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LOVE OVERCOMES HATRED
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30
Deuteronomy 21:1-9

Matthew 5:20-26

 

“…whosoever is angry with his
brother without a cause shall

be in danger of the judgment.”

 

LOVE OVERCOMES HATRED
 
The Law prescribes the death sentence as the punishment for murder. In the present legal systems, it is almost universal that the laws of many nations follow this biblical pattern in dealing with this crime. The prescription against this hurtful manifestation is love.
 
The Lord Jesus also commented on the matter to give the prohibition of murder a perpetual validity. He said, “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift” (Matt 5:21-24). He identified the root cause of murder as anger and this must be dealt with before it progresses to loss of life. The use of abusive language towards another also amounts to murder. The Lord thus discouraged that kind of attitude towards one another, and encouraged reconciliation as an expression of love. When a community of God’s people live together in peace, the bond of love gives them peace and prosperity.
 
The immediate recipients of these laws were the children of Israel as they prepared to enter Canaan. They are no different from those who are reading these words today. They had their human weaknesses. They needed counsel to overcome and to live in harmony.
 
THOUGHT: “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.” (1 Cor 13:13)

PRAYER: Father, let love reign in our midst.

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