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"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.
"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."
- Matthew 5:38-48
We are reading through the Sermon on the Mount (which began in Monday's reading, The Beatitudes). Yesterday, we read that Jesus taught, "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. Furthermore it has been said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery. Again, you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.' But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.' For whatever is more than these is from the evil one."
"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away." An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth comes from references found in Exodus 21:24, Leviticus 24:20, and Deuteronomy 19:21. This is a law that attempts to make the punishment "fit" the crime, and to limit vengeance. Jesus takes it another step further, introducing us to an entirely new concept which is commensurate with the life of the Kingdom, even as we live our lives in this world, and with witnessing (even "martyrdom" -- martyr is the Greek word for witness), and Judgment. In contrast to the Old Testament, says my study bible, Jesus warns not to resist violence with more violence. It says, "Evil can only be overcome by good, which keeps us free from compromise with the devil and can bring our enemy under the yoke of God's love."
"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." If we look at Leviticus 19:18, we see again the theme of limitation on vengeance, meant to shore up community among the "people of God." Jesus extends this, just as He has done with the statutes earlier in the Sermon on the Mount. The question, Who is my neighbor? becomes relevant here, and will be answered in Luke's Gospel, in the story of the Good Samaritan. My study bible says that if we are freed from hate, sadness, and anger, we are able to receive the greatest virtue: perfect love. The love of enemies isn't just an emotion, but includes decision and action. Loving one's enemies, praying for those who've hurt us, doesn't preclude justice and truth and it doesn't mean covering up or embracing bad behavior: it means all things are given to God -- and that we may pray that everyone come to God's love. See also for reference Proverbs 25:21-22, as quoted by St. Paul in Romans 12:20.
"For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect." Alternative readings give us "friends" for brethren (M-Text), and "Gentiles" for tax collectors (NU-Text). (For a quick definition of these texts, see this note.) What does it mean to be perfect, just as our Father in heaven is perfect? It means we do our best to seek out and to reflect God's love and mercy. In this way we grow in the perfection of the Father.
Jesus gives us a very tall order in today's Gospel reading. But we can understand His message of love. This is not about covering up bad behavior, ignoring real threats and hostility, nor denying harm. But it is about an active exercise of love, seeking the will of the Father for all things, and finding in God's love and mercy a true guideline for everything in our lives, including all that is painful. Refraining from vengeance remains an important understanding; righteous behavior asks from us one consistent thing: to seek God's will through everything, knowing that it is not the injustice that we see in the world that is the final Judgment, but that God's Judgment must be what we seek out even in the here and the now. There's an important understanding about witnessing, and the proverb cited by St. Paul that by overcoming evil with good, one may actually be more effectively responding to an enemy. True justice, as most likely any attorney can tell us, rests in God's hands. When we seek righteousness, we seek the best life we can live in the here and now. We seek wisdom, we seek a limitation to violence and harm, and we also know and keep our eyes open to truth. As we will see by Jesus' own example, He doesn't shrink from speaking the truth to those who would suppress it or twist it, but confrontation comes at the proper moment. To be "wise as serpents and gentle as doves" will be Jesus' teaching to His disciples as they enter into their apostolic mission, and it's in keeping with today's teachings. How do we best handle conflict and violence? Jesus gives us a hint of what self-mastery means, effective truth-telling, and above all being our best reflection in the world of God the Father.
