658) Hatred is powerful. It can motivate, burn, rage and murder and where it is present, it affects all involved and not positively. There have been psychological studies of the effect of hating another being, but you really don’t need to read these. All you have to do is observe this in others.

In Genesis 37:12-36, Joseph’s brothers hate him so much; they begin a series of actions that change the course of all the lives of those involved and their future families as well. The brothers speak their hatred, hurt and isolate Joseph. They sell him for a little bit of money and then forge a series of lies they tell their father, hoping to cover their tracks. Yes, God uses even these horrid things for His good in Joseph’s life, but even this did not make the hurt and pain leave him and would have left a mark upon his soul. Hatred is an evil thing.

In the Sermon on the Mount, (Matthew 5-7) Jesus said that hating someone is the same as murder and we would be wise to run from it when we notice the first traces of it in our lives.