How does this verse connect to Jesus' teaching on loving enemies? The Verse at a Glance “If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen under its load, you must not leave it there; you are to help him with it.” — Exodus 23:5 Same Heart, Two Testaments • Exodus 23:5 calls Israel to active compassion toward an avowed enemy. • Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount echoes and expands this heart posture: “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” — Matthew 5:44 • What seems new in Jesus is actually the fulfillment of an ancient command embedded in the Law. Threads that Tie the Texts Together • Practical Mercy – Exodus: Lifting a burdened animal re-lifts the enemy’s burdened heart. – Jesus: “Love your enemies” (Matthew 5:44) and “do good to those who hate you” (Luke 6:27). • Costly Action – Exodus: You sacrifice time, effort, and maybe reputation to aid someone hostile. – Jesus: The cross becomes the ultimate costly action for those still “enemies” of God (Romans 5:10). • Witness to God’s Character – Exodus: Reveals God’s impartial kindness. – Jesus: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48)—perfect in indiscriminate love. Supporting Scriptural Echoes • Proverbs 25:21 anticipated Jesus: “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.” • Paul applies the proverb—and Christ’s words—in Romans 12:20. • The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:33-34) illustrates Exodus 23:5 in story form: an unexpected helper lifts a suffering man onto “his own animal,” mirroring donkey-lifting mercy. Why This Matters for Us • Love isn’t sentiment; it’s concrete assistance, even when it benefits someone who resents us. • Every burden we lift today previews the love that lifted us at Calvary. • Obeying Exodus 23:5 in modern life—helping the coworker who undercuts you, serving a neighbor who slanders you—puts Jesus’ radical ethic on display. Living It Out Today – Notice needs, not histories: the command activates when you “see” the fallen donkey. – Move toward the burden, not away: delay is disobedience. – Expect nothing back: the motive is God’s glory and the other’s good, not reciprocity. – Trust the Spirit’s power: what He commanded, He enables—yesterday in Israel, today in us. Exodus 23:5 was never just about donkeys; it was always about hearts shaped by a God who loves His enemies and invites His people to do the same. |
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