Wednesday – Matthew 5:43-44
These verses are found in what is called the “Sermon on the Mount.” Here, Jesus is laying out his expectations for any who would follow him.

In this section, he quotes familiar passages from the Old Testament, and then adds his interpretation. 5:43 references what appears to be a quotation from Leviticus 19:18. The first phrase is a direct quote—“you shall love your neighbor.” But the second phrase—“and hate your enemy”—is not found anywhere in the Old Testament. Jesus was not adding to the verse; rather, he was revealing how entrenched hatred for one’s enemies was in the mind of the Jew of the first century.

Can you think of any attitudes or teachings we accept today that contradict the clear meaning of Scripture? Name one or two.