Murder, Hatred and Love

When Jesus gave His disciples a new commandment to love one another as He loved them, it would have been a mistake to love others on the condition of others being a fellow Jew or genuine Christian.  This is the sort of thing we tend to do as human beings, to use a verse that speaks of our obligation to love one another as justification not to do so--because they do not belong with us!  Jesus demonstrated His love for us while we were yet sinners and enemies of God by dying in our place, and it is His example we as His disciples are obligated to follow.

This morning I read a passage in Esther when Haman was glad at the thought of executing Mordecai for slighting him, and how Esau comforted himself with thoughts of killing his brother Jacob for stealing his blessing.  These wicked men harboured hatred in their hearts, and the Bible teaches murder is evidence of hatred.  1 John 3:15 puts it in strong terms:  "Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him."  Again, we shouldn't restrict those guilty of hatred and murder to those who nurse a grudge towards their brother.  To refuse to love your brother is to abide in death, and to claim we are not obligated to love them because they are not a "brother" is irrelevant given other commands of Christ and the counsel of God's word.

We should not limit the implications of hating (or loving less) whether it be a brother, neighbour or stranger.  Jesus taught our neighbour was not only the one who lived next door or known to us, for He spoke a parable concerning a Samaritan who lay by the roadside after being beaten by thieves and left for dead.  The Jews in Jesus' day had no dealings with Samaritans, and it would have been a shock to suggest to Jews they had any relationship with Samaritans that was remotely neighbourly.  When the man asked Jesus, "Who is my neighbour?" Jesus responded with a story that provided the example of what it was to be neighbourly, caring and loving towards all--even Samaritans.  Isn't that how Jesus treated those who hated Him?

Jesus taught His disciples in Matthew 5:43-47:  "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' ⁴⁴ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. ⁴⁶ For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? ⁴⁷ And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?"  Since it is clear Jesus said Christians are to love their enemies, we plainly ought to love everyone--our brothers, acquaintances, neighbours, strangers, Samaritans and those who hate and persecute us.  We cannot muster up such love ourselves, but love is a fruit of the Spirit God's people can give freely and graciously as we have received it from Jesus.

The Net Illustration

Today our family spent a good portion of the day moving in the rain, and preparation for this involved buying a tarp and a net to spread over it.  Made of elastic material with plastic clips, this net of bungee cords (octopus or occy straps here in OZ) was quite handy to ensure the tarp was kept from flapping in the breeze as we transported furniture and household goods.  God was gracious to us and helped us move everything we needed, and water damage was kept to a minimum.

Whenever I use a net I am reminded of when I was an apprentice and one journeyman always had a net to cover insulation material that resembled a fishing net.  I was not a fan of the net because it seemed totally unnecessary and it was my job to untangle it.  This fellow used wire to secure ladders on the rack on his truck, and when he cut the wires he habitually allowed the twisted bits of metal to fall into the net which turned it into an unusable, gnarled mess.  I spent more time than I care to remember trying to pick tangled wires free and make the scrap of net usable again.  He once told me, "I used to wonder how anyone in those old TV shows could get tangled up in a net, but now I know."

All that net-untangling flooded back to mind as I tried to untangle the bungee cord net today.  Whenever I successfully untangled a clip, as I moved onto the next one it would fall onto another bit of the net.  As several of us worked together to stretch out the net to prevent it from tangling again a brother mused, "I bet there's a sermon illustration in this."  I admit I am always on the lookout for a good illustration, though they do not always make it into sermons or studies.  A lot of time they are for my own benefit or probably find their way into a blog--like this one.

As I reflected on how I needed help from others to untangle the net so it was useable, it occurred to me if we happen to be the one in the net, we need help from God and even other people to free ourselves.  David sang in Psalm 25:15:  "My eyes are ever toward the LORD, for He shall pluck my feet out of the net."  David realised he needed God's help to lead and deliver him out of the net, and this is true whether the net was laid secretly by other people or the enemy of his soul.  David pleaded similarly to God in Psalm 31:4-5:  "Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, for You are my strength. ⁵ Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O LORD God of truth."  It is awesome this would be quoted by Jesus as among His final words before breathing His last on the cross.  Christ's enemies had set a trap for Him, and He willingly went to the cross knowing His heavenly Father would deliver Him from sin, death and Hell.

There have been times I have come across a dog that has been secured to a post that had become all tangled in the lead to the point it might as well have been caught in a net.  As I spoke reassuringly to the dog, asking how it came to be in such a predicament, the dog's answer was often a hesitant tail wag and looking as sheepish as a dog possibly can.  Dogs seem to know when they need help, and they are mostly willing to be turned around as people lift a leg here or there to extricate the pup from his own entanglement.  We like to think of ourselves as the ones who help others out of tough spots when the reality is we need God's help along with fellow believers to walk freely again as a sheep of God's pasture.  We can be easily ensnared by sin and weights that hinder us, and we can also be hemmed in by unbelief and forgetfulness of God's faithfulness.

Because the LORD is our strength and our Redeemer, let us commit ourselves to Him and walk in His ways.  Being caught in a net may be embarrassing, frustrating or a blow to our pride, but the wise submit to God and one another knowing we are not sufficient in ourselves to find freedom.

Observing Haman

Haman was an Agagite who was promoted by King Ahasuerus, and the king commanded people bow the knee when Haman passed by.  There was a man named Mordecai who, day after day, refused to bow and pay homage.  The king's servants enquired to see why Mordecai did not bow, and in conversation he divulged he was a Jew.  Haman was enraged and offended that he was not given honour by Mordecai and Esther 3:6 says, "But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him of the people of Mordecai. Instead, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus--the people of Mordecai."  Haman took advantage of his elevated position before the king with the sinister aim of exterminating all Jews because of a personal offence with one man.  He would not stoop to speak directly to Mordecai, but his pride led him to go to the king to murder every Jew in the realm.

Haman was a crafty and deceitful man who, like the devil, offered half-truths to make the way for blatant lies to achieve his self-serving agenda.  Satan is the most clever and crafty of all God's creation, and Haman followed his lead out of hatred of the Jews and love of self.  Observe Haman's proposition to the king in Esther 3:8-9:  "Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, "There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from all other people's, and they do not keep the king's laws. Therefore it is not fitting for the king to let them remain. ⁹ If it pleases the king, let a decree be written that they be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who do the work, to bring it into the king's treasuries."  Haman failed to identify the Jews but called them a scattered people--which implies there were a small number of them.  They were a people who had "different" laws, and falsely claimed they (as a people) did not keep the king's laws.  Because one Jewish man refused to bow before him (while likely all others did), Haman slandered all God's people as disloyal subjects unworthy of life and existence.

Haman judged all the Jews negatively based upon his limited experience with Mordecai, a man he scorned to speak to personally, arrest, or bring before the king.  In seeking the destruction of the Jews by deception, Haman's scheme would lead to His own destruction.  The previous chapter explains this same Mordecai prevented an assassination attempt against King Ahasuerus by sending a message of warning.  The king had recently married the cousin of Mordecai--Hadassah who was called Esther--because he loved her more than all the virgins in his kingdom.  And Haman judged it was unfitting of the king to allow any of the Jews to remain!  Despite his cleverness, Haman's trickery rolled a stone intended to destroy all the Jews that would roll back upon himself and cost him his princely position and life.  Pride comes before a fall, and Haman's fall from the gallows he would construct to kill Mordecai would snap his neck.

As children of the light, Christians ought to avoid the self-serving, subversive tactics of Haman.  He refused to admit his true motivation behind his desire to destroy the Jews, and he walked in the steps of Satan who is a liar, thief and destroyer from the beginning.  Our motive ought to be for the good of others and not their destruction.  Instead of condemning other people or groups due to our negative experiences with one person, we ought to extend grace and mercy to the one who has offended us.  We ought to do what Jesus commanded, that if we have been offended or know someone has something against us we ought to seek to be reconciled with them.  Romans 12:17-19 says to Christians, "Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. ¹⁸ If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. ¹⁹ Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord."

It is true God's people observe commands of Jesus Christ that are different from the laws of nations and the wisdom embraced by this world.  Haman sought to take vengeance and destroy Mordecai along with all the Jews, and in a stark contrast we ought to follow the golden rule of doing unto others as we would have them do unto us, love another as Jesus loves us, freely forgive as we have been forgiven, and give move grace.  Our comments and communication ought not be to start quarrels or "destroy" others or their convictions, but to express gentleness, longsuffering and meekness from a heart filled with God's love.  Jesus said to His disciples in Matthew 10:16, "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves."  Believers are not required to give full-disclosure to those who mean our harm, but we ought to be honest and sincere with an aim to honour God always.

Keeping Words and Worship

As the book draws to a close Revelation 22:6-7 says, "Then he said to me, "These words are faithful and true." And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place. ⁷ "Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book."  Many people are drawn to read Revelation to catch a glimpse into what the future holds, yet Jesus is not content to satisfy our curiosity.  This revelation of Jesus Christ provided for John on the island of Patmos is for us to hear and keep, to remember what God has said and to put His word into practice.  The study of the Scripture, whether narrative, poetry or prophecy, is a call to heed God.

While we can be content to know the truth, God's desire is that we would by faith abide in the Truth.  The apostle John wrote in an epistle in 3 John 1:4:  "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth."  In a parable Jesus told of a father who told his two sons to work in his vineyard, the one who said he would go was not as commendable as the one who actually went.  Based on the words of Jesus, blessed is the one who reads Revelation as a book that is a call to the personal action of obedience to God in light of what is revealed concerning Jesus.  It is good for us to read all God's word with this intentionality, not just to learn what is true and right, but to order our lives accordingly to please God.

Following on from the promised blessing of Jesus to all who keep the word of His prophecy, Revelation 22:8-9 states:  "Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. ⁹ Then he said to me, "See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God."  This is the second time recorded in Revelation John fell at the feet of an angelic messenger to worship him and was rebuked, for God alone is worthy of worship.  Since John fell at the feet of an angel to worship due to revelation from God, it is entirely possible we can do the same figuratively before human messengers used by God.  We may not physically prostrate ourselves before them or kiss their feet, but we can subtly give people honour and praise God alone is worthy to receive.

There are two directives in the immediate context of keeping the words of the prophecy of Revelation:  do not worship God's servants, and worship God alone.  There are many people who are admirable and good examples as God's servants who excel, yet not one of God's servants is worthy of worship.  Jesus is the Good Shepherd we are to seek and trust, the KING OF KINGS before whom we bow, the one who has our affections and attention, the LORD of LORDS we serve joyfully.  When Jesus visited their home, Martha was distracted by much serving while Mary did the needful thing of sitting at His feet to listen to Jesus.  It is good to "get things done" with labour sanctified as done unto the LORD, yet it is also good for our hearts and bodies to be still and rest, knowing He will accomplish all things.

Psalm 95:6-7 exhorts God's people:  "Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker."  I have heard people speak of taking a stand for God, and there are times to do this publicly.  There is also a time to take a stand for Christ on our knees privately, devoting time to worship Him because He is God, is worthy of all honour, and we are commanded to worship Him.  Blessed are those who keep the words of the prophecy of God and worship Him alone.