Thoughts going in, Sunday Feb 20th

38 "You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. 43 "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Continuing with Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount....

The topic now is that of RETRIBUTION....REVENGE....COMEUPPANCE.
To begin, it might be helpful to understand where the concept of “eye for eye” came from. From the OT book of Exodus, chapter 21 we read:

23 But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.

The setting was the very loosely amalgamated tribes of Israel during their nomadic/wandering days. During this time “the law,” as such was enforced as a matter of multi-clan agreement. Clan loyalties ran high and superseded everything else. Because of this, it is very easy to imagine scenarios where disputes could get out of hand and easily degenerate into blood feuds—a veritable ancient “Hatfields & McCoys” type scenario. The point of Exodus 21 was to put CONSTRAINTS on retribution—and everyone agreed to these constraints. Hence, if in a fight person A blinded person B, person A would or should never have to worry about person B’s family seeking him out and killing him. This is a very early example of the maxim that “the punishment should fit the crime.” Ideally, then, given the proper implementation of Exodus 21, wholeness and balance are restored to the community. Justice in the matter of these personal wrongs is done.

And then Jesus comes along.
And in a few brief sentences, Jesus tells his disciples that they don’t need to practice Exodus 21 anymore in order to have wholeness and balance in the NEW COMMUNITY that Jesus is establishing.

Now, at first it sure looks like what Jesus is counseling is that his followers should just be the world’s doormats. “Just let everyone walk all over you” is how it appears at first glance. But this is where we need to keep two things in mind: FIRST, Christ’s examples here have to do with personal insults and quarrels, not with criminal acts. The way one commentator puts it: “Christ is here not counseling a soft HEAD, but a soft heart….the slap in the face mentioned in vs 39 is intended as an affront, not a felonious assault. These counsels contain no prohibition against calling the police for being assaulted, only against harboring hatred in the heart as a result of it.”

SECOND, in the words of NT Wright, we need to remember that the sermon on the mount—this section included—is not “good advice,” but “good news!” In other words, WHO is it that ultimately turns the other cheek? WHO is it that ultimately has given both his shirt and coat off his back? WHO is it that ultimately has walked with us not just one mile or two, but every mile? Of course, the answer to all of those questions and more is Jesus our Savior! This passage, as well as all of the rest of the sermon on the mount is DESCRIPTIVE of the Christ-shaped life led by Jesus………FOR US.

Cheers,

TM