Love Your Neighbour (And Your Enemies)Sample

 If you know a little about the Old Testament you would be aware of its focus on the people of Israel. Starting in Genesis 12, God begins his plan of salvation by choosing Abraham and his descendants. But this selection of the Jewish nation is not only for their benefit. It's for the sake of the whole world. 

God’s heart is outward looking from the very beginning. God chose Israel to be a light to the nations, that salvation would be enjoyed by both Jews and Gentiles. This is why Paul says in Galatians 3:8 that “Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed through you.’”

One expression of this missional heart is love towards the stranger (translated “foreigner” in the NIV). God’s people are constantly called to love the foreigner, to tangibly care for those who do not fit within our tribes. In this passage, God recalls that Israel once experienced being strangers in the land of Egypt. 

Our heart for the stranger is that they would ultimately join with us and become part of the people of God. But the love of God is not tribal. And neither should ours be. The love of the people of God does not look for limits. It looks for opportunity.

Reflection Questions

1. To what degree does your life intersect with strangers and foreigners?

2. Pray for God to give you an understanding of his abundant grace and love, which can even bless those who don’t yet belong to our tribe.