This is just SO God:

"If you meet your enemy's ox or his ass going astray, you shall bring it back to him. If you see the ass of one who hates you lying under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him with it, you shall help him to lift it up." Ex. 23:4-5

It sounds like the same God who said:

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and 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 salute only your brethren, what more are you doing that others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."--Matthew 5: 43-48

WHY had I never noticed that juicy little morsel in Exodus before???????

Comments

elizabeth said…
sigh. you have reminded me why i LOVE the first five books of the Bible. There is so much sanity in them... by which i mean that the news constantly has bad stuff in it, but sometimes it feels like it is all for selling, all of curiosity... not at all comforting or even saying what is wrong or right; so i love the verses that spell it out, like kidnapping and worse things being WRONG.

Lev 26 is one of my favourites...
Alana said…
Oh yeah! I love me some Leviticus, baybee! I learned to appreciate that book in seminary. I think I have not read it since then. It will be interesting, now, reading it with an Orthodox brain.
I had never noticed that either !
Must go read it again now :-)