38 “You have heard that it was
said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’39 But
I say to you: Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right
cheek, turn the other also, 40 and if anyone wants
to sue you and take your shirt, give your coat as well, 41 and
if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. 42 Give
to the one who asks of you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from
you. Matthew 5:38-42
I imagine this was a point
in the Sermon on the Mount when the disciples started squirming. Remember, Jesus and his friends lived in a
time of Roman occupation and oppression.
Rome did not just operate on an eye-for-an-eye justice scale. They operated on a mob-like mentality of
cruel crosses for all/any would-be rebel rousers and zealots. Any talk of revolution, any claim to
authority that didn’t bow to Caesar and kiss his ring, any hint of
dissatisfaction and there was a cross waiting for you. To be crystal clear, crucifixion was a Roman
punishment that went beyond eye-for-an-eye.
They lived in a world of violence begetting more violence. We live in a world that is fed and fueled by
revenge ~ a dish best served with cruel calculated coldness. We live in a world of one-ups-men-ship. If you insult me, I will mock you with words
that are meant to be like sticks and stones.
If you cancel me, I will out you for your hypocrisy. And on and on the internet goes feeding and
faming to flames our posts endlessly.
And on and on it goes with cable ‘news’ of people shouting at each
other. And on and on it goes with a two-party
political system, with a family divided and drawing lines, with a world
hell-bent on making sure that we don’t look vulnerable. Good Lord.
I don’t know how we continue to live this way? I know when my fight or flight or freeze or
flock or fawn part of my brain is activated (which honestly right now in the
cultural air is all the time!), I don’t want to hear these words
of Jesus. I want to defend and deflect
and numb the pain (enter alcohol, Netflix, shopping, a new Zoom webinar
promising me a pathway to awesomeness, drugs, sugar, a new diet, exercise,
etc.…). Good Lord. When was the last time you answered someone’s
criticism with silence? When was the
last time you looked around at all the stuff you stuff your life with and
wondered, why? These words
of Jesus stretch us to shape that will not conform or contort to the world’s
status quo. Do we still want to practice
and participate in non-violent protests?
Remember Jesus said that the way of a God-shaped life was going to be
out-of-sync with a consumer culture thirsty for violence. These are participatory and pragmatic. How many shirts do you need? How many points on some imaginary score board
of life do you think it will take to “win”?
What do these words evoke and provoke for you? Perhaps what challenges you and makes you
very uncomfortable? We sit with this
wisdom of life today together in prayer with God who is the Artist still
shaping our souls. Amen.
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