Back in the Old Testament, the children of Israel were instructed to defeat and drive away their neighbors from their land. This is because these peoples worship different gods, and would influence them in doing the same. The famous saying “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” became popular during these times.
However, when the Lord Jesus Christ walked on this earth, He did not promote violence or war, but love and forgiveness. One of the most famous verses in the Bible is “to love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength, and then love your neighbor as yourself.” It means we should always give goodness, grace and mercy to our neighbors because surely, we’d want to receive the same.
But what if your neighbors hurt or say bad things about you? Even if they consider themselves as your enemies, we are all commanded to love, forgive and pray for them.
What other verses talk about how you treat your neighbors?