“HATRED IS THE MADNESS OF THE HEART”
Lord (George Gordon) Byron Long before Lord Byron said this God stated it, as recorded in the Bible, “You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him” (Lev. 19:17). Surely our hearts and prayers go out to the families of those slain in Charleston, SC. Whether it be Charleston, Sandy Hook, Aurora or Columbine, it is tragic that others have allowed hatred to invade their heart so that they desire to take the lives of others.
In recent years these have come to be known as “Hate Crimes”. The definition of hate is, “to feel intense or passionate dislike for (someone).” The definition of “Hate Crime” is, “Crime motivated by racial, sexual or other prejudice.” I have no problem with that designation other than the fact that murder of any kind is a hate crime. Cain killed his brother Abel (Gen. 4). Abel was a righteous man (Mt. 23:35). Hate is a motivator. It motivates people to kill.
You can hate and never pull a trigger. You don’t even have to own a gun to be a murderer. “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him” (1 John 3:15). Marriages have been dissolved because of hate. Churches have been split because of hate. Families have been torn asunder because of hate. Some of the most hateful things have been uttered by brethren.
Take a look at what hate does.
“Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins” (Prov. 10:12).
The book of first John has much to say about hatred and brethren. “He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now” (1 John 2:9).
“But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes” (1 John 2:11).
“If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen” (1 John 4:20).
We are reminded that, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he…:” (Prov. 23:7) and “…For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” (Mt. 12:34).
It is also out of the abundance of the heart that a person acts.
Therefore, “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God” ( 1 John 4:7)
LARRY