According to popular cliche, we, as Christians, are to "hate the sin, but love the sinner". On the face of it, this doesn't seem like it should be controversial. The Bible literally presents both. It says if we love God, we are to hate sin, (e.g. Psalm 97:10), yet it also tells us we're all sinners (e.g. Romans 6:23), and that we're lying to ourselves, even making God Himself out to be a liar, if we say we have no sin (1 John 1:8-10). But while Scripture presents us all as sinners, it commands us to love even our enemies and persecutors (e.g. Matthew 5:43-45). The conclusion, then, is inescapable! We are to hate sin, yet we are to love the sinner.
But though it is clearly Biblical, it is also tragically controversial. Today, I saw a tragic example of this, when a meme was shared on a Christian Facebook page I follow. The meme prominently displays the words "God when Christians choose to hate and reject instead of love and accept:" before transitioning to a scene from Brooklyn 99, with the subtitles edited so they read "Why is no one loving their neighbor? I specifically requested it."
One thing to note about this meme is that it neither says, nor implies, that one should "accept sin". Yet, just the word "accept" seemed to trigger so many Christians. The comments were aggressively opposed to the meme, with some even going as far as to accuse the one who posted it of not being Christian.
Contrary to the outcry, the most unBiblical aspect (aside from depicting God as a human being besides the person of Jesus) is that He "requested" people love their neighbor. In reality, far from being a request, Jesus tells us this is the second greatest commandment.
In Matthew 22:36-40, we read "“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”" Clearly, this is not something God merely requests. The entire Law and the Prophets - that is, the whole Old Testament - hangs on these two commands. Love God, and... love your neighbor.
In fact, the full command is "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.". This means your neighbor is to be considered your equal. Whatever you might seek for yourself, you should seek also for your neighbor. In fact, Jesus goes far beyond even this. In His famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus declared "“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 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, 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. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect." (Matthew 5:43-48).
The people to whom Jesus was speaking were very traditional. On the one hand, they would give lip service to the Scriptures. This was a common rebuke Jesus had for them. Not that they would study the Scriptures, but that they would regularly nullify it by their traditions (e.g. Mark 7:9-13). In this account, we see an example. "You have heard that it was said,", he begins, "‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’"
This is often misrepresented as Jesus coming down to correct the Old Testament itself. Yet, Christ has already denied this as a purpose for His ministry: "“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled." (Matthew 5:17-18). But if He has not come to alter the Law, who is it that is saying "you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy?" This is a tradition of the time! The Pharisees, the Sadducees, even heretical sects like the Essenes. To love your neighbor as yourself is in the Law, but to hate the enemy is an entirely fictitious contrast invented by men, and it is these men to whom Jesus says "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..."
"But they're sinners, Lord!" Yes, that would explain why they're cursing you, why they hate you, why they spitefully use you, and why they persecute you. But the command leaves little room for interpretation. It is man's way, not God's way, to hate your enemies. God, by contrast, "...makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust". God does not distinguish between sinner and saint! Not in this life. To be sure, judgment is coming, and but for the blood of Christ, no amount of love is washing away the transgressions of man. But while the sun shines upon a man, or while rain waters his field, you, a Christian, have absolute proof that God is telling you, love this person.
And Christ follows it up with this: "For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?" Are we to be isolationists, as Christians? Are we to look at a man, weigh up his deeds, and first determine that he is worthy of our love before we give it? "This one here is not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as a tax collector. He fasts twice a week, and gives tithes of all that he possesses (Luke 18:9-14). Surely he is worthy of our love! But this one here? Yuck. Wasn't he a drunkard before he came to us? Look, he even has tattoos! And I don't think I've seen him put even one penny in the collection plate. No, he needs to be cast out."
What foolishness! Jesus says if you love those who love you, you're no different than a tax collector. Keep in mind, tax collectors were seen as the lowest of the low back then. Traitors to the Jews. Often greedy and immoral. Absolute scum. But Jesus says hey, if you love only those who love you, you're no different than them. But He goes further. If you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? "Ok, so we've got this Christian over here, we'll greet him. That atheist over there? Yeah, leave him in the gutter." Foolishness! How are we any different than the very people we look down on if we gather together in cliques?
And so Jesus says listen, when my word says "...you shall love your neighbor as yourself...", that is not a creative suggestion! That is such an immutable command that apart from your love for God, no other command it greater. And speaking of God, that is exactly where Jesus grounds His philosophy. Notice, throughout His explanation, Jesus refers to God. You must do this "...that you may be sons of your Father in heaven". Why? Well because He does these things. And so the conclusion of this particular matter is "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect." It all comes back to God Himself! We must love because He loves. It is a condition of sonship! If you want to be perfect sons and daughters of God, you must love your neighbor as you love yourself.
But as a species, we do love our loopholes, don't we? Turn with me to Luke 10:25-29. Here, we read "And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ” And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.” But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”"
And so we see that Jesus' words in the Sermon on the Mount were actually in line with mainstream teaching of the time. A lawyer asks Jesus how to inherit eternal life, Jesus asks how the lawyer interprets the Law, and the lawyer gives a near perfect answer: "‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’" Well there you go again! The two greatest commands, upon which the entire law and the prophets hang, this lawyer - perhaps unfamiliar with Christ's own teachings on the topic - correctly understands that the Law presents love as a prerequisite for eternal life. And so Jesus tells him yes, you're right, so do this and live.
But this lawyer has a heart problem, doesn't he? He tests the fence. He skirts the line. And so we are told, wanting to justify himself, that he asks "who is my neighbor"? Can't you just hear the silent beat of this man's heart? The unsung anthem of the worldly mind: Exactly how much hate can I get away with? And so he asks "And who is my neighbor?"
Well it's clear why he wants to know, isn't it? He shares the same carnal darkness with all of us! He wants to love those who love him, but his enemies? His persecutors? Even the stranger in his midst? Even the tax collectors do what this man wants to do. But what about what he doesn't? And so Jesus delivers one of His most famous parables. The word continues: "Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”" (v30-37).
Jesus' question here is intriguing. In the usual command, we are told to love our neighbor. But here, Jesus asks "...which of these three do you think was neighbor to him..."? This shows the neighbor principle works both ways! It's a self-fulfilling role. You are to love your neighbor by being a neighbor! "Go and do likewise", He commands. And so this lawyer, hoping to justify himself and escape responsibility to love by categorising people as "neighbor" and "not neighbor", has instead been told no, you be the neighbor.
The impact of Jesus' parable is even greater when you consider the people He chose. A priest, a Levite, and a Samaritan. He is speaking in a culture in which the former two were seen as beacons of glory. Purely by virtue of being priests and Levites, these men were supposed to be "the good guys". They're cool, they're one of us. Surely they'll do the right thing here! But no. The one whom Jesus chose to play the hero in this story is a Samaritan. In the divided culture of this time, this is a big deal. The Jews did not look upon the Samaritans with favorable eyes, but regarded them with great suspicion and hostility. They were the half-breeds. The delinquents. The riffraff. If there was anyone this lawyer likely sought license to hate, it would be the Samaritans.
But Jesus flipped the script. The priest and the Levite are portrayed as self absorbed in their own pomp. "This man lying broken on the floor? What have I to do with him? He's not my problem." And so off they go on their merry way. Bur Mr. Mudblood Samaritan over here, somehow, becomes the picture of love for the next 2,000 years! Likely many more centuries, if the Lord tarries.
In spite of the dim view the Jews had of the Samaritans, there actually wasn't anything wrong with being a Samaritan. One's ethnic background can never be considered an actual sin, even if there is some sin commonly associated with it. Stereotypes can be vicious, but not inherently true. Thus, Jesus actually shows us, even today, just how foolish these trivial divisions are. We still have them. Look at CRT and other similarly disgraceful dogmas. Hatred and rejection is not a new thing, nor does it look like it's going anywhere any time soon. But with what we have seen today, Jesus clearly tells us "you may be a Jew, and he may be a Samaritan, but woe betide you if you treat him as anything less than a neighbor".
Now, notice how the original meme applies perfectly to this. If God looked upon a Jew, and saw him hating and rejecting a Samaritan, no doubt He would say "why aren't you loving (and by extension, accepting) your neighbor? I specifically commanded it." Where is the sin, which we are allegedly being told to accept along with the sinner? It is nowhere to be seen! And so the controversy over this meme is simply unacceptable. Far from being the product of a debased Liberal, as many people claimed, it is a humorous portrayal of the truth. Both the ugly truth, that humans are full of hate, and the beautiful truth, that we do not have to be.
See we can be like that lawyer who prompted the parable of the Good Samaritan. We can seek to justify ourselves, dividing our neighbors into categories, seeking any excuse to circumvent the second greatest command. "I'm not going to love this person because...". But there is only one correct way to end that statement. "I am not going to love this person because I do not know God."
And that's not just something I have plucked from thin air. The word tells us "He who does not love does not know God, for God is love." (1 John 4:8). Love is such an integral part of who God is that He feels comfortable describing Himself as synonymous with it. The more you love, the more you know God. The more you hate, the more you resemble the devil himself.
And so we are officially out of excuses. What has to go so wrong in our hearts, as Christians, that upon seeing an expression of one of the clearest Biblical teaching, we begin speaking venomous words? Of course we are to hate sin! The thing that divides us from God, the thing that deprives us of His purpose for us, the thing that insults His glory, yes, we should hate it. But let not even the most justified forms of hate spill over and blind us to the love we are required to have, for this, in itself, is sin. Let us examine our hearts, hating every shadow of imperfection, including that which causes us to break the great command: "You shall love your neighbor as you love yourself."
AI usage
No AI was used in the production of this article.