition of how many times forgiveness must occur, but a hyperbolic way of illustrating the importance of repeated forgiveness.
Why is this a significant aspect of the believer’s daily walk? Repeated forgiveness is necessary for one very good and simple reason: because we as believers repeatedly ask for forgiveness for our offenses against God. Have you ever approached God sincerely asking for forgiveness for saying something harmful to someone else, only to reflexively and without thinking to do it again later that same day? If we have the expectation that he will forgive us when we are genuinely repentant, then we should do likewise.
But what are we to do in the case of the fellow believer does not repent or does not ask for forgiveness for having wronged us? Are we obligated to continue to fulfill this level of repeated forgiveness?
Yeshua provides some additional insight to this type of scenario in Matthew 18.
Matthew 18:15 – “If your brother sins against you, go and rebuke him in private. If he listens to you, you have won your brother.
This sounds right in line with what Yeshua was teaching us in the Luke passage above. However, here in Matthew, he continues with a different portrayal of events, a different reaction by the brother who has offended us.
Matthew 18:16-17 – “But if he won’t listen [i.e., does not repent], take one or two others with you, so that by the testimony of two or three witnesses every fact may be established. “If he doesn’t pay attention to them, tell the congregation of believers. If he doesn’t pay attention even to the congregation, let him be like a Gentile and a tax collector to you.
According to Yeshua, the fact that we are to repeatedly forgive repeated offenses is dependent on the repentant nature of the individual who has offended us. If they are not sincere in repenting of a transgression and are instead deliberately causing harm, then Yeshua has also provided a method for dealing with them.
While this formal aspect of congregational involvement dealing with the unrepentant fellow believer is less practiced today, it is no less valid. Of course God desires that we forgive those who may do something against us when they are sincere in recognizing the offense. However, we are not expected to be doormats for fellow believers to take advantage of the generosity of our forgiveness.
Therefore, the limit of forgiveness with fellow believers is non-repentance. There is no obligation for continued forgiveness when there is no repentant attitude on their part. However, there does need to be involvement with others to bring closure to this type of behavior. This process ensures fair dealings and purity within the congregation of believers.
If you enjoy these daily blog posts, be sure to visit the growing archive of the Core of the Bible podcast. Each week we take a more in-depth look at one of the various topics presented in the daily blog. You can view the podcast archive at https://core-of-the-bible.simplecast.com/ or your favorite podcast streaming service. Questions or comments? Feel free to email me directly at coreofthebible@gmail.com.
1 Peter 1:14-16 – As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance. But as the one who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy.
The audience to whom Peter is writing were the scattered Israelites throughout the Asian region who were the recipients of the missionary efforts of Paul and his coworkers in Messiah. In this passage, Peter is encouraging these believers to continue to evaluate their conduct in the light of the spiritual truths they have received through the good news of the Word of God that had been shared with them.
Due to these scattered congregations living among the foreign nations of the day, they were constantly challenged with the cultural idolatry of the peoples among whom they worked and lived. Many Israelites who were living among the nations had begun to adopt some of the idolatrous ways of the nations. This is why, for example, in many of his epistles the apostle Paul is correcting their views on food sacrificed to idols (1 Corinthians 8) and special days they had begun keeping due the culture in which they were immersed (Galatians 4:8-10). In some cases, these believers had lived so long among their foreign nation that the family lines had grown away from the true God and had begun following the cultural deities instead.
In a similar vein as Paul’s urgings, Peter here is reminding them “not to be conformed to the desires of their former ignorance.” When the culture has a certain special calendar or social agenda, it is easiest to just go along with the flow of the societal norms than it is to refrain from participation. Peter was reminding them that the Spirit who has set them apart as a distinct people, the people of God, is the very Spirit of God himself. As God is set apart as holy and uniquely distinct from all other gods, so should they be holy and set apart in all they do. Their practices should not reflect conformity to the societal norms around them; instead, they should honor the one true God by remaining conformed to his standards, as revealed through the Word of God which they had accepted.
This set-apartness was to be primarily reflected in their love for one another. If they were not caring for one another’s needs deeply and sincerely, their faith may not be bearing the fruit it was designed to.
1 Peter1:22-23 – Seeing you have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth through the Spirit in sincere brotherly affection, love one another from the heart fervently: having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which lives and remains forever.
Peter says their souls had been purified through obedience to the truth. This was accomplished through the Spirit which they had received. In obedience to this truth, they were to exemplify a deep and sincere brotherly affection from the heart.
These believers stand as a monument to us and to all believers through the ages. In many ways, our experience is similar to theirs: turning from idolatry and corrupt belief to belief in the one true God, yet living in a culture that remains committed to its own goals and agenda. However, as we purify our souls in obedience to the truth of the Word of God, we then set ourselves apart from the norms of this world.
We become holy and set apart, not because we are better than anyone else, but because the one who calls us to obedience is himself holy and set apart. His Spirit, dwelling within us, challenges us to to reject the careless attitude of our culture which views individuals as expendable statistics, and to truly and sincerely love one another from the heart.
If we have genuinely been born again, the incorruptible (never-dying) Word of God works through us to express its truths and to embrace the individuals of each generation, drawing them to himself through our faithful examples. This is the high calling of the obedient and set apart believer in Messiah. This is who we are, and who we should always strive to be.
If you enjoy these daily blog posts, be sure to visit the growing archive of the Core of the Bible podcast. Each week we take a more in-depth look at one of the various topics presented in the daily blog. You can view the podcast archive at https://core-of-the-bible.simplecast.com/ or your favorite podcast streaming service. Questions or comments? Feel free to email me directly at coreofthebible@gmail.com.
As we review the Golden Rule in its original context, we can learn how simple respect for others helps us demonstrate compassion.
Core of the Bible podcast #36 – How the Golden Rule teaches simple respect and compassionate giving
Today we will be exploring the topic of compassion, and how compassionate actions stem from a root of simple respect for others based on the respect and compassion we have received from God.
Yeshua stated it this way: “Therefore whatever you desire for men to do to you, you shall also do to them; for this is the law and the prophets.” Matthew 7:12
Of course, we know this as the Golden Rule. Certainly, anything that you wish others would do for you, do in the same manner for them, for this summarizes God’s teachings regarding others.
Applying what we know about ourselves to others
The simplicity and practical wisdom of this maxim is unsurpassed. We are, after all, self-focused by nature, relating to all other things outside of ourselves as to how we are affected or influenced by them. We know what we like, and we know what is offensive to us. We know when we believe our rights have been violated. We believe we know how we should be treated by others.
Since we are so familiar with ourselves and what we believe we deserve, Yeshua uses this innate familiarity with our own perceived deservedness and turns it on its head by suggesting that is the same way we should treat others. Our actions towards others should be based on our own internal sense of justice, fairness, and equity. This is the essence of compassion. Yeshua’s admonition focuses on the positive aspect of doing good for others based on what we know is acceptable, fair, and just in our eyes.
The fact that this teaching also summarizes the torah or instruction of God is of no small importance. Yeshua here defines the role and universality of the Bible message by summarizing its intent: the instruction and example of God should cause us to be equitable and compassionate in all of our relationships.
In the Greek Septuagint version of the scriptures is contained an interesting corollary to this admonition of Yeshua. It is essentially the opposite of his positive focus which reads like this: “What you hate, do not do to others,” (Tobit 4:15). Just like Yeshua’s teaching focuses on the positive, in the same way this idea of not doing to others what you yourself hate focuses on prevention of poor behavior that you recognize is unacceptable to you. If you don’t like being talked over in conversations, don’t do that to others. If you don’t like it when someone cuts you off in traffic, then don’t do that to others. If you don’t like when people talk about you behind your back, then don’t do that to others. What you hate, don’t do to others.
What we can glean from both of these complementary aspects of this teaching (do good to others, and don’t do what you yourself hate) is this: the things we like to experience and the things we feel negatively about can operate as a basic guide of God’s desires for our interactions with other people.
While there are many commands within the Word, or Torah, of God, if there were a command for every single possible error we could commit, the Bible would be a much bigger collection of books than it currently is. The simple fact is, God has built-in a sense of equity and fairness within the human condition. Even if we were to do nothing more than abide by the sense of what we believe inherently is right and wrong behavior (based on how we would like to be perceived and treated by others), then we will be miles down the road of doing what is right in God’s eyes.
Then, for believers seeking to learn more about God and his expectations for us, our expectations should continually be adjusted and refined to match his, and this feedback loop of doing what’s right in his eyes is enacted. As our actions then become more in tune with his will, we exhibit more compassion with others when we learn and observe just how compassionate God really is with us. It is meant to become a cycle of positive reinforcement, thereby expanding the reach of God’s kingdom and ultimately glorifying him.
Respecting the context of the Golden Rule
The logic of this wisdom of the Golden Rule, “doing unto others as you would have them do unto you,” has been mocked by some who would take a literal rendering to the extreme. “What about individuals who enjoy being harmed by others? Should they go and harm others, because that’s how they would want to be treated?” The folly of this is self-evident: beginning with the premise of a non-universal aberration (those who enjoy harm) leads to a faulty non-universal conclusion.
As is typically the case, this type of flawed reasoning stems from isolating this verse from its surrounding context, which gives a broader understanding of how it is intended to be applied in the first place.
In this passage (Matthew 7:7-12), Yeshua is admonishing his hearers about the benefits of being persistent “askers” when it comes to opportunity and meeting of needs.
Matthew 7:7-8 – “Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
This is a simple progression of logic: Ask-receive, seek-find, knock-receive access. Yeshua is setting up his hearers to understand that just as this is the natural order of things in God’s kingdom, God is willing to provide whatever is needed if only we are persistent in asking. This is exhibited through what can be readily seen in their lives already.
Matthew 7:9-11 – “Who among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? “Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him.
Yeshua’s argument continues, “Since you can see that even unrighteous people know how this system works, then don’t you think God will do the same for us when we we ask? And if God is willing to assist us when we ask, then shouldn’t we do the same with others?”
Matthew 7:12 – “Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you [i.e., when you ask], do also the same for them [when they ask], for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Yeshua is saying that this request-response method is a summary of basically the entire Bible when it comes to compassionate actions. Somebody has a need and makes a request (asking, seeking, knocking) and the need is met (they receive, find, and gain access). This is the very definition of compassion. God does it with us, and we should do it with each other.
Yeshua says, “therefore” because his statement of the Golden Rule summarizes his previous line of reasoning. It’s as if he is saying, “Therefore, because of the examples I just gave you, you should practice the same level of compassion with others.”
That’s why the Golden Rule isn’t meant to be some stand-alone, hypothetical, philosophical statement that can be hijacked for alternative philosophy. It is meant to summarize a simple respect for others when they are in need, which is God’s method for helping all who are in need and asking for assistance. Living by the Golden Rule demonstrates a compassion for others based on the compassion that God himself demonstrates for us.
Our compassion is owed to those in need
To delve a little further into our connection with others and exhibiting compassion in their time of need, we can explore some other passages that deal with a biblical understanding of the Golden Rule and its application.
Proverbs 3:27-28 – When it is in your power, don’t withhold good from the one to whom it belongs. Don’t say to your neighbor, “Go away! Come back later. I’ll give it tomorrow” – when it is there with you.
The example here is that a person in need is asking for assistance, and the respondent instead pushes them away and delays providing the need. This may be due to inconvenience at the time, or just a desire to brush them off.
This is very similar to the admonition of the apostle James when he writes:
James 2:15-16 – If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, stay warm, and be well fed,” but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it?
James is basically saying that if we are not meeting someone’s need when they ask, whether today or tomorrow, what’s the point of our faith?
The Hebrew terms in the Proverbs passage here are interesting, because it implies that the good that is being withheld actually belongs already to the other person, it is due them. The good intention or action you have to offer someone in need is something that in actuality belongs to them already. The passage says they are the “lord” or “owner” of that good which you can bestow. You, therefore, by refraining to do the good, are keeping them from something that is rightfully theirs. When it is in your power to do good to others, you essentially owe it to them. In God’s eyes, they rightfully deserve the good that you can do for them.
Albert Barnes: The precept expresses the great Scriptural thought that the so-called possession of wealth is but a stewardship; that the true owners of what we call our own are those to whom, with it, we may do good. Not to relieve them is a breach of trust.
Pulpit Commentary: We are to do good to those who are in need or deserving of it, whenever we have the means and opportunity…The owners of good are those to whom good is due or belongs either by law or by morality, whether by desert or need…what we possess and is seemingly our own is in reality to be regarded as belonging to others. We are only stewards of our wealth…The meaning of the phrase is, “While it is practicable, and you have the opportunity and means of doing good, do it.” Do not defer, but do good promptly.
This ties in with what Paul writes in Galatians 6:9-10 – Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.
If this is the real state of our obligation in this life, that everything we have is potentially owed to others in need, this should provide a monumental shift in how we interact with those around us.
What capacities and resources do we have that can truly help others?
Do we have talents or skills that can help others? Perhaps we can help to repair things around the home that they are unable to do. We may be able to simply mow the lawn, or run to the grocery store for an elderly neighbor who is unable to do either.
Do we have the financial ability to assist someone else? Whether assisting someone with a utility bill that they can’t pay, or helping them with money towards the purchase of a necessary appliance, if we have the ability to help, we should! According to Proverbs 3:27, we already owe it to them! The Bible teaches us when we do so, we are not really giving just to them, we are ultimately giving to God.
Proverbs 19:17 – Kindness to the poor is a loan to Yahweh, and he will give a reward to the lender.
The word for poor here doesn’t necessarily mean a beggar. The word literally means those who are “dangling, weak or thin.” Certainly, while these words can describe beggars, they imply those who cannot help themselves due to their own weakness or perhaps financial leanness and are hanging by a thread. The word for loan means to join (as with Yahweh) in lending to those in such need, and their need becomes our own. Our participation in true acts of compassion means that we are co-laboring with God in his Creation to see his good kingdom come about. Many times our generosity and provision to others is in reality God’s way of providing for them, and we are merely the instruments of his provision.
Conversely, it is not in our power to give what we don’t have.
Acts 3:6 – But Peter said, “I don’t have silver or gold, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk! “
Peter said, “What I do have, I give you.” He didn’t have silver or gold, what the beggar was asking for, but he had something better: he could help him walk! This should be our guide for being compassionate with others. They may be asking for a specific need, but we may only be able to assist in another, perhaps greater, way that helps them even more! This just continues to highlight how we need to learn to get our focus off of ourselves, and learn to perceive the real needs of those around us when they ask us for help.
We shouldn’t be concerned with our lack of ability to give substantially due to the necessity of providing for our own needs. God does not expect us to bankrupt ourselves for the sake of others, otherwise, other people would then need to provide for us. The goal, then, is that our assistance of others comes from the good that we can do, what opportunities we do have, not the ones we don’t.
The future of compassion
Paul writes: 2 Corinthians 8:13-15 – It is not that there should be relief for others and hardship for you, but it is a question of equality. At the present time your surplus is available for their need, so that their abundance may in turn meet your need, in order that there may be equality. As it is written: The person who had much did not have too much, and the person who had little did not have too little.
In this type of scenario, all believers work together, not to a base of uniformity, but from a base of unity. We all have a commitment to the kingdom first, and therefore our personal resources become secondary to the needs of those in the kingdom, those to whom our good is “due.”
The equality of needs would all be met in God’s type of economy. Consider the unity and equality of the early believers:
Acts 4:32-35 – Now the entire group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but instead they held everything in common. With great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on all of them. For there was not a needy person among them because all those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the proceeds of what was sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet. This was then distributed to each person as any had need.
Wow, this is a bold example for us. Consider the possibilities if congregations today practiced this type and level of commitment to compassionate provision of others. Those who had multiple homes or additional land or resources would sell them. Those who had income above their needs would cheerfully provide it to the congregation leadership. All of those surplus funds would then be distributed to those in need within the fellowship of believers.
In a capitalist economy with a reliance on self-ownership of property and goods, this can seem like a crazy, left-wing, socialist type of proposition. And yet, as you can see by this very passage in Acts, this is the biblical design for the people in God’s kingdom. One of the primary reasons it seems so strange to us is because we have been raised in a culture that is in many ways fundamentally and diametrically opposed to this type of communal participation and care.
But I’m not talking here about the type of national government system that we should be promoting, not at all. The early believers lived in the Roman economy with all of its faults and shortcomings, and yet “there were no needy among them.” What I am presenting is the biblical model of congregational governance. For this type of system to work, you would really have to trust God and trust your leaders. This is why it can only work with true believers who are committed to following God’s Word by living beyond reproach, and according to his Word.
But I can guarantee you that congregations who truly and faithfully practiced this would explode in growth. As people’s needs would be met, they would become more available to help the needs of others, and so on. Poverty rates would drop and standards of living would rise. Just like those early days in the believers’ congregations, outsiders would take notice and respect their commitment to help one another.
Acts 5:13-14 – No one else dared to join them, but the people spoke well of them. Believers were added to the Lord in increasing numbers – multitudes of both men and women.
The kingdom of God could be advanced with amazing rapidity, all through the faithfulness of men and women willing to trust God and one another with true acts of compassion.
Summary
Ultimately, since it is God’s design for his kingdom to increase and fill the earth, we can look with eager anticipation toward its fulfillment while continuing to lay its foundations in our current generation. While we may struggle today with our own needs and the needs of others in our current society, we can still demonstrate biblical compassion by abiding by the principles of common respect contained within the Golden Rule. If you like people being nice to you, be nice to them first. If you enjoy being congratulated by others, then look outside your own perspective and do the same to others. If you desire that others provide help to you in your time of need, then find opportunities to do so for others when you are able to do so. If you want people to respect your views, then respect theirs. While you may disagree with their conclusions, they still have the same right to hold their views as you do with your own.
Simple respect solves all interpersonal relationships. Compassionate giving solves the needs of the community. While we may not be able to immediately solve all of the social ills of our current society, this type of simple respect and compassionate giving is how God implores all of us to love one another. When we do so, others will take notice of how our lives are based on different standards, higher standards. And that may be all that’s needed to open a door to sharing the message of the kingdom with them when they ask. And once they ask, and we faithfully respond, then they just need to be willing to receive.
If you enjoy these daily blog posts, be sure to visit the growing archive of the Core of the Bible podcast. Each week we take a more in-depth look at one of the various topics presented in the daily blog. You can view the podcast archive at https://core-of-the-bible.simplecast.com/ or your favorite podcast streaming service. Questions or comments? Feel free to email me directly at coreofthebible@gmail.com.
Loving our enemies provides honor and glory to God.
Matthew 5:44-45 – “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, “so that you may be children of your Father in heaven. For he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
I find this passage to be enigmatic among the sayings of Yeshua, as it seems to contrast believers’ actions that are active with those of God that are assumed to be passive. We are commanded to actively love and pray for our adversaries, however, God’s natural order of things is for the sun to shine and the rain to fall. Is God actively blessing the evil by causing the sun to shine on their crops or actively sending rain for the purpose of blessing the unrighteous? Or are these impartial, passive blessings that are received by the evil and unrighteous just for the privilege of living in the natural world that God has created?
Based on the perspective of the biblical writings, God is not passive in his Creation, but he is actively involved with blessing all of mankind, while still ordering all things according to his will and purpose.
Ecclesiastes 3:11, 13-14 – He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also put eternity in their hearts, but no one can discover the work God has done from beginning to end. … It is also the gift of God whenever anyone eats, drinks, and enjoys all his efforts. I know that everything God does will last forever; there is no adding to it or taking from it. God works so that people will be in awe of him. Psalm 19:1 – The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
According to the apostle Paul, God’s invisible attributes can be deduced from his visible, natural Creation.
Romans 1:20 – For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
Paul actually engages this type of argument while reasoning with the Greek philosophers at the Areopagus.
Acts 17:24-27 – “The God who made the world and everything in it – he is Lord of heaven and earth – does not live in shrines made by hands. “Neither is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives everyone life and breath and all things. “From one man he has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live. “He did this so that they might seek God, and perhaps they might reach out and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.
If we consider that even being alive as an individual on this planet is truly a gift from God, something that we as individual beings have zero control over, how much more the bounty of God’s provision is evidenced through the natural order of his Creation. This was even recognized among the secular philosophers of the day. Consider the statement of Seneca, a Roman philosopher of the first century, which is almost a direct parallel to the saying of Yeshua:
“If you imitate the gods, give favors to the ungrateful: for the sun rises for the wicked, and the seas are open to pirates.”
This idea of providing favors to the ungrateful, or as Yeshua states, loving and praying for the wicked and unrighteous, was considered a “godly” attribute even among the philosophers of the day.
John Wesley has an interesting take on this verse, focusing instead on how those generic blessings are received by those who don’t know God.
“He gives them such blessings as they will receive at his hands. Spiritual blessings they will not receive.”
This implies that non-believers, while not willing to submit to the spiritual requirements of God, nonetheless are willing to take whatever benefit they can from the Creation of God and use it for their own ends. For me, this illustrates how things meant to bless others can be taken for granted with no recognition or acknowledgement of the privilege provided. I believe this captures the sentiment that Yeshua is seeking to provide in this instruction.
Adam Clarke provides even further clarity in this regard as to the results of the those favors or blessings, even if they by-and-large go unacknowledged.
“There is nothing greater than to imitate God in doing good to our enemies. All the creatures of God pronounce the sentence of condemnation on the revengeful: and this sentence is written by the rays of the sun, and with the drops of rain, and indeed by all the natural good things, the use of which God freely gives to his enemies. If God had not loved us while we were his enemies, we could never have become his children: and we shall cease to be such, as soon as we cease to imitate him.”
God demonstrates that he loves all people by giving them life and blessings through his Creation. Yeshua encourages us as believers to mimic our heavenly Father by having our prayers and intercessions for the ungrateful and unworthy simply be a natural outworking of who we are, just as the sun rising and the rain falling are the natural outworking of God’s handiwork on a daily basis. Our love and forgiveness for all others should be as natural for us as sunshine and rain are for God: all day, every day.
If you enjoy these daily blog posts, be sure to visit the growing archive of the Core of the Bible podcast. Each week we take a more in-depth look at one of the various topics presented in the daily blog. You can view the podcast archive at https://core-of-the-bible.simplecast.com/ or your favorite podcast streaming service. Questions or comments? Feel free to email me directly at coreofthebible@gmail.com.
Today we will be exploring the topic of holiness, and how cultivating a heart like God’s means to be moved and motivated by the things that move and motivate him. This godly empathy is what separates Gods people as a unique and set apart people.
Yeshua stated it this way:
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Matthew 5:4
Yeshua explains that in grieving for unrighteousness a blessing will result, as God will be near to comfort those who are passionate for righteousness.
Many times this verse is used to comfort those who are grieving the loss of a recently departed loved one. However, the intent of this wisdom goes beyond the general aspect of mourning for death. Instead, it is a promise of God’s comforting presence with those who have a deep and sincere grief over unrighteousness, whether personal or within their shared experience.
When coming to the Bible for inspiration, people are not typically thinking about grief, but are looking for passages to encourage and to bring joy and fulfillment. Yet, according to Yeshua, one of the most fulfilling things that brings blessing into life is to be circumspect in one’s own walk, and to be sorrowful over the wayward practices of those around us.
This is not a sorrow for sorrow’s sake, just to feel sad about how disobedient we have been, or to languish in the wayward practices of the world around us. No, this grief is a grief that should spur us to action, to be personally repentant and to intercede for others.
This type of “active mourning” begins when one realizes their wayward actions are an affront to a holy God.
Prov 9:10: “The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom. The knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
Cultivating a heart like God’s begins with understanding who he is. We need to know who God is in order for us to honor and respect him. However, if we are not aware of the nature and majesty of the God of the universe, then we will remain oblivious to all he has provided us.
All through the revelation of God’s word he describes himself so that we can have an understanding and come to know him.
Isaiah 40:25,28: “”To whom then will you liken me? Who is my equal?” says the Holy One. … Haven’t you known? Haven’t you heard? The everlasting God, Yahweh, The Creator of the ends of the earth, doesn’t faint. He isn’t weary. His understanding is unsearchable.” Isaiah 57:15: “For thus says the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also who is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite.” Ezekiel 39:7: “My holy name will I make known in the midst of my people Israel; neither will I allow my holy name to be profaned any more: and the nations shall know that I am Yahweh, the Holy One in Israel.” 1 Samuel 2:2: “There is no one as holy as Yahweh, For there is no one besides you, nor is there any rock like our God.” Revelation 4:11: “”Worthy are you, our Lord and God, the Holy One, to receive the glory, the honor, and the power, for you created all things, and because of your desire they existed, and were created!”” Revelation 15:4: “Who wouldn’t fear you, Lord, and glorify your name? For you only are holy. For all the nations will come and worship before you. For your righteous acts have been revealed.””
Recognizing the glory and majesty of God has to happen before we submit to his ways. Once this recognition is in place, then we can begin to learn about what God expects of us.
Leviticus 22:31 “You are to keep my commands and do them; I am the LORD. Deuteronomy 6:17, 25 “Carefully observe the commands of the LORD your God, the decrees and statutes he has commanded you. … “Righteousness will be ours if we are careful to follow every one of these commands before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us.’ Deuteronomy 8:6 “So keep the commands of the LORD your God by walking in his ways and fearing him. Deuteronomy 11:1 “Therefore, love the LORD your God and always keep his mandate and his statutes, ordinances, and commands. Psalm 119:131 I open my mouth and pant because I long for your commands. 1 John 5:3 For this is what love for God is: to keep his commands. And his commands are not a burden…
When we understand what God desires of us, then we can evaluate our own thoughts and actions to see how we measure up to his expectations. This can result in personal repentance and a recommitment to do what’s right.
First we must recognize where we have erred; then, we must react in a way that honors God.
Psalm 32:5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not conceal my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah Psalm 38:18 So I confess my iniquity; I am anxious because of my sin. Psalm 51:2-3 Completely wash away my guilt and cleanse me from my sin. For I am conscious of my rebellion, and my sin is always before me. Proverbs 20:9 Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure; I am cleansed from my sin”?
To sin is to be disobedient, a disobedience which separates and distances us from God. When we come to the realization that we have sinned against a holy God it should cause us grief; grief about our own situation, grief about how we have not measured up to his standards that he expects of us. This grief should move us to correct our ways and to ask God for his help in overcoming those things which keep us from being fully committed and obedient to him. Recognizing our own sin opens a pathway to a restored relationship with the God of the universe.
Mourning for unrighteousness is also a type of deep grief when one recognizes a state of unrighteousness among those around them. A godly heart is offended at the things that offend God.
Psalm 119:136 My eyes pour out streams of tears because people do not follow your instruction. Lamentations 3:48 My eyes flow with streams of tears because of the destruction of my dear people.
Yeshua himself set the example for all believers as he poured out his heart in prophetic utterance over the hardness of the people of Jerusalem.
Luke 19:41-44 As he approached and saw the city, he wept for it, saying, “If you knew this day what would bring peace – but now it is hidden from your eyes. “For the days will come on you when your enemies will build a barricade around you, surround you, and hem you in on every side. “They will crush you and your children among you to the ground, and they will not leave one stone on another in your midst, because you did not recognize the time when God visited you.”
The apostle Paul also exhibited this characteristic with his intense desire for his countrymen to come to the knowledge of the truth of their Messiah.
Romans 9:1-5 I speak the truth in Christ – I am not lying; my conscience testifies to me through the Holy Spirit – that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Messiah for the benefit of my brothers and sisters, my own flesh and blood. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the temple service, and the promises. The ancestors are theirs, and from them, by physical descent, came the Messiah, God over all be praised forever. Amen. 1 Corinthians 13:6 Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. Philippians 3:18 For I have often told you, and now say again with tears, that many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.
When we come to the recognition that we live among a people who are lost, confused, and vainly seeking their own ways, we should be moved with compassion. We should seek to pray for them and to help them understand the truth of God’s word. This can only happen when our motivation is springing from a deep desire for all people everywhere to know the God of the universe and to become a part of his Kingdom of righteousness on the Earth.
For us to have a heart like God, we must share his perspective. We can only gain God’s perspective of this world in this life by being routinely and deeply engaged with his word. In doing so, we are molded and shaped with the worldview that God desires for his people.
If we are growing in our understanding of God and his desires for the ideals of his kingdom to be present here and now, then we are likely to also be demonstrating a sincere and passionate dissatisfaction with the unrighteousness that is exhibited within our experience each day. We grow to want what God wants, both for us and for others. This holy grieving over lack from the ideal is spiritually healthy, and helps to keep our focus on what is truly of eternal importance. This is growing in holiness.
“Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am the LORD your God.” Leviticus 20:7“
As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’” 1 Peter 1:14-16
If you enjoy these daily blog posts, be sure to visit the growing archive of the Core of the Bible podcast. Each week we take a more in-depth look at one of the various topics presented in the daily blog. You can view the podcast archive at https://core-of-the-bible.simplecast.com/ or your favorite podcast streaming service. Questions or comments? Feel free to email me directly at coreofthebible@gmail.com.
This is the scriptural solution to evil in the world.
Romans 12:21: “Don’t be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
This famous verse written by Paul to the Roman congregation, while well-known, is much less practiced than it is widely known.
The word for overcoming comes from the Greek root word which means victory, or conquest. The famous Nike statue known as winged victory (the armless, headless torso of a woman with wings spread wide) is based on this very same Greek word.
This famous verse comes contextually on the heels of Paul explaining how vital it is for believers to treat others, especially those who are adversarial, with uncommon love and respect.
Romans 12:17-18,20: “Repay no one evil for evil. Respect what is honorable in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as it is up to you, be at peace with all men. … Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing so, you will heap coals of fire on his head.”
Paul here is actually quoting an Old Testament principle that is found in the book of Proverbs:
Proverbs 25:21-22: “If your enemy hungers, feed him; if he thirsts, give him drink; for so doing you shall heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward you with good.”
This was also a core teaching of Yeshua in the Sermon on the Mount, demonstrating a thread of consistent emphasis throughout all of scripture. It was obviously given fresh life and emphasis in the teachings of Yeshua, and then deeply ingrained into the mindset of the early believers.
Matthew 5:44-45: “But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you, that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. “
Yeshua explains that practicing this ideal signifies the believer as a true child of God. A child of God carries the same spiritual DNA as its parent and will therefore conform to the practices of the parent.
This ability to overcome is rooted in the concept of forgiveness, as no one can truly bless their enemies unless they have let infractions go. It is one thing to follow the command with gritted teeth, uttering curses under our breath, trying to be faithful to what we have been tasked to do. However, it is another thing entirely to truly forgive someone who has wronged us, and to serve them honestly from the heart. To be able to practice this overcoming quality, believers must be willing to forgive. Doing so enables us to actually and effectively practice this vital principle that Yeshua commanded us.
This idea of being born of God and overcoming is also carried forward by the apostle John. This is the only other passage in the New Testament that speaks of this ability to overcome, or be victorious.
1 John 5:1-5: “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God. Whoever loves the Father also loves the child who is born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep his commandments. For this is loving God, that we keep his commandments. His commandments are not grievous. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world: your faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”
Our faith in the Messiah allows us to overcome the world, and in overcoming the world, we are therefore afforded the ability to overcome the evil that is present everywhere. This is the scriptural solution to evil in the world. It begins with obedient children of God respecting and honoring all others in a way that honors God.
This is how God‘s plan for the dominion of believers in the world takes place, not through conquest and bloodshed, not through political reform, but through simple forgiveness and honest service to others in the name of God.
If you enjoy these daily blog posts, be sure to visit the growing archive of the Core of the Bible podcast. Each week we take a more in-depth look at one of the various topics presented in the daily blog. You can view the podcast archive at https://core-of-the-bible.simplecast.com/ or your favorite podcast streaming service. Questions or comments? Feel free to email me directly at coreofthebible@gmail.com.
We need to constantly be on guard against false teaching and exposing those who are leading others astray.
Core of the Bible podcast #32 – How to recognize false teachers
In this episode we will be exploring the topic of vigilance, and how we need to constantly be on guard against false teaching and exposing those who are leading others astray. For us to do so, we must be able to accurately identify them.
Yeshua stated it this way:
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.” Matthew 7:15-20
A way of paraphrasing this can be expressed as: Beware of deceitful religious impostors. You will recognize them for what they truly are by looking closely at the results of their words and actions.
Vigilance involves being on guard against all manner of deception to avoid following a false way.
Job 15:34-35 “For the company of the godless is barren, And fire consumes the tents of the corrupt. “They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity, And their mind prepares deception.”
Ephesians 5:6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
1 John 2:26 These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you.
Romans 16:17-18 Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.
Colossians 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.
2 Corinthians 11:3-4, 13 But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity [of devotion] to Christ. For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear [this] beautifully. … For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.
Believers are warned over and over again to avoid deception and be sure that they are not being led astray.
If it was true for them in their day, how much more this is timely advice in this current day and age! We have become inundated with information overload; we must carefully pick and choose the sources of our teaching to ensure we are remaining on the narrow path laid out for us.
This admonition of Yeshua to beware of false prophets was of utmost importance to his first-century flock, as the nation was full of those who would try to gain a hearing, and a living, from the ignorant and willing among them.
Mark 13:22 – For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect.
1 John 4:1 – Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Thankfully, Yeshua provided a touch-stone, a type of verification of identity of false teaching and those who promote it: “You will recognize them by their fruits.” Their fruits are their actions and their words; do they align with what they are promoting? Do they align with the Word of God?
DETERMINING FALSEHOOD
The apostle Peter had no shortage of words for the deceivers that were prevalent in his day. What he has laid out in a few verses in his second epistle can provide us an outline of identifiers of false teaching.
2 Peter 2:1-3 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
In this passage, the apostle vividly expanded on describing more specifically what some of those fruits of false teachers are that Yeshua mentioned as the method of identifying them.
secrecy
denying Yeshua as Messiah
sensuality
greed
exploitation of believers
false words
speaking against the way of truth
What are the fruits of Bible teachers today? Can their doctrine and their lifestyles be matched up to this list that Peter has provided us? I believe that by taking a closer look at Peter’s outline and asking some relevant questions, we may begin to put together a picture of what these false teachers look like, how they act, and what they are erroneously teaching.
THE WAY OF TRUTH
One of the key indicators that Peter provides is that among false teachers the way of truth will be blasphemed. Depending on the version being quoted, this is variously represented as maligning or speaking evil of the way of truth. Since, as believers, we are very anxious to make sure we are following the way of truth, we can start with this identifier.
First, let’s see how the Bible defines this way of truth. Yeshua taught:
Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.
John 14:3-6 “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, [there] you may be also. “And you know the way where I am going.” Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
So we see Yeshua identified himself and his teaching as being a key to understanding the way and the truth which leads to life.
The apostle Paul, when confronted by his accusers that he was abandoning the law of Moses, says:
Acts 24:14 “But this I admit to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets…”
Based on these few passages, the Way (or the way of truth) can be discerned as “a way of life based on God’s word culminating in the teaching and life of his Messiah.” So if people are speaking against God’s Word or the Messiah as the fulfillment of his Word, they are blaspheming this way of the truth that God has revealed.
Now you might be saying, “Well how can Bible teachers be speaking against God’s Word or the Messiah? Isn’t that what they teach?” Well, it would seem so, but there are ways they can still speak against God’s word while claiming to teach it.
For example, many groups today teach that the law or sections of the law have been abolished and no longer apply to believers today; things like food laws or observation of the Sabbath, or God’s annual calendar days. They teach that Yeshua’s death on the cross did away with everything prior from the Old Testament; essentially three-fourths of the Bible they carry around has been nullified! But this maligns God’s Word and his Messiah, since Yeshua was very clear that this would not be the case.
Matthew 5:17-19 “Don’t think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. “For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or one stroke of a letter will pass away from the law until all things are accomplished. “Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
For something to be fulfilled is not the same thing as being abolished. Because there is so much confusion over these points, I will be doing some future studies on how we can know which laws have been fulfilled (but never abolished) and which ones are designed to be fulfilled only as we fulfill them in our lives. Understanding these distinctions brings the whole of God’s word into the vitality of our relationship with God. All of God’s Word is for all believers in all ages.
But this process of picking and choosing what we are going to follow from God’s word is one of the main ways that his Word is maligned and blasphemed today. We need to be on guard to identify these aspects with those whom we consider teachers among us.
QUESTIONS FOR EVALUATING TEACHERS
Regarding the other characteristics or fruits of false teachers that Peter warns about, here are some questions to consider that may provide further insight into false teachers and their doctrine.
Secrecy or stealth (v. 1): Are the teachers promising a secret message “just for you” or for only a limited few among the group? Do they promote secret practices that only certain people can be privy to? Do they have a hidden agenda that underlies a more favorable public message? Do they have a different lifestyle in private than they are in public? Hidden motives and secrets are a key indicator of false teachers.
Denying Yeshua as Messiah (v. 1): the word means to contradict or disown Yeshua. Is Yeshua not central to their doctrine? Is Yeshua just one path among many to God? Do their teachings contradict what Yeshua taught, but still sound “biblical” and reasonable? This applies to what we previously mentioned about speaking evil of the Way.
Sensuality (v. 2): the word conveys more of a meaning of rejecting restraint, committing acts or saying things that are shocking to public decency. Are these teachers’ lives bad examples on public display? Are expressions of riotous behavior acceptable within the group dynamic? Are clear commands of God being downplayed or eradicated?
Covetousness and Greed (v. 3): Are they constantly asking for money to assist in their “ministry” and for goods and properties that do nothing in the cause of helping those in need or sharing the good news of the kingdom? Do they live a lavish lifestyle on the contributions of the congregation? This ties closely with the next indicator of exploitation.
Exploitation (v. 3): This word also implies “to trade in,” as if their followers are a commodity to be used. Are they taking advantage of believers’ trust through their greed? Are they manipulative and seeking to be in control? Are the members of the group being pressured to donate unreasonable amounts of their time and money to support their lifestyle?
False words (v. 3): Are they making false promises that never come to pass? Are they creating artificial or fictitious scenarios to lure people further into deception? Simply put, are they just making stuff up and passing it off as God’s truth?
Yeshua declares the end of false teachers or “every tree that does not produce good fruit” as being “cut down and thrown into the fire,” (Matt. 7:19). While they may look good on the surface, they will not survive their worldly aspirations designed only to better themselves. While the context of Yeshua’s statement applied to the coming destruction of the corrupt system of his day, in no way does that diminish God’s view of those who are promoting falsehood and tradition over the Word of God today.
Psalm 119:29, 128 Remove the false way from me, And graciously grant me Your law [torah]. … Therefore I esteem right all Your precepts concerning everything, I hate every false way.
Believers are right to hate every false way when we recognize it. This is a built-in zeal for righteousness that believers cultivate as they yield to God’s Word and the inspiration of his Spirit. This zeal yearns for the truth to be known and for right ways to prevail over injustice and deception.
Instead of simply going along with these aberrational doctrines and practices, we should be vigilant and dedicated to exposing the falsehood of their teachings. We need to be bold enough to confront and expose these unfruitful deeds, as Paul explains to the Ephesians.
Ephesians 5:6, 11, 15-16 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. … Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; … Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.
CONFRONTING FALSE TEACHERS
To expose these falsehoods is to rebuke and chasten the ones who hold to deception, demonstrating the falsity of their claims so that others will not be mislead by them. Those who blatantly teach falsehoods need to be aggressively confronted and shown to be in error. This was the pattern of Yeshua and his disciples.
Yeshua did not hesitate to confront the error of the religious leaders of his day.
Matthew 23:27-28, 33 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of the bones of the dead and every kind of impurity. “In the same way, on the outside you seem righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. … “Snakes! Brood of vipers! How can you escape being condemned to hell?
Matthew 21:12 – Jesus went into the temple and threw out all those buying and selling. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves.
The early believers also carried this essential teaching of Yeshua into their congregations. We have already seen how Peter called out false teachers; and here we can see how Jude, in like fashion, and almost the same wording as Peter, expressed the need for this vigilance among believers. The whole letter of Jude is essentially a diatribe against false teaching. Here are some excerpts:
Jude 1:4, 8, 11-13, 16, 19 For some people … have come in by stealth; they are ungodly, turning the grace of our God into sensuality and denying Jesus Christ, our only Master and Lord. … In the same way these people – relying on their dreams – defile their flesh, reject authority, and slander glorious ones. … Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, have plunged into Balaam’s error for profit, and have perished in Korah’s rebellion. These people are dangerous reefs at your love feasts as they eat with you without reverence. They are shepherds who only look after themselves. They are waterless clouds carried along by winds; trees in late autumn – fruitless, twice dead and uprooted. They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shameful deeds; wandering stars for whom the blackness of darkness is reserved forever. … These people are discontented grumblers, living according to their desires; their mouths utter arrogant words, flattering people for their own advantage. …These people create divisions and are worldly, not having the Spirit.
If we don’t have this same type of view of false teachers, we are destined to be weighted down with bad doctrine in every generation. We need to be bold enough to confront these teachers and to hold them accountable to the truth of God’s Word and the Way of Messiah.
HELPING OTHERS WHO ARE CAUGHT UP IN FALSE TEACHING
Now, as much as I would love to end on such a fiery denunciation of falsehood, I feel compelled to provide further insight on the general membership of believers who have become caught up in their rhetoric. Because we know how destructive falsehood can be, it is quite natural for us to become emotionally upset with those who promote doctrine and beliefs that are not true. However, in the same way we are commanded to be vigilant in confronting teachers of falsehoods, we are also commanded to be respectful and balanced toward those who may be led astray by them. As believers it is our duty to call out the false teachers among our ranks, but to be helpful with love and gentleness to those who have followed false teaching.
To this end, Paul encouraged Timothy to select leaders who could be firm, but not bullying or quarrelsome.
1 Timothy 3:2-3 An overseer, therefore, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, self-controlled, sensible, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not an excessive drinker, not a bully but gentle, not quarrelsome, not greedy.
2 Timothy 2:23-26 But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels. The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses [and escape] from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.
Paul intimates here that those who are holding to falsehood are in need of “coming to their senses.” The word is used to describe those who are in need of sobering up from intoxication. They have become captive to false ideas that cause them to act in ways that are adversarial to the will of God and the way of truth.
Confrontation is never easy; if it is, then you’re not doing it right, or you have some further self-examination to do. Confronting falsehood effectively takes maturity and diplomacy, which is why Paul was instructing Timothy to ensure that potential leaders have qualities of balance and maturity.
This level-headedness was sorely needed in the volatile environment of first-century Palestine where conflict, both civil and religious, was rampant.
INTERACTING WITH FALSEHOOD AROUND US IN OUR CULTURE
Our current environment, at least here in the American society, appears to be moving in a similar direction. While our primary focus of correcting falsehood should be aimed at those within the ranks of the Kingdom of God, we are equally challenged with the turbulence of the current secular age, where mere opinion and personally-defined rights are flaunted and shouted as if they were to be recognized as legitimate by all. Bitter divisiveness exists on every topic where vanguards of common sense and respectful dialogue are thrown to the ground and savagely trampled. It is tempting and easy for us to fall into the same pattern of degradation of communication in an effort to stem the onslaught of so much negative and false information.
However, we are called to a higher standard in our interactions with others, especially those outside the kingdom. We are to be doers and makers of peace, not dissenters stoking the flames of bitter rivalry and mistrust. It is our job to resist without engaging, to simply stand firm while holding out the truth of the Way.
Our message is a message of hope and peace which cannot be adequately communicated by the tip of the sword. We have to remember that those outside the kingdom do not hold to the same standards, values, or worldview we have. To try to force them to adopt ways that are foreign to them only fans the flames of bitterness, distrust, and mockery they may feel towards us. Freedom of speech, whether theirs or ours, is no right to force others to adopt personal and subjective views.
Instead, we need to exhibit love towards those around us in an effort to demonstrate that we are not their enemies, but their helpers desiring only what’s best for them. We have to believe that the message and wisdom of the Bible, exemplified through our loving actions, is capable of drawing and leading them toward God.
Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. “No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
SUMMARY
We have much work to do in being vigilant about the truth of God, especially when it comes to confronting false teaching. Look at the fruits of your teachers: what they promote or endorse, how they esteem the Word of truth. By reviewing the principles outlined by Yeshua and his disciples, we can become more aware of the falsehoods being promoted within the kingdom, and emboldened to confront false teachers with wisdom and diligence.
Our brothers and sisters who have been led astray also need to be confronted, but in gentleness and with love, as many times they have only been doing what they have been taught or brought up to believe.
Our vigilance needs to be not only in identifying and overcoming falsehood within our ranks, but equally toward being faithful with outsiders in exhibiting the truths we have come to know and believe in. This can be a challenging balancing act: guarding and protecting the inside while actively promoting the truth on the outside, and accomplishing both with the balance of wisdom and love.
Yet this is our lot in life, our calling. As masterfully and aggressively as Yeshua fought for truth within the ranks of the leaders of Israel, he equally demonstrated a compassionate quest for sharing that truth with the lost and wandering sheep. Our goals should align with his in each culture and generation. This is how the kingdom is not only maintained internally, but how it grows externally. Our vigilance in these areas provides for the continuation of the truths of God’s message to all people for all time.
If you enjoy these daily blog posts, be sure to visit the growing archive of the Core of the Bible podcast. Each week we take a more in-depth look at one of the various topics presented in the daily blog. You can view the podcast archive here. Questions or comments? Feel free to email me directly at coreofthebible@gmail.com.
God’s plan for the world involves you and me actually being nice to others.
“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Matthew 7:12
This most famous teaching of Yeshua sums up the compassion that God expects us to exhibit to others. He even goes so far as to say this maxim actually encompasses the entire Law and the Prophets, essentially all of the revealed religion that God has provided to his people.
I have heard many different views on this teaching, everything from this doesn’t really work, to saying this isn’t original to Yeshua (and it isn’t). But I have found to understand it best as Yeshua intended it is to keep it within its immediate context, whether here in Matthew or in its parallel placement in Luke.
Here in Matthew, the immediate context is the following:
Matthew 7:7-12 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
This then gives the meaning that if someone asks of you, to provide them what they are asking for. For if you desire others to provide for you when you ask, you should likewise do the same for them, just as God does for you.
In Luke, the passage has a slightly different emphasis.
Luke 6:27-36 “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 abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get 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 is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.
In this passage, Yeshua is emphasizing how this idea of doing compassionately unto others extends even (or especially) to those whom are adversarial to us, those whom we are very likely to not do good things to. However, in the same intent as the Matthew context, if we are asked even by our enemies for something, we should be willing to give freely to them, as we would also hope to be done to us by them.
According to Yeshua, this is what the whole Bible is about. We should be merciful and compassionate to all others in all ways that we would like to see mercy and compassion exhibited toward us. Then we are just like God would have us be; then we reflect his image in this world. Compassionate giving and generous behavior toward all others truly is the core of the Bible.
So why then are we not doing it?
If you enjoy these daily blog posts, be sure to visit the growing archive of the Core of the Bible podcast. Each week we take a more in-depth look at one of the various topics presented in the daily blog. You can view the podcast archive here. Questions or comments? Feel free to email me directly at coreofthebible@gmail.com.
Throughout the New Testament writings we are encouraged to treat all people well, regardless of how they treat us.
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless those that curse you, do good to those that hate you, and pray for those which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
Matthew 5:44-45
In this pivotal teaching of Yeshua, some of the most ancient Greek manuscripts are missing the specific phrase, “bless those that curse you, do good to those that hate you.” You will find in many modern versions of the Bible that those words are omitted from Matthew 5:44. However, they are found in the parallel passage in Luke.
Luke 6:27-28 “But I say to you who listen: Love your enemies, do what is good to those who hate you, “bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
In fact, in Luke’s telling, Yeshua goes into even further detail of what this type of love looks like:
Luke 6:29-31 “If anyone hits you on the cheek, offer the other also. And if anyone takes away your coat, don’t hold back your shirt either. “Give to everyone who asks you, and from someone who takes your things, don’t ask for them back. “
Some believe the words were added at a later date into the Matthew narrative to make the text agree with Luke. Regardless of scholarly opinions of the text, the fact remains that this principle of non-reciprocation of evil is abundant throughout the New Testament writings. This shows that the principle was understood and practiced by the disciples and early believers.
Romans 12:14, 17-21 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. … Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Give careful thought to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes. If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord. But If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. For in so doing you will be heaping fiery coals on his head. Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.
1 Peter 3:8-9 Finally, all of you be like-minded and sympathetic, love one another, and be compassionate and humble, not paying back evil for evil or insult for insult but, on the contrary, giving a blessing, since you were called for this, so that you may inherit a blessing.
1 Peter 2:20-21, 23 For what credit is there if when you do wrong and are beaten, you endure it? But when you do what is good and suffer, if you endure it, this brings favor with God. For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. … when he was insulted, he did not insult in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten but entrusted himself to the one who judges justly.
Yeshua encourages us to this same practice, and the reasoning he provides is that in doing so we demonstrate that we are seeking to be like our heavenly Father.
Matthew 5:45 …that you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
When we treat all people equally, regardless of how they treat us, we exhibit the characteristic of God himself. This is how believers are identified as God’s children; not by claiming we are his children, but by demonstrating we do the same things as he does. This is how we bring glory to his name in this world, and cause his kingdom to grow.
If you enjoy these daily blog posts, be sure to visit the growing archive of the Core of the Bible podcast. Each week we take a more in-depth look at one of the various topics presented in the daily blog. You can view the podcast archive here. Questions or comments? Feel free to email me directly at coreofthebible@gmail.com.
What does Yeshua really teach about giving to help those in need?
Core of the Bible podcast #29 – Giving with intention and love
In this episode we will be exploring the topic of compassion, and how our giving to the needs of others should stem from an intentional purpose of assistance and a heart of love, and not from a place of financial reciprocation.
Yeshua stated it this way:
Give to everyone who asks from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. … And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get 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 is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Luke 6:30-31, 34-35
In these verses, Yeshua appears to be saying that believers should give and loan freely to whoever asks of us, expecting nothing back from them. The distinctive aspect of how believers are supposed to model giving is to go outside the normal boundaries of the culture; to willingly give to those who would be considered unlikely recipients: those who can’t repay, even those who could be considered enemies.
This is not a practice for the faint of heart. Giving as God intends requires mettle and resolve. This is not “feel-good” giving. In fact, this type of giving can be painful because it seems so contrary to common sense.
First, it would be helpful if we were to identify what type of giving is being talked about here. An interesting dynamic is raised by the parallel of this teaching of Yeshua in Matthew 5:42
Matthew 5:42 Give to him that asks of you, and him that would borrow from you turn not away.
I am becoming of the opinion that, in our rush to exhibit compassion to others, we may have missed the actual intent of Yeshua’s teaching on this matter. As always, we need to remember that Yeshua’s teachings are all based on the torah of God.
Matthew 5:17, 19 “Don’t think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. … “Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
As we review the commands of God, we find basis for this teaching of Yeshua which may shed additional light on our giving practices.
Exodus 22:25 If you lend money to one of My people among you who is poor, you must not act as a creditor to him; you are not to charge him interest.
Leviticus 25:35-37 Now if your countryman becomes destitute and cannot support himself among you, then you are to help him as you would a foreigner or stranger, so that he can continue to live among you. 36Do not take any interest or profit from him, but fear your God, that your countryman may live among you. 37You must not lend him your silver at interest or sell him your food for profit.
Deut 15:4-6: “However there shall be no poor with you (for Yahweh will surely bless you in the land which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance to possess it) if only you diligently listen to Yahweh your God’s voice, to observe to do all this commandment which I command you today. For Yahweh your God will bless you, as he promised you. You will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow. You will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you.”
Deut 15:7-11: “If a poor man, one of your brothers, is with you within any of your gates in your land which Yahweh your God gives you, you shall not harden your heart, nor shut your hand from your poor brother; but you shall surely open your hand to him, and shall surely lend him sufficient for his need, which he lacks. Beware that there not be a base thought in your heart, saying, “The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand”; and your eye be evil against your poor brother, and you give him nothing; and he cry to Yahweh against you, and it be sin to you. You shall surely give, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him; because that for this thing Yahweh your God will bless you in all your work, and in all that you put your hand to. For the poor will never cease out of the land. Therefore I command you to surely open your hand to your brother, to your needy, and to your poor, in your land.”
Deuteronomy 23:19-20 “You shall not charge interest to your countrymen: interest on money, food, or anything that may be loaned at interest. 20“You may charge interest to a foreigner, but to your countrymen you shall not charge interest, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all that you undertake in the land which you are about to enter to possess.
Based on these passages, it is apparent that in the days of ancient Israel, with no established banks or other forms of credit, it was a common practice for those who might have fallen on hard times to request loans from family and friends to get back on their feet.
Ellicott’s commentary states the following on Matthew 5:42 regarding someone who would borrow from you:
From him that would borrow.—The force of the precept depends on its connection with the Jewish Law, which forbade not only what we call usury, i.e., excessive interest, but all interest on loans where debtor and creditor alike were Israelites (Exodus 22:25; Leviticus 25:37; Deuteronomy 23:19-20). From our modern point of view that law cannot be regarded as in harmony with the present order of society, nor consistent with our modern views of financial justice. It is not the less true, however, that in the education of a family or nation, such a prohibition may be a necessary and useful discipline. We should look with scorn on boys who lent on interest to their brothers or their schoolfellows, and the ideal of the Law of Moses was that of treating all Israelites as brothers brought under the discipline of the schoolmaster. As if with a prescient insight into the besetting temptation of the race, the lawgiver forbade a practice which would have destroyed, and eventually did destroy, the sense of brotherhood (Nehemiah 5:1-13), leaving it open to receive interest from strangers who were outside the limits of the family (Deuteronomy 23:20). The higher law of Christ treats all men as brothers, and bids us, if it is right to lend as an act of charity, to do so for love, and not for profit.
The intent of these torah commands, coupled with Yeshua’s teaching, seems to imply that there should not be discrimination in whom you lend to, whether close associate whom you know will repay, versus a faint acquaintance whom you recognize may never repay you. The issue was not the repayment, but the generous giving in love.
I believe we can learn much, both good and bad, from contemporaneous writings from ancient Israel. I like reading the apocrypha, or the additional books of the Bible that are found in Orthodox and Catholic versions of the Bible, because they provide historical perspective on how the Tanakh, or Old Testament, was being interpreted by the culture in the time period between the Old and New Testaments.
For example, in the apocryphal book of the Wisdom of Sirach, which is very similar to the book of Proverbs, there’s an insightful teaching that corresponds with Yeshua’s mentality in our current passage under discussion, explaining the benefits of unrestricted generosity.
Sirach 29: 1-13 He that shows mercy will lend to his neighbor, and he that strengthens him with his hand keeps the commandments. Lend to your neighbor in the time of his need; and in turn, repay your neighbor promptly. Confirm your word and keep faith with him, and on every occasion you will find what you need. Many persons regard a loan as a windfall, and cause trouble to those who help them. A man will kiss another’s hands until he gets a loan, and will lower his voice in speaking of his neighbor’s money; but at the time for repayment he will delay, and will pay in words of unconcern, and will find fault with the time. If the lender exert pressure, he will hardly get back half, and will regard that as a windfall. If he does not, the borrower has robbed him of his money, and he has needlessly made him his enemy; he will repay him with curses and reproaches, and instead of glory will repay him with dishonor. Because of such wickedness, therefore, many have refused to lend; they have been afraid of being defrauded needlessly. Nevertheless, be patient with a man in humble circumstances, and do not make him wait for your alms.9 Help a poor man for the commandment’s sake, and because of his need do not send him away empty. Lose your silver for the sake of a brother or a friend, and do not let it rust under a stone and be lost. Lay up your treasure according to the commandments of the Most High, and it will profit you more than gold. Store up almsgiving in your treasury, and it will rescue you from all affliction; more than a mighty shield and more than a heavy spear, it will fight on your behalf against your enemy.
Here we can see how generosity with those in need is encouraged. But we also see the type of giving that is being discussed; it is not so much donating to someone’s needs, but rather providing them a generous loan. We can see the language of lender and borrower and repayment of loans being discussed.
This is absolutely in accord with the torah teachings we looked at earlier;
Exodus 22:25 If you lend money to one of My people among you who is poor, you must not act as a creditor to him; you are not to charge him interest.
The other torah passages we looked at had a similar emphasis. So as we look for the ancient understanding of giving to those in need, we find that the primary method of accomplishing that, and the method that God encourages, is to freely lend, without interest, to those who are in need.
This is the same thing Yeshua is teaching
Luke 6:35 ESV – … lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.
Matthew 5:42 Give to him that asks of you, and him that would borrow from you turn not away.
Based on this broad ancient context, we can see that the type of giving God desires believers to practice is intentional and generous loans to those in need, all the while expecting nothing in return. While a loan with no expectation of return is essentially a gift, the idea remains that the receiver of the loan has been thoughtfully tended to without the stigma of charity or a handout. God’s intent is that their needs have been duly assessed, and a reasonable measure of assistance has been provided in love. Most would repay the loan/gift, and this is to be counted as a bonus to the lender, as many simply would not repay.
All of this seems pretty straightforward as far as torah teaching and the cultural context of the day. So if this is the case, why was it necessary for Yeshua to provide additional insight to his followers about loving, and possibly even lending to, those who could be considered enemies?
While the teaching on generosity does appear reasonably clear, we find that Yeshua felt it was necessary to dig in deeper to the concept in his day and age for his audience. Whenever we see Yeshua doing this, it is typically to overcome the wrong perspectives that were exemplified in his day.
For example, in Matthew 23, there are a lot of condemnations that Yeshua leveled against the hypocrisy and unrighteousness of the religious leaders. Here are a few of those
Matthew 23:16, 23 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ …
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.
Matthew 23:25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
Yeshua is condemning them for building up and enforcing exclusive and harmful traditions around godly things: creating nonsensical rules for oaths concerning the holy temple; demonstrating exacting minuteness in tithing, but foregoing true justice conveyed in God’s torah; obsessively minding cleanliness commands while ignoring the intent and spirit of those commands.
This is the work Yeshua had to do in the process of calling out the remnant of true believers away from the hypocritical religious establishment. He had to make sure he was reestablishing them on the correct spirit and intent of God’s torah.
This extended also to ungodly traditions that had grown up like weeds around the clear teachings of God on giving and loaning to those in need. An historical example of this type of wrong perspective can also be found in the apocryphal book of Sirach, as it discusses who is “worthy” of receiving favor.
Sirach 12:4-7 Give to the godly man, but do not help the sinner. Do good to the humble, but do not give to the ungodly; hold back his bread, and do not give it to him, lest by means of it he subdue you; for you will receive twice as much evil for all the good which you do to him. For the Most High also hates sinners and will inflict punishment on the ungodly. Give to the good man, but do not help the sinner.
I believe this is the type of thinking that Yeshua was trying to overcome. Passing judgment on who would receive your alms or your loan was keeping truly needy people from being helped. Rather than promoting a society of generosity, as the torah had intended, the command had turned into a system of condemnation and refusal to help those who were not considered worthy. This only served to cause further division and corruption within the religious system of his day.
So Yeshua’s directive to give or loan to everyone, good or bad, or even someone considered an enemy, was a radical departure from the ideas of giving that had come into vogue among the elite. A believer’s generosity should not be based on the perceived worthiness of an individual, but through the careful assessment of the need and a loan free of interest or any other catch.
Okay, so if we understand that this principle of giving revolves around the idea of loans, then how does that affect our response with those who approach us on the street corners for handouts?
Does this mean that we shouldn’t give to every beggar on the street corner, or whomever we pass on the sidewalk who approaches us for money? After all, Yeshua did teach to “give to whomever asks of you…”
Let’s see how this has been classically interpreted over the centuries.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Give to every man that asketh of thee] Literally, “be giving implying a habit, not an instant act. Here again we have a broad, general principle of unselfishness and liberality safely left to the common sense of mankind, Deuteronomy 15:7-9. The spirit of our Lord’s precept is now best fulfilled by not giving to every man that asks, because in the altered circumstances of the age such indiscriminate almsgiving would only be a check to industry, and a premium on imposture, degradation, and vice. By ‘giving,’ our Lord meant ‘conferring a boon;’ but mere careless giving now, so far from conferring a boon, perpetuates a curse and inflicts an injury. The spirit of the precept is large-handed but thoughtful charity. Love must sometimes violate the letter as the only possible way of observing the spirit (Matthew 15:26; Matthew 20:23).
This is a really interesting perspective and not a popular view that is heard preached from the pulpits. These commentators are suggesting that indiscriminate handouts to those who approach us are actually a careless, rather than a caring, action. They go so far as to say that this “perpetuates a curse and inflicts injury” upon the receiver, because it not only prevents them from desiring to earn a wage, it also reinforces a culture of degradation and vice. In this view, handouts actually go against the spirit of the principle of intentional and generous giving that Yeshua is teaching about.
Matthew Poole’s Commentary
Matthew hath much the same passage, only he saith, “Give to him that … asketh of thee;” and for the latter clause, he hath, “from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away,” which seems more agreeing to the precept. Deu 15:8. These precepts of our Saviour must be interpreted, not according to the strict sense of the words, as if every man were by them obliged, without regard to his own abilities, or the circumstances of the persons begging or asking of him, to give to every one that hath the confidence to ask of him; but as obliging us to liberality and charity according to our abilities, and the true needs and circumstances of our poor brethren, and in that order which God’s word hath directed us; first providing for our own families, then doing good to the household of faith, then also to others, as we are able, and see any of them true objects of our charity.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(42) Give to him that asketh.—Here again our Lord teaches us by the method of a seeming paradox, and enforces a principle binding upon every one in the form of a rule which in its letter is binding upon no man. Were we to give to all men what they ask, we should in many cases be cursing, not blessing, them with our gifts. Not so does our Father give us what we ask in prayer; not so did Christ grant the prayers of His disciples. That which the words really teach as the ideal of the perfect life which we ought to aim at, is the loving and the giving temper that sees in every request made to us the expression of a want of some kind, which we are to consider as a call to thoughtful inquiry how best to meet the want, giving what is asked for if we honestly believe that it is really for the good of him who asks, giving something else if that would seem to be really better for him. Rightly understood, the words do not bid us idly give alms to the idle or the impostor; and St. Paul’s rule, “If a man will not work, neither let him eat” (2Thessalonians 3:10), is not a departure from the law of Christ, but its truest application and fulfilment.
Wow. In looking at these classic commentaries I find it amazing how they have arrived at similar conclusions to each other, yet the principle they are espousing is so far removed from what we see actually promoted among God’s people today.
In my opinion, when the words of Yeshua are maintained within the context of all scripture, and not cherry-picked to support a specific ideologies or a denominational bias, a comprehensive and consistent view arises that can provide very practical insights for all.
For the topic at hand, if we understand it is a principle for regulating generous and intentional loaning for assistance in hard times, this causes us to take time to lovingly and caringly assess someone’s real needs and provide real help. Simply providing small handouts to those who would beg from us, while not wrong in and of themselves, don’t really solve the person’s situation and typically only make us feel better about ourselves. Of course we should always be willing to share food and resources with those in need, but we would do well to be thoughtful and intentional so that the individual is truly helped.
So, considering all of this wide perspective on giving, if we return to the teaching of Yeshua, why should we give anything to those whom are unable to repay? Along those lines, why should we be commanded by Yeshua to give generously even to those who could be considered adversarial?
There are at least five reasons that immediately come to mind, but many more could be added as well.
First of all, as we have just seen in the words of Yeshua, because this type of intentional giving is what is expected of us by God: “Give to those who would ask of you.” He quite simply expects us to be generous in helping others.
Secondly, because everything we have is temporary at best.
2 Corinthians 4:18 So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Thirdly, because everything we have has been provided by God, so why should we hold back what has been freely given to us?
Psalm 37:26 [The righteous] is always generous, always lending, and his children are a blessing.
Proverbs 22:9 A generous person will be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.
2 Corinthians 9:10-11 Now the one who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will also provide and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way for all generosity, which produces thanksgiving to God through us.
Fourthly, because believers are supposed to be distinctive in this world, not to follow the conventions of the existing culture.
Matthew 5:13-16 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. “No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
Fifthly, because God is kind to the ungrateful and evil, and our goal is to be like him, and to exemplify his character of compassion in this world.
Matthew 5:44-45, 48 “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, “so that you may be children of your Father in heaven. For he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. … “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
According to Yeshua, giving in this manner also carries a promise of reward: you will be considered a child of the Most High. I can think of no higher honor or greater decoration to be bestowed upon us than for God to call us his own children.
If you enjoy these daily blog posts, be sure to visit the growing archive of the Core of the Bible podcast. Each week we take a more in-depth look at one of the various topics presented in the daily blog. You can view the podcast archive here. Questions or comments? Feel free to email me directly at coreofthebible@gmail.com.
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