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Exodus 23:8

Take no bribes, for a bribe makes you ignore something that you clearly see. A bribe makes even a righteous person twist the truth.

I had never really thought about bribes until I spent two years living in India. There, we spoke about bribes on a regular basis. Soon after I arrived there, a servant girl was murdered near where we lived. Her body was found at the bottom of a well. I was very alarmed by this, as you can imagine, and was relieved when my Indian host told me that the murderer had been found. I asked what would happen to the murderer and my host explained straightforwardly that nothing would happen because he had bribed the police. I was deeply shocked.

Bribery takes place in many countries on a regular basis. In India, it was well known that the only way to get a delivery of full gas canisters was to bribe the delivery driver. Bribery was just a normal part of life, so this led to endless conversations as to how Christians should respond. Some Christians, including my wonderful host, were very clear that they would never bribe anyone. But many others acknowledged that it was an inevitable part of living in a poor society and that they would pay whatever it took to get the goods and services they needed. The people of Israel were clearly very familiar with this whole issue and knew the power of bribes to make even really good people twist the truth.

Bribery may not be a big problem in our lives, but we all live with the challenge of making wise, ethical decisions day by day. Whether it’s paying tradesmen in cash to help them avoid paying tax or making inflated insurance claims, we all live with the temptation to bend the truth. God calls us to be truthful and just, whatever the situation and however great the temptation.

Question

How would you respond if bribes were a regular expectation in our society?

Prayer

Lord God, help me to act in a way that will honour You, however great the pressures. Amen

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Today’s readings come from Psalm 55:1-11, John 3:1-21, Joshua 21:20-22:34

Exodus 23:5

If you see that the donkey of someone who hates you has collapsed under its load, do not walk by. Instead, stop and help.

These laws make fascinating reading. Here, the people are told that they have a responsibility to other people, whoever they are. If you see the donkey of your enemy struggling, the immediate ungodly response would be to say of the owner: “Serves him right. Just what he deserves.” But God declares that our responsibility is to give practical support to other people, whether they are our close friends or enemies.

This law reminds us of the words of Jesus, who went even further. We are not merely to be caring towards our neighbours – we have a responsibility to love them. This command, more than any other, shows that Jesus was turning normal human thinking upside down. Jesus seemed to take it for granted that His followers would have enemies, just as He Himself had throughout His ministry. There is no way of avoiding that, but the person who walks in Jesus’ steps has a completely different way of approaching enemies. The love that we have for our enemies might have no impact on them at all, but there is a possibility that it will bring healing and restoration, so we must keep on loving. However hideous the actions of our enemies, they are loved by God, and we need to model our lives on Him.

Following God is never easy. The demands of the Old Testament law were tough, but Jesus made them even tougher. It is crystal clear that we cannot obey any of them in our own strength. We are totally dependent on God’s power to enable us to live in His way. Let’s seek His Holy Spirit’s strength today as we live for Him, and look for creative ways of bringing His love to the people around us, whoever they are.

Question

In what way are you challenged by Jesus’ command to love your enemies?

Prayer

Lord God, help me to be loving towards everyone today, whoever they are. Amen

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