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“Holiness is thus not so much an abstract or a mystic idea, as a regulative principle in the everyday lives of men and women. ... Holiness is thus attained not by flight from the world, nor by monk-like renunciation of human relationships of family or station, but by the spirit in which we fulfill the obligations of life in its simplest and commonest details: in this way—by doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with our God—is everyday life transfigured.”
— J. H. Hertz, Leviticus
“The Golden Rule is a ‘call to creativity.’ Far from being a wooden rule to look back and ‘do to others what others have done to you,’ which would be counsel to reciprocate proportionally, it is counsel to look forward and to anticipate what others would like done and so be initiatory. And Jesus’ command to act in this creative way applies not only to disciples’ relations with other disciples, but with all human beings, as the use of the word ‘people’ rather than ‘brothers’ or even ‘neighbors’ indicates.”
— Bruner, Matthew, A Commentary
“Nine Ascending steps of loving one’s enemy: 1.) take no evil initiative; 2.) do not avenge another’s evil; 3.) Be quiet; 4.) suffer wrongfully; 5.) surrender to the evil doer more than he demands; 6.) do not hate the evil doer; 7.) Love him; 8.) Do him good; 9.) Entreat God on his behalf.”
—John Chrysostom, 5th Century Church Father
“The aim of Christian ethics is not Stoic self-sufficiency, which requires proper knowledge; rather its aim is the benefit and advantage of a sister or a brother.”
— Gordon Fee, Commentary on First Corinthians
“You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.”
—Leviticus 19:18
“My entire hope is exclusively in your very great mercy. Grant what you command, and command what you will.”
—Augustine of Hippo, Confessions X.29
“Very early in the morning on the first day of the week, before anyone had done a stroke of work or acquired a jot of merit, he rose from the sepulchre, bringing new life to his disciples. What then began had nothing to do with last week's work or last week's sins; they all seemed centuries away. The old world for Christ's disciples had ended in calamity, had gone down into a gulf of darkness; the earth had crumbled under their feet, they had nothing to stand upon. But here was something as new as the creation of the world where no world was; new life straight from the hands of the only living God.”
—Austin Farrer