Inclined Plane

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We're all inclined towards certain behavior.
I know I am likely to play Solitaire on my computer more than, say... build a house for Habitat for Humanity.
Or more likely to eat an entire bag of Twizzlers than fold all the clean laundry.
That's just my natural inclination.
And I know that.

Well, guess what-- the Bible knows it, too!

"If thou meet thine enemy’s ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again"
-- Ex. 23:4

The next verse elaborates, if you the animal of "him that hateth thee" struggling under a heavy burden of some kind "and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help..."

Not only must you help the animal, you must do it BECAUSE you're inclined NOT to.

There is an old rabbinic teaching-- If you see your friend needs help AND your enemy needs help, you should help your enemy FIRST.

Why?

Because it goes against our natural inclination, and our goal in life should be to be good people, even when we don't WANT to be.

That's why the Bible doesn't say, "Thou shalt eat pizza and Ben & Jerry's"-- or
"Be usre thou watchest DVDs and love Tom Hanks and hate Paris Hilton."
These are our natural inclinations, we don't need to be TOLD to do this stuff. We'll do it anyway.
But to help our enemy's animal? We need to be told.


Another example:
"If a man have two wives, one beloved, and another hated," and they both have sons, but the hated wife's son is older, then the man "may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated;... he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn" (Deut. 21:15-17)

See, the Bible KNOWS that a fellow would be inclined to favor his beloved wife's son as the eldest and deserving of the inheritance, but the Bible says NOPE! Fair is fair. Loved or hated, the eldest son is the eldest son.


"Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart" (Leviticus 19:17)

Wow-- that is not easy... anyone who's ever driven through Jerusalem or traveled on New York City Mass Transit knows what a challenge that can be.
But that's the rub! Anyone can be nice to his/her friends... that's not an accomplishment! Like beating a toddler at Connect Four... big deal.
But to smile and be polite to someone you detest! Or to best a toddler at pants-pooping competition. Now THAT is something to be proud of.

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there's no need.