What does the Bible say about friendliness?

(Vv. 8-10). In these verses we are exhorted as to the right conduct of the believer towards all men, whether believers or unbelievers. Being our conduct towards all, the law is brought in, rather than the high standard of Christianity. We are to owe no man anything except to love. In showing love we shall fulfil the law, for the whole law is comprehended in this saying, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself". Love works no evil. Love will not kill, nor steal, nor bear false witness. It is true that apart altogether from love, a man may refrain from killing or stealing for fear of consequences, and yet easily slip into bearing false witness. Only love will refrain from bearing false witness against our brother. Apart from love we may rake up something against a brother that we know has been judged, and owned, and done with, and thus, by an idle word destroy his reputation. In the Christian circle everyone's reputation should be safe from slander. "love works no ill to his neighbour", but malice does and, giving way to malice we fall beneath the law, not to speak of the higher claims of Christianity.

But now a word as to what follows. It is the very pith and essence of that which concerns our relation towards others here below; the great active principle from which all right conduct flows. This is the question of the true character and limits of love. "Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy" (ver. 43). This was the expression that the Jews drew from the general tenor of the law. There had been the sanction of God for the extermination of their enemies; and from that they drew the principle, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you." Here was a thing that the law never could teach — it is grace. In a thousand practical instances, the question is not whether the thing is right. We often hear Christians asking, Is such a thing wrong? But this is not the sole question for the Christian. Suppose wrong is done him; what is to be his feeling then? If there is enmity to him in another, what is he to cherish in his own heart? "Love your enemies … do good to them that hate you … that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven;" thus they show in practical ways that they belong to such a parentage, "For He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust … Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (vers. 44-48).

How often too the question of a neighbour comes up, and the danger of a prejudice! But the word is distinct: "be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause." Things might not be as one would desire, but "deceive not with thy lips." As the Lord put it, "All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them; for this is the law and the prophets." He makes it positive duty, even if the neighbour failed on his side.

It will be perceived that it is the second table of the law — love to their neighbours — to which the Lord had recalled the attention of His people in the days of their prosperity. It is, in fact, love to their neighbour in its spiritual measure of love to themselves; and hence they had been called upon to execute true judgment, not to show respect of persons; to have a tender and compassionate heart; to abstain from oppressing the helpless, the widow, the fatherless, the stranger, and the poor; and finally, they were not to imagine (i.e. devise, see Micah 2:1-3) evil against their brethren in their hearts. All this shows the value God attaches to our practical conduct, to a walk in relation to others as formed and ordered by His word. And He had recalled Israel to these moral features, because it was precisely in these things, as may be gathered from their history, that they were lacking. Unless therefore they listened to these divine admonitions judgment awaited them.

But we are not only to depend on the grace of the Lord for our own path; rather that grace is to be used for the blessing of others. Galatians 6:10 tells us, "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith." And verses 27 and 28 of our chapter are plain enough that they need no explanation. It may seem unnecessary for a believer to be told not to devise evil against his neighbor (v. 29), but even a believer, if he is not walking in obedience to God's Word, may be guilty of planning ways to harm his neighbor, especially if his neighbor has harmed him. If we do good to our neighbor, this will have good effect in promoting peaceful relationships.

Verse 8 designates as "the royal law" the Scripture, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." This summarizes the last six of the ten commandments: the first four would no doubt be priestly in character, rather than royal, for they are toward God. Royal character however is that which bears testimony toward men. And genuine love for neighbors will seek their greatest good: it is impartial, and concerned for the purest blessing of its object. If it is merely my rich neighbor I love, this is not proper love at all: I expose my selfish motives. Respect of persons is both sin and transgression of the law, which Jews highly regarded.

When our Lord was here on earth, He summed up the law most beautifully under one word, LOVE. “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matt. 22:37-39). What a happy world this would be, if this law of love were faithfully carried out! Do we love God with all our heart? Do we love our neighbours as oneself? We are commanded not to kill, not to commit adultery, not to steal, not to bear false witness, not to covet. We would certainly not do any of these forbidden things, did we love our neighbour as oneself.

A lawyer, who connected life, to which the law pointed, with eternal life of which prophets had spoken in its millennial conditions (Ps. 110; Dan. 9), and who would know what he must do to inherit it, is referred by the Lord to the law, of which he was able to quote the substance from Deuteronomy and Leviticus. There was no other standard, if man would live by his doing, though the law says nothing of eternal life. Lawyer-like, he raises a question on the terms — "And who is my neighbour?" The answer of the Lord brings out that a neighbour's need was enough for divine love; neither priest nor Levite would or could touch it, and the heart to meet it was only found in the despised Samaritan. But He became such a neighbour to the one in need that he never needed a neighbour again. How sweet the revelation of the ways of grace that were to form a heavenly people, in contrast to legal measures and requirement. But conduct moulded upon such a model can only be formed by personal acquaintance with Him, and is to be found as with her who sat at His feet and heard His word — and to be maintained by prayer. (Luke 11)

In seeking to carry out this exhortation we have no need to search for opportunities, "the neighbour" would be he who is nearest to us. If we see an immediate need our exercise should be to show mercy to that needy person, for that is the way God Himself is moving today.

Another duty is here urged, considerateness for such as through natural infirmity are liable not only to err but to have advantage taken of them by the lightminded or the malicious. Other warnings are given that an Israelite might behave to his brother as became the people of Jehovah. His fear was to govern all the life, individually or together. Righteousness in judgment is insisted on, irrespective of low or high. Tale-bearing is frowned on: who could tell the mischief that might result? Hatred in the heart is the deep wrong against a brother; but it is immediately urged earnestly to rebuke one's neighbour that one bear not sin on his account (or, bring not sin on them). In short, no allowance of grudge, or self-vengeance, but to love one's neighbour as oneself.