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83_Love your neighbour as yourself

Ex 23:1-9 “You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness. 2 You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice, 3 nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit.

4 “If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall bring it back to him. 5 If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying down under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him with it; you shall rescue it with him.

6 “You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in his lawsuit. 7 Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent and righteous, for I will not acquit the wicked. 8 And you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the cause of those who are in the right.

9 “You shall not oppress a sojourner. You know the heart of a sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.

A young boy once found a wounded bird on the roadside. It had been caught in a thorny bush, and its wing was injured. He gently picked it up, took it home, and cared for it until it regained strength. One day, as the bird took flight again, the boy felt immense joy—not because he had gained anything, but because he had done what was right. His father, watching from the porch, smiled and said, “Son, you have learned the meaning of loving your neighbor.”

Loving our neighbor is a principle deeply embedded in God’s law, culminating in the commandment Jesus declared as the second greatest: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). This command, along with the first—to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind—encompasses the essence of all Scripture. Love is not an abstract feeling but a call to action, shaping our interactions with those around us.

Exodus 23:1-9 presents the practical outworking of this command. First, love for our neighbor means we must do them no harm—not by physical violence, not by stealing from them, and not by harming their reputation. Slander and false accusations are grievous sins in God’s eyes. Leviticus 19:16 warns, “You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord.” Spreading falsehoods can destroy lives, reputations, and families. Malicious testimony in court, whether out of self-interest or to align with the crowd, can bring about injustice that God will hold us accountable for. When we speak, our words should be truthful and seasoned with grace, reflecting God’s character.

Justice and fairness are also at the heart of loving our neighbor. In a world where the rich and powerful often manipulate the system to their advantage, the Bible speaks strongly against partiality in judgment. Proverbs 22:22-23 warns, “Do not rob the poor because he is poor, or crush the afflicted at the gate, for the Lord will plead their cause and rob of life those who rob them.” God is not impressed by wealth, status, or power; He is a righteous judge. As His people, we are to reflect His justice in all our dealings.

But loving our neighbor is not merely about avoiding harm—it is also about taking proactive steps to do good. Exodus 23:4-5 presents a striking challenge: “If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall bring it back to him. If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him with it; you shall rescue it with him.” Loving those who love us is easy. But what about the difficult people in our lives? The ones who have wronged us, spoken ill of us, or acted against us? The call of Scripture is clear: we are to show them love, even when it is undeserved.

Jesus reiterated this in Matthew 5:44: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Paul, quoting Proverbs, wrote, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head” (Romans 12:20). Overcoming evil with good is the way of Christ. A small act of kindness toward an enemy might be the very thing that softens their heart toward God.

One of the greatest barriers to justice and fairness in our world is bribery and corruption. Bribes distort justice and harm the most vulnerable. Exodus 23:8 warns, “You shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the cause of those who are in the right.” We see the tragic consequences of this in 1 Samuel 8:3, where Samuel’s sons “turned aside after gain. They took bribes and perverted justice.” The love of money is indeed the root of many evils (1 Timothy 6:10). It is not enough to personally refuse bribes—we must also stand against systems of injustice that oppress the poor and powerless.

God’s concern for justice extends to the sojourner, the foreigner, the outsider. “You shall not oppress a sojourner,” He commands in Exodus 23:9, “You know the heart of a sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.” How quickly we forget our past struggles when we find ourselves in a position of stability! But God calls us to remember. Just as He heard the cries of the Israelites in Egypt and delivered them, He hears the cries of the oppressed today. When we mistreat or ignore the vulnerable, we place ourselves in opposition to God’s justice.

God’s love is always accompanied by action. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16). Christ’s love for the church led Him to give Himself for her (Ephesians 5:25). Likewise, our love for our neighbors must go beyond words—it must be demonstrated in tangible ways. Jesus said in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”

In our daily lives, this love might look like speaking the truth when gossip arises, standing up for someone who is being treated unfairly, or choosing kindness toward those who have wronged us. It might mean resisting the temptation to cut corners or accept dishonest gain, even when no one would notice. It might be as simple as reaching out to a struggling neighbor, showing hospitality to a stranger, or treating those we dislike with grace.

None of this is easy. It is impossible, in fact, without the power of the Holy Spirit. But as we abide in Christ, He enables us to love as He loves. When we love our neighbors as ourselves, we reflect God’s character to the world. This is not just an obligation—it is an invitation to participate in the transformative love of God.

May we seek His strength to love well, to live justly, and to show kindness even when it costs us. May our lives be marked by a love that is not self-serving but sacrificial, pointing others to the greatest love of all—the love of Christ. God bless.