Word to the Wise
Monday, June 16, 2008 - Monday in the Eleventh Week of Ordinary Time
[1 Kings 21:1-16 and Matthew 5:38-42]You have heard that it was said, "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth." But I say to you, offer no resistance tone who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one to him as well.
Jesus' quote comes from the Torah in Exodus 21:24. There the Mosaic Law seeks to limit revenge not require it! One may not kill to avenge an insult or minor injury. However, Jesus goes much further. He declares violence as having no place in the new covenant. Revenge is only one kind of violence, but it has a way of growing exponentially, especially in family or national feuds. The restriction in the Torah is a form of maintaining the society from destroying itself with vendetta and counter-vendetta. Perhaps a modern sample of that would be seen in the motion picture, THE GODFATHER. The popular expression, "I don't get mad, I get even..." may touch us in a sensitive way. Children are fond of saying, "He/she hit me first!" I was present at a July 4 gathering when a grandnephew of mine bit a play companion. The outraged mom of the injured child demanded that her child be permitted to bite my grandnephew in return! On a larger scale, the litigious character of American society (we sue more than any other nation on the planet) shows the extreme lengths that some folks will go to have their vengeance. They may not retaliate with physical violence, just with financial violence! All human violence, especially if intended, runs counter to Jesus' message. That this part of his message is so frequently ignored is no excuse to engage in violence against any other person. This becomes especially important when we might feel that we have the right of revenge. Revenge is not self-defense. "Getting even" is wrong. AMEN
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