Hatred

Blinded by Differences

Heading south from Galilee to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51), Jesus traveled with His disciples through Samaria (Luke 9:52). Prejudiced against the Samaritans (John 4:9), Jews commonly bypassed this region by journeying down the east bank of the Jordan River. But Jesus deliberately chose the more direct route, as if to seek out conflict rather than avoid it.

Confrontation erupted at the first village. The Samaritans did not want Jesus or His followers there, nor did the disciples want to be there. Neither group could see past the other's ethnic identity. But the disciples turned exceptionally ugly. Insulted by the villagers' rejection of their Lord, they were itching to call down fire from heaven—with the justification (according to most manuscripts), “just as Elijah did.”

Their response shows how terribly destructive centuries of hatred and bitterness can be. No wonder Jesus utterly rebuked this response. He realized that His followers were blinded by their presumption of religious and ethnic superiority. In rebuke, He reminded them of His mission: to save lives—even Samaritan lives—not to destroy them.

We as Jesus' followers today need to consider this incident carefully. Who do we regard with condemnation rather than compassion? Is it someone of another race or a different ideology? Our differences may arise from legitimate concerns. But if we would just as soon see someone eliminated in order to reinforce our feelings of ethnic, racial, moral, theological, or spiritual superiority, then we need the rebuke of Jesus' words: “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of” (Luke 9:55).

As we read in John 3:17, “God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

The Cycle of Prejudice

Anyone who has ever been hurt by a member of a different ethnic or racial group is at risk for developing an attitude of prejudice against all members of that group. Somehow age-old biases tend to be powerfully reinforced by even the slightest offenses. The incident between Israel and Edom (Num. 20:14–21) is a good illustration.

The king of Edom refused to open the King's Highway to Moses and his people. In all likelihood, this hostile act grew out of an attitude of prejudice whose roots could be traced back hundreds of years to two brothers: Jacob, the ancestor of Israel, and Esau, the ancestor of the Edomites. Jacob obtained Esau's birthright and cheated him out of their father's blessing (Gen. 27:36). Esau swore he would get even (Gen. 27:41–42).

Years later the brothers were reconciled (Gen. 33:4, 10–11). Yet Esau had married Canaanite wives (Gen. 36:1–8), and the Bible does not mention his descendants, the Edomites, again until this incident in Numbers 20. But apparently those descendants never forgot the wrongs that Jacob had committed against their ancestor. Now, with the Israelites struggling to make their way across the desert, the king of Edom perhaps saw an opportunity for “payback.”

In turning down Moses' request, Edom made life much more difficult for the Hebrews. The incident with the fiery serpents (Num. 21:4–9) would likely never have occurred apart from Edom's discourtesy. But the worst result of the Edomites' act was that it perpetuated hostility between the two ethnic groups. Even though God explicitly commanded His people not to “abhor” an Edomite (Deut. 23:7–8), the people and their descendants nursed their feelings of hurt.

The attitude of prejudice boiled over many years later when Saul began harassing the Edomites (1 Sam. 14:47). David, during his reign, slaughtered thousands of them (2 Sam. 8:13–14, according to some manuscripts) and turned their land into a military possession. David's general Joab then carried out a campaign of genocide (1 Kin. 11:15–16).

The cycle of hate went on and on for centuries. Even the baby Jesus felt its impact: King Herod, who ordered the slaughter of infants at Bethlehem (Matt. 2:16–18), was descended from the Edomites.

Ethnic conflicts can have long-term consequences. The question that every believer of whatever race or ethnic group needs to ask is: How can I as a follower of Christ help to break the cycle of prejudice? If I've been offended or attacked by someone of another race or nationality, what can I do to keep from amplifying my pain into general mistrust and hatred of the other group? Can I resist creating stereotypes and instead reach out in love to seek a better understanding?

For more on this topic, see ENEMIES, “Love My Enemies?”; “Upside-Down Values”.