Word to the Wise
Monday, June 18, 2012 -
[1 Kings 21:1-16 and Matthew 5:38-42]"You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other one to him as well...."
In our reflection on this very well known teaching of Jesus, we need to remember that we are still seeing examples of what he means by going beyond the piety of the scribes and Pharisees. The Mosaic Law was meant to be an improvement! Earlier practices would have made no distinction between injuries or revenges! The law tried to make it even! In a society where "honor" is a supreme value, any action meant to restore "honor" was considered legitimate. The Mosaic Law tried to at least keep things in proportion! In our day, I suppose, this could mean no more than one bomb in response to another bomb! Jesus is having nothing to do with this, and his teaching is a blunt challenge to our violent society. Jesus' teaching against violence is one of the most-ignored of his message! This particular teaching against resistance and others of the same kind usually give rise to a multitude of "what if?" questions. I wonder if we would ask them of Jesus face to face? I suspect the disciples did, since they questioned others. Still, I would be worried if we are not troubled by the philosophy that allows someone to shoot first and ask questions later if there is a trespasser or housebreaker. I'm sure my Beloved Congregation can come up with legions of "what if?" questions. None of these questions can settle the matter. Jesus taught what he taught. Disciples are expected to go beyond conventional revenge and violent response. Until we start following Jesus' teachings on this issue, our world will continue to be a very violent place. AMEN
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