Joel M Bradshaw

10O you who love the LORD, hate evil!…–Psalm 97

Many would read a line like this from Psalm 97 and feel justified. They look at the evil in this world and then all of a sudden feel that noble urge within them to hate it in the name of the Lord. The problem is that hatred joins anger as the slipperiest of slopes. What might have started out as a noble quest within quickly turns into a selfish hatred against people. And that Scripturally has no basis. We are to love our enemies, not hate them (Luke 6:35).

So let’s have Jesus drive the train on this one.

29“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”–Mark 12

Your heart is full and occupied with love of God and neighbor. There should be no room for hatred against others.

41“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?42How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.–Luke 6

Hypocrisy is hating another’s sin, but not your own. If you are going to hate something, hate your own sin. No, this is not hating your self. You have no biblical grounds to hate yourself. This is hating your sin.

If you feel led to put into practice Psalm 97, then hate your sin. Hate your evil. Hate your hypocrisy. You have no biblical basis hating yourself or hating others. But you can hate your sin. Start there. Land there. The world of Jesus’ day was just as divided and tribalistic as our own. There just wasn’t social media. His words then still apply now. If you must hate, hate your hypocrisy.–JMB