This week it
was tempting to choose a different reading J
We have been
reading through chapter 5 of Matthew’s gospel for a few weeks, Jesus is teaching
the disciples, and we have heard and thought about: the beatitudes, the exhortation
to be salt and light, then a series of “You have heard that it was said, …
But I say to you …”
And this week,
If anyone
strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other; if anyone sues you for your
coat, give them your shirt; if a soldier orders you to carry his pack one mile,
take it two miles.
This seems
crazy.
Let’s take
a closer look at this.
If someone
hits you on the right cheek, with their right hand, they are trying to put you
down, humiliate you. it is very difficult for them to hit your left cheek with their
right hand, without it being a fist, and a fist would make you an equal.
The only
people who would be sued for a coat were the very poor. Here again, this saying
of Jesus is about showing up society for what it is. If you are suing someone for
their coat, they don’t have anything else to give. The idea of giving them all
your clothes, is that then you would be naked; and in this culture it was the
one who caused you to be naked who was shamed.
The people
of Israel were under foreign occupation. A soldier could demand that you carry
his pack for one mile, this allowed for heavy packs to be carried, but it was
only one mile, so the people would do it, rather than arguing with the
soldiers. But what would happen if you did more than was asked?
Jesus is “ starting a revolution by calling the rules of this world into question and, at the very same time, redeeming this world that will put him to death.” [i]
Jesus was
talking to the victims of oppression, the ones who were humiliated daily, the
ones who were forced to carry a soldiers pack, the one being sued for the
clothes on his back. Jesus is talking to the victims, the ones who cannot
retaliate, because that would be suicidal.[ii]
People usually
respond to threats in one of two ways: retaliate or submission. In these
examples where the power relationship was so unequal, retaliation is not an
option, so people were submissive.
But
here Jesus is saying, there is another way. Not repaying violence with violence,
not cowering in submission, but responding
without violence.
The
second part of the reading is again about not retaliating – you have probably
seen this with children: A hits B, B
hits A back, A Hits B back, and on and
on – it also happens in wars and family feuds, often long after the initial
event has been forgotten.
The
idea of an eye for an eye, was that you could not exact more from a person than
the crime they committed. It was to limit punishment to what was ‘reasonable’. Of
course it didn’t work that way, and here Jesus is saying: what does taking another’s
sight, or teeth, or life get you?
Martin
Luther King, Jr., a student of both Jesus and Ghandi, once said, “Darkness
cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate:
only love can do that.”[iii]
Anyone
watching the nightly news will know that death, injury, violence and oppression
still happen. A little over a week ago a
boy was killed by his father while at cricket practice, a terrible thing to
happen. But notice how the mother of that child spoke? She spoke of love, and
how the father loved the boy, and how he was going through a difficult time. Not
once has she blamed the man who killed their child, or the police. She has
chosen not to retaliate and condemn, when it would be easy to do so.
Then we get to the final sentence of
the reading “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is
perfect."
Not only do we turn the other cheek, not retaliate when provoked, but we
need to be perfect???
No, the word translated as perfect is telos, which can also be
translated as mature or complete. [iv]
“Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.” [v]
Revolution
(inspired by Matthew 5: 48-58, Luke 6:27-38)
The enemy:
love them
The oppressor:
walk the mile with them
The Master:
turn the other cheek to them
love them
The oppressor:
walk the mile with them
The Master:
turn the other cheek to them
This doormat faith
seems too much to bear
in a world where those who bully
always seem to win
seems too much to bear
in a world where those who bully
always seem to win
imbalance them with love
The oppressor:
shame the law that oppresses
The Master:
turn the cheek as an equal
This rebellious faith
seems too much to bear
in a world where those who bully
are loved back to justice by the bullied
seems too much to bear
in a world where those who bully
are loved back to justice by the bullied
But this is heaven’s revolution
and we are called into it
come let us worship
[by] love’s rebel, Jesus
and we are called into it
~
written by Roddy Hamilton, and posted on Mucky Paws. http://www.nkchurch.org.uk/index.php/mucky-paws
Nice job unpacking Matthew. Thanks
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