"You
shall not hate your brother in your heart; you shall surely rebuke your
neighbor and not bear sin because of him" (Leviticus 19:17 - NKJV)
The
verse for today seems strange for we are told, "You
shall surely rebuke your neighbor" (NKJV), and it is not what we
would expect from the Lord. The New International translation is closer
to the Hebrew expression: "Do not hate your
brother in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not
share in his guilt". In other words, be open and honest about
who you are and what you feel toward people. Far too many have a smile
on the outside but carry resentments within. A hidden attitude such as
that is actually “hypocrisy”.
Today’s
Scripture verse could be used as a "club" to harm other people but that
was obviously never its intended use. The very next verse teaches us to
"love your neighbor as yourself"
(Leviticus 19:18). How can we be fully honest with another person, and
yet "love" them, as we are commanded by
God?
Certainly, to become completely open with others can bring suffering to
them. Paul, who committed his life and teaching to the leadership of
the Holy Spirit of God, anticipated this, urging us to be "speaking
the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15). He completely understood
that walking up to another person and saying, "I
don't like your looks", can be bad for them (and for you, too).
But
when you feel personally wounded by someone, it is better to tell them
of your hurt than to carry resentment against them. That's our
Scripture for today: "You shall not hate your
brother in your heart; you shall surely rebuke your neighbor and not
bear sin because of him" (Leviticus 19:17).
Jesus
was asked by "one of the scribes" (Mark
12:28), "What is the foremost commandment of
all?" Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy 6:5, stating you
must honestly and completely "love the Lord your
God" as your greatest need in life.
What is
most important to you? Is it your money, your marriage, children, job,
savings, health? What about your reputation? Often, when we just don't
LIKE somebody, it's not about them at all - it's about ourselves. They
might remind us of someone who hurt us in the past, and we don't like
them by association. Watch out - QUESTION yourself about your motives,
for Jesus was still answering the question.
He
continued, "and the second
(commandment) like it is this: You shall
love your neighbor as yourself", a quote of Leviticus 19:18, the
Scripture right after “our” verse for today. If you don’t love those
who did you wrong, you should question yourself: What do my thoughts
and attitudes say about - me?
Once
again: How can you be honest and yet carry out the command of God to
LOVE others, including and especially those who don't LIKE YOU? Jesus
made it difficult for us by stating, "love your
enemies" (Matthew 5:44) which is often hardest when you were
badly treated by someone like your child, spouse, parent, sibling or a
former friend.
Somehow, we must tell that person they have hurt us, and yet do it in
love. The person needs to understand, for if we are to grow not only as
friends but also as people, some pain from those events will occur.
In “Streams
in the Desert", we read, "The best
things of life come out of wounding. Wheat is crushed before it becomes
bread. Incense must be cast upon the fire before its odors are set
free. The ground must be broken with the sharp plough before it is
ready to receive the seed. It is the broken heart that pleases God.
The sweetest joys in life are the fruits of sorrow. Human nature seems
to need suffering to fit it for being a blessing to the world."
Wounds
can produce growth or they can cause death. A graft into a fruit tree
is a major wound, but it also leads to the production of fruit by that
tree. Too great a wound or if the cutting is done improperly; the tree
can actually die. The good news is that Jesus gave His life for you and
for me. His death and new life is to us like a good graft is to a
tree. When we love Him who died for us, He gives us His life. And if
we love the Lord (His first command), we can learn to love others, for
He will bring it to pass.
"Speaking
the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15) is risky. We might be
embarrassed, for not only the other person but also all of their friends
may reject us. But to "rebuke your neighbor
and not bear sin because of him" (Leviticus 19:17) is the only
way to grow from the point where you felt injured by them. As Amy
Carmichael said, “If I put my own good name
before the other’s highest good, then I know nothing of Calvary’s love.”
Be honest with others and always act in love.
We must also be honest with the
Lord. Jim Limpp said, “It’s hard to try to
imagine a life lived for God that is based on dishonesty, but an amazing
number of people try to pull it off.” We have all tried to fool
the Lord, even when we understand “He knows the
secrets of the heart” (Psalm 44:21). God knows our resentments,
but too often we try to “sneak one by Him”. Every day is a good day to
tell your heavenly Father – everything!
The
statement "love your neighbor as yourself",
in Leviticus 19:18, continues: “I am the Lord.”
We can only truly love others and be open to them in the power and love
of God. Human love will fall short - we need God’s power to forgive
(and love) our neighbor.
Father, all too often we “hate
(someone) in (our)
heart” (Leviticus 19:17) and just try to go on, as though life
was the same. Forgive and heal us, Lord. Cleanse us from our sins.
Let us be truly Yours. Show Your love in us and through us. In Jesus
Name. Amen.
Ron Beckham, Pastor
Friday Study Ministries
www.fridaystudy.org
ron@fridaystudy.org
P.O. Box 92131
Long Beach, CA 90809-2131
"While
we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)
