Sermon on the Mount – Who is Your Enemy? • FOUNDED IN TRUTH – Messianic Livestream

In this teaching from Founded in Truth Fellowship, Matthew Vander Els delves into the challenging aspects of Yeshua’s (Jesus’) Sermon on the Mount, specifically addressing the radical command to love one’s enemies. He emphasizes that this teaching reveals the profound ethics of the arriving kingdom of heaven, which often clash with conventional human understanding and societal norms.

The speaker begins by highlighting how easily individuals can misinterpret the depth of Yeshua’s teachings. People might feel self-righteous by simply avoiding overt acts like murder or adultery. However, Yeshua reveals that the standards of God’s kingdom extend to the inner thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Harboring hatred or bitterness is akin to murder in the heavenly courts, and objectifying someone in one’s mind equates to adultery. These initial points set the stage for understanding the even more difficult command to love enemies.

Vander Els then examines the well-known principle of “an eye for an eye.” While this concept might seem fair from a human perspective, Yeshua challenges his followers to a higher standard: to try not to repay evil with evil. He argues that “fairness” is not a primary attribute of God’s kingdom, which is characterized by self-sacrificial love and justice. This transition leads to the central theme of loving enemies, a point where the speaker notes Yeshua could have paused, given the inherent difficulty of this command.

Loving those we are inclined to hate, those whom society encourages us to despise, requires stripping them of their humanity and demonizing them in our minds. This dehumanization makes it easier to wish harm upon them. The speaker draws on the Old Testament narrative to illustrate a recurring struggle with violence and enmity. He traces the story from the flood, where violence did not end violence, to the formation of Israel out of slavery, and their eventual failure to be a light to the nations. Instead, under the monarchy of Saul, David, and Solomon, Israel became an empire marked by social stratification, slavery (even in the building of God’s temple), and profiting from war through arms dealing. This deviation from God’s mission led to the downfall and exile of both Israel and Judah.

During the exile in Babylon, the prophets foretold a future of peace, where weapons would be transformed into tools of life, and a new king, the “Prince of Peace,” would reign. The exile was a humbling experience for the Judeans, who lamented their enslavement and longed for their homeland. Psalm 137 poignantly captures this sentiment, even including expressions of violent retribution against their oppressors. In this context of exile and hardship, God, through the prophet Jeremiah, instructs the people to seek the peace and prosperity of Babylon, the very city of their captivity. This command to pray for their pagan oppressors was counterintuitive, especially after experiencing such brutality. God’s reasoning was that if Babylon prospered, so too would the exiled Israelites.

The speaker emphasizes that God reminded the Israelites that He was ultimately in control and that their exile was a consequence of their own failings, particularly their mistreatment of the vulnerable. Instead of advocating for violent resistance, God called them to subversive resistance: to settle down, build homes, raise families, and contribute to the very society that held them captive. This narrative echoes the Exodus story, where the Israelites also endured oppression and were ultimately redeemed by God. Just as God told Abraham about the 400 years of Egyptian slavery followed by deliverance, He promised the exiled Israelites a return after 70 years. Both stories highlight God’s initiative in redemption, rather than relying on human efforts. The non-violent resistance in Exodus, such as the midwives defying Pharaoh’s orders, parallels God’s command in Jeremiah to build and increase in Babylon. The prosperity experienced by the Israelites in Egypt, even in their enslaved state, finds a parallel in God’s instruction to pray for Babylon’s prosperity. Ultimately, both the Exodus and the return from exile demonstrate God’s judgment on the oppressing nations and His redemption of His people without them resorting to violence.

Returning to the Sermon on the Mount, Vander Els underscores that Yeshua’s teachings embody the ethic of this arriving kingdom, which is so radical it causes discomfort. In Matthew 5:43, Yeshua teaches that God loves indiscriminately, and therefore, His followers should do the same. Love should not be restricted based on a person’s actions, past, present, or future. To discriminate in love and limit it only to those deemed worthy is no different from the hatred exhibited by groups like Hamas or ISIS. Even pagan nations show love to those who love them; Yeshua calls for a higher standard. He uses the example of tax collectors, reviled figures in first-century Judea under Roman occupation, noting that even they show affection to their own kind. The Roman oppression of that time is likened to the Nazi regime, emphasizing the extreme power imbalance and dehumanization faced by the Jewish people. Yet, Yeshua’s command to love extends even to such oppressors.

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Application for Everyday Life

• Practice Praying for Your Enemies: Regularly and intentionally pray for those you consider your enemies, asking for God’s blessings, restoration, and transformation in their lives.
• Cultivate Empathy: Actively seek to understand the perspectives and backgrounds of those you disagree with or dislike. Recognize their shared humanity and common experiences.
• Resist Dehumanization: Be mindful of the labels you use for others and challenge yourself to see beyond these simplifications. Avoid language that strips away someone’s humanity.
• Practice Indiscriminate Love: Strive to love others regardless of their actions, beliefs, or social standing, mirroring God’s inclusive love.
• Engage in Non-Violent Resistance (Where Applicable): When faced with injustice, consider ways to resist the system without resorting to hatred or violence towards individuals.
• Focus on Reconciliation: Instead of seeking to defeat or destroy enemies, aim for reconciliation and the possibility of changed hearts.
• Struggle with the Hard Teachings: Don’t shy away from the difficult commands of Yeshua. Meditate on them and allow them to challenge your current understanding and practice.
• Examine Your Own Heart: Reflect on how quickly you label others as enemies and the underlying fears or biases that contribute to this.

References

• Matthew 5:21-22 https://biblehub.com/matthew/5-21.htm
• Matthew 5:27-28 https://biblehub.com/matthew/5-27.htm
• Matthew 5:38-39 https://biblehub.com/matthew/5-38.htm
• Matthew 5:43-44 https://biblehub.com/matthew/5-43.htm

Resources Mentioned

• The Bible by Various Authors