What shall I do with you, O Ephraim?  What shall I do with you, O Judah? Your love is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes away early. Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets, I have killed them by the words of my mouth, and my judgment goes forth as the light. For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

- Hosea 6:4-6

Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices, and eat the flesh. For in the day that I brought your ancestors out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to them or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. But this command I gave them, “Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people; and walk in the way I command you, so that it may be well with you. 

- Jeremiah 7:21-23

“You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder;’ and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment…”

- Matthew 5:21-22

As the Soviet Union collapsed in 1990, I had the opportunity to visit Berlin, Moscow and other parts of Europe feeling shockwaves from the fall. I rented a sledgehammer for a few minutes to knock off a chunk of the Berlin wall – a terrific souvenir. Moscow was filled with an uneasy energy. Hotel security officials warned about venturing outside alone explaining that police payroll had not been met and even if they were paid, the Ruble was so devalued their pay would have been worthless, so they may not respond. Stores were empty; unemployment soared; young women called hotel rooms all night begging for a meal. To the extent taxi drivers could be viewed as market indicators, the market’s preferred currency was either US Dollars or Marlboro cigarettes. The foundations of society had not collapsed – for the most part people still respected the legal systems in place, they drove on the correct side of the street, mass looting was not happening, people still openly traveled streets, electricity still flowed through power lines – but there was a sense that the system was on the verge of morphing into chaos and a cloud of uncertainty, concern and worry filled the air as everyone watched their life’s savings lose all value, wondered whether they would have food to eat tomorrow, and wondered what would fill the power vacuum created by the government’s collapse.

At first glance it may seem counterintuitive, but laws and systems to enforce them are necessary for freedom. I recently read an article about a family living in the rubble that was previously their home in a war torn city. They had no food and no water, but venturing outside was risky. In desperation, two young men carried buckets to a nearby water source and as they filled the containers both were killed. The family remained in a desperate, vulnerable position, subjected to the whims of people with firepower. The fabric of society was torn, justice had disappeared, peace had been replaced by fear and chaos, and they had no freedom.

Just laws are necessary for freedom and functioning society, but they are merely foundational. They establish the minimum standards necessary for society to function. Through the prophets and throughout the New Testament we see God calling His people to transcend the law, to receive His spiritual transformation and move to a holy condition such that the letter of the law is no longer meaningful to them. Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount by giving the Beatitudes, the promise of God’s special blessing on people in need. Jesus then states two amazing proclamations: “You are the salt of the earth” and “You are the light of the world” (see Matthew 5:13-14). He doesn’t urge them to be salt and light, He proclaims that they are salt and light.  

Immediately after that amazing introduction, Jesus begins His call to transcendence by saying, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill…. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:17 & 5:20).  

We need laws, but they set the floor. Jesus calls us to transcend and He describes what this looks like through a series of statements, each beginning with something similar to “You have heard it said … but I say to you …” With each statement Jesus urges us to transcend customary behavior, to move beyond mere action towards spiritual transformation, holiness, sanctification, perfection, with hearts so filled with the Holy Spirit that we live out His love without thinking about the law, so filled with the Holy Spirit that our human nature is replaced with His righteousness and our lives embody and reveal His love, His glory, His life, His light. We truly become His salt and light out in the world, making a difference in lives around us.

Jesus chooses a handful of examples encouraging us to consider the condition of our hearts and whether, by focusing on certain aspects of our lives we are able to identify things in our hearts separating us from God. He discusses anger, urging us to quickly seek reconciliation if we become angry with another, because anger, even if it is not acted on and we keep it bottled up inside, separates us from God and harms our relationships with others. So if we experience anger with another, we need to forgive, seek reconciliation and re-establish unity (see Matthew 5:21-26).  

Jesus discusses adultery, urging us to see that lusting after another, except within the bonds of marriage, separates us from God, taints our view of others and harms our relationships. He discusses divorce, oaths and retaliation and in each instance He encourages us to seek reconciliation with everyone, and to build unity within the Body of Christ and unity between each of us and God (see Matthew 5:27-42).

Then He takes this imperative a step further saying, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:43-45).  

First, let’s be clear, the Law of Moses does not say, “hate your enemy.” It is not in the law, but apparently it was an expression that some people commonly said at the time. With that out of the way, let’s consider the core of the statement – Jesus’s directive for us to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us. Jesus urges us to transcend and throughout the teaching he urges us to avoid situations and thoughts and acts that separate us from other people and from God, and to seek reconciliation quickly when our thoughts or actions cause separation. Here He pushes the thought to its extreme – loving an enemy.

If you were the family in that war torn city whose sons and brothers were killed while attempting to get buckets of water for their family, would you be able to love the people who killed them? Would you be able to pray for them? Jesus knows that reconciliation is so important, He calls us to do so. He knows that seeds of anger and hatred separate us from God and from one another, and we must eliminate them from our lives. If we do not, they will hinder and block our relationship with God and they will steal love from our hearts and they will create roots of disunity in our souls.

How has someone harmed you?  How have you harmed others? Jesus urges you to seek reconciliation with them as soon as possible. He urges us to transcend above the requirements of law, to transcend above the way most people act in society, to transcend above cultural norms. He urges us to allow the Holy Spirit to invade our spirits and souls in such a way that we are transformed by His indwelling and we embody His love and life and light and we allow His glory to be revealed through us.

May you continue seeking God in every aspect of your life.