In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus is giving us a correct and godly understanding of the Old Testament Law. In the years after Moses had first received the law of God on Mount Siani the people of Israel were very skilled at finding work arounds on the law. If there was a way to lighten the obligations of the law as they saw them, they were quick to embrace that.

Because the law reflects God’s character and nature, love is central to it: love God and love others. Leviticus 19 commands the Israelites to “love your neighbor as yourself.” By Jesus’ time, they had come to interpret “neighbor” as someone they knew and liked, reasoning that they could hate their enemies or those different from them. This view mirrored the world’s approach to loving others. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus corrects this misinterpretation of Leviticus 19 and gives practical examples of how we should love others.

How should followers of Christ treat others on the narrow path? Matthew 5:38-48 offers practical guidance. Those on the broad path seek retribution and limit whom they love. On the narrow path, Jesus calls us to forgo repayment for wrongs and love our enemies as we love those we like. For many of us, these may be among Jesus’ most challenging words in this series. We cannot love this way on our own; we must surrender to Christ and rely on the Holy Spirit to empower us. Join me this Sunday as we continue exploring how to love others on the narrow path.