“TOUGH LOVE” - MATTHEW 5: 38 - 48

INTRODUCTION

Today’s Gospel is a continuation of the Sermon on the Mount and the section that is called “antithesis sayings.”

These antithesis sayings contrast the old Law with Jesus’ new law and teaching.

These last two of the six antithesis sayings by Jesus are considered by scholars to be “ipsissima verba,” that is, the very same words of Jesus himself.

They express the heart (core) of Jesus’ teaching and Sermon on the Mount.

GOSPEL

Jesus said to his disciples, “You have heard the commandment, ‘An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.’ 

This ancient “Law of Retaliation” is referred to several times in the OT.

The goal of this law was to establish justice and to keep revenge within certain boundaries, so as to avoid any escalation of violence.

(In tribal days, if one member of a tribe injured a man of another tribe, then all the men of the injured man’s tribe would go after all the other tribesmen).

Therefore the Law of Retaliation established a “just proportion” between the crime and punishment, that was carried out, not by the victim, but by a judge.

“But what I say to you is: offer no resistance to injury.”

Jesus is not suggesting we should be passive in taking abuse from others.

But Jesus is implying that violence breeds violence; so try to be non-violent.

Jesus is replacing the OT ethic of retaliation, with a new way of mercy

QUOTE: Mahatma Ghandi: “If we follow the old law ‘an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,’ the whole world will soon be blind and toothless.”

Jesus gives three examples to illustrate this new way of mercy and charity:

1) “When a person strikes you on the right cheek, turn and offer him the other.”

Jesus is not saying that we should allow anyone to abuse us.

Jesus is not against self-defense; but he is against taking the offense.   

If a right-handed man is standing in front of another man and would slap him “on the right cheek” (cf. v. 39), he would use the “back of his hand.”

According to Jewish rabbinical law to hit a man with the back of the hand was twice as insulting as to hit him with the flat of the hand.

Jesus’ point is that, if a person “slaps you in the face” (literally or figuratively),

that is, insults you in the worst way, you must not retaliate, but turn away.

2) “If anyone wants to go to law over your shirt, hand him your coat as well.”

The shirt or tunic is a long cotton garment, covering whole body (alb).

The poorest of the poor would have a change of shirts or tunics.

The coat or cloak is an outer garment that was used as a Robe during the day, and a blanket at night.  Most Jewish peasants had only one cloak.       

It was a Jewish law that a man’s tunic might be taken as a pledge or credit,

but not his cloak (because he needed the cloak at night).

Jesus’ point is that a Christian should not be so concerned about his legal rights, so much as his responsibility to do what is loving and right.

3) “Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him two miles.”

Jews lived under Roman oppression and at any time a Roman soldier could press them into service to carry their military gear or baggage for one mile. (Recall Simon of Cyrene whom the soldiers pressured to carry Jesus’ cross) 

Jesus’ point is that instead of resisting and resenting this servile imposition, consider doing it and even doubling it, so as to freely choose to serve.

“Give to the one who begs from you. Do not turn your back on the borrower.”

A person could go broke if they took this literally, and not really help anyone.  Jesus is simply saying, be generous.

Sixth and Final Antithesis Saying:

“You have heard the commandment, ‘You shall love your countryman but hate your enemy.”

The commandment “Love your neighbor” appears in Leviticus 19:18, but

“neighbor” referred only to fellow Israelite.  It was a law of “limited love.”

There is no OT commandment to hate one’s enemies, but evidently that was a popular saying and belief in Jesus’ time.

(Qumran community: “Love children of light, but hate children of darkness.”)

“My command to you is: love your enemies, pray for your persecutors.”

Jesus’ teaching of unconditional love is the heart of Sermon on the Mount.

Not only should we not hate or retaliate against an enemy, we should love them.

Remember that the feeling of hatred is not wrong in itself, in fact, it is normal.

But any action or reaction (retaliation) that is hateful, is wrong and sinful.

Example: A victim of abuse hates what happened, and feels hatred for the abuser.

In fact, expressing the hateful feeling can be a necessary part of the healing process.

How do we love our enemy who has hurt us?  Love is a decision!

Jesus stated in this same sentence, “Pray for your persecutors.”

“This will prove that you are sons [and daughters] of your heavenly Father, for just as his sun rises on the bad and the good, he rains on the just and the unjust.”

In other words we should love indiscriminately, just as God loves all people.

Again, Jesus follows up on his teaching with a number of examples...

“If you love those who love you, what merit is there in that?  Do not the tax collectors do as much?  And if you greet your brothers [& sisters] only, what is so praiseworthy about that?  Do not pagans do as much?”

Tax collectors and Gentiles were considered the most disreputable people in Israel.  Jesus’ point is no matter who a person is, or how they treat us, we must love everyone.  (To love them, does not mean we must like them).

“In a word, you must be perfected as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

The perfection of God is simply and purely to love everybody unconditionally.

REFLECTION

ASK: How do we take these ideals and apply them to real life problems?

How do we apply tough love tactics to tough issues and tough people?

SUGGEST: Jesus is saying, even in tough situations, show “tough love.”

PROBLEM: It is tough to know, how to show “tough love” sometimes.            

The Sermon on Mount may not be a realistic “National Security Policy.”

Nevertheless, we cannot dismiss Jesus’ teaching as simply being idealistic.