Tradition Versus Truth
Love And Hate

In Matthew 5:21-48, there are five sections that begin, “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time” (5:21, 27, 33, 38, 43). In each case, after stating what had been heard, Jesus counters, “But I say unto you” (5:22, 28, 34, 39, 44). In so doing, Jesus cuts through centuries of tradition that blinded many of His contemporaries and replaces it with truth. In this last tradition versus truth comparison, Jesus contrasts what they heard about love and hate with what the truth teaches concerning these opposites.

Tradition: Love Is Limited And Hate Is Allowed

Jesus begins, “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy” (Mt. 5:42). The first part of what they “heard” sounds Biblical, after all “Love thy neighbor” is found in Leviticus 19:18. However, tradition’s quote of the passage was not complete. Leviticus 19:18 actually says, “thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” By leaving off “as thyself,” the keepers of tradition were lowering the standard of love (cf. Mt. 22:37-40). “Hate thine enemy” is found nowhere in the Old Testament. Their reasoning, however, may have been that if God commands love for neighbors, then surely that would imply hatred for enemies. To the contrary, though, the Old Testament says, “If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink” (Pr. 25:21 cf. Rom. 12:20). “Hate thine enemy” is the first reference in this section of what they “heard” that has no explicit Old Testament reference, which shows that tradition can be practiced so long that even if it is contrary to God’s will, we think it is Biblical. While it is true that the word “hate” can simply mean to “love less” (Deut. 13:6-9; Mal. 1:23 cf. Lk. 14:26; 16:13; Rom. 9:13), tradition did not practice that definition. This is obvious, as with the other subjects in this section of the Sermon on the Mount, by Jesus’ response to their tradition.

Truth: Love Is To Be Extended To All

To show the extent to which love should be applied, Jesus says, “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (Mt. 5:44). The love that Jesus commands here (and everywhere love is commanded) is agape love. Of the four basic words for love in the Greek language of the first century, agape love was the most comprehensive. Agape love is not contingent on natural ties, passionate desires, or emotional involvement. Agape love carries more of a volitional element in that it is willed to its object, no matter what the relation. Agape love always seeks the highest good for its object, even to the point of self sacrifice (cf. Jn. 13:34). In this way, we are to even love our enemies. An “enemy” to those of the kingdom (Mt. 5:5-10) is one who opposes God and His will. Even in the Old Testament, an enemy was to be treated with consideration (Ex. 23:4-5; 1 Sam. 24:19).

To love with agape love is to imitate the Father. Jesus says that when this is done, “ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust” (Mt. 5:45). As “children” in the flesh have the same physical characteristics as their fathers, so those who imitate the spiritual characteristics of the Father, such as agape love, can be said to be His “children” (cf. Mt. 5:9). God gives sunshine and rain to all, just or unjust. James writes, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (Jas. 1:17). God is consistent in love!

There is no reward for discriminate love. Jesus says, “For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?” (Mt. 5:46-47). To love only those who love us is to be no different than the “publicans [tax collectors, NKJ].” There is nothing inherently sinful about being a tax collector—one of Jesus’ apostles was (Mt. 9:9; 10:3). Jewish tax collectors, however, were among the most hated people in society during Jesus’ day because they were not only seen as instruments of Roman oppression but they were also looked upon as being traitors to God’s people. Thus, the term “publican [tax collector, NKJ]” became an expression for all undesirables (cf. Mt. 18:17). The word “salute [greet, NKJ]” means to greet others with a sense of welcoming them. The point Jesus makes is that there is no reward for doing what is expected!

God Is Our Goal In All Good Things

Jesus closes, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Mt. 5:48). While this verse is often considered as belonging to the section on love and hate, it could very well apply to each of the subjects in the section, beginning with 5:21. God is to be the supreme standard to which we all must strive, whether it concerns anger, marriage, divorce, and remarriage, oaths, legal rights, or love. The word “perfect” means to have attained the end, or goal, of something. If anything has fully attained that for which it is designed, then it can be said to be “perfect.” Truly, the goal to which we must strive is God!