"If thou meet
thine enemy’s ox. . .going astray, thou shalt surely
bring it back to him again."
When I look at this verse, I do not
think of the "enemy" like the enemies associated with
war. No--I think of neighbors and acquaintances and
former friends who are no longer as close to us as they
used to be.
If we lived on a farm--and many
do--we could envision a cow or a horse going astray. The
proper thing to do is to corral that animal and take it
back to the owner, even if that owner was an "enemy." Or
at least, we should phone the owner.
One time one of our sons saw a thief
on a neighbor’s porch stealing a bicycle. Immediately, I
called the neighbor. The neighbor was nonchalant about
it. In fact, he did not seem to care. Maybe he did not
believe me. The next day he called me and asked what I
knew about the thief on his porch. The bike had been
stolen! I had done my job. I had been a good neighbor.
We live in the suburbs and do not
have farm animals. I have never seen a stray sheep or
pig walk by our house here in Collingswood. But, upon
occasion, I have seen a dog or a cat, or a raccoon,
rabbit, or possum. (The other night a coyote was spied
by some friends.) If I knew the dog or cat was lost--and
I knew the owner, I would contact him or her, even if
that person was not a "friend" to me.
A month or so ago, we received a
flier from a desperate dog owner. I did not know the dog
or the owner. The dog had gone astray. I kept the flyer.
I was concerned. I called the owner. She said the dog
had returned. I wanted to find out more about the dog
and make a friend of the owner. She was most impolite!
She did not care that I cared. I had done my part.
So as I look at this verse, I believe
the verse means that there are certain kindnesses and
amenities that a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ
should perform towards others, even if there is a
division of some kind between the owner of the animal
and the Christian. You may or may not make a friend--but
that is not the point. We should be kind and concerned.
The next verse instructs the children
of Israel that even if one of them sees a burdened-down
donkey of an owner who hates them, the Israelite should
help the beast. This is just common courtesy and
friendship even to those who dislike us--even if we
receive no recognition for our good deed. God keeps the
records! (ysw)
"SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE"
There is so much "truth" to speak
There is also much "love" to give. Speak with a loving heart. Someone has said that it is hard to
exhort and be gracious at the same time, For self gets in the way. Why should a Christian have to be thus
exhorted? (GGS)
(Ephesians 4:15)
