Gospel (Mt 5.38-48)
38 You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth 39 but I tell you not to resist evil: but if one strikes you the right cheek, you turn to him the other also 40 and who wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your coat. 41 And if one forces you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 DA who asks you, and those who want a loan you do not turn away.
43 You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy 44 but I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for your persecutors, 45 because you may be sons of your heavenly Father , which makes his sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. 46 if you love those who love you, what reward will do you have? Do not even the publicans? 47 E if you greet your brethren only, what are you doing than others? Do not even pagans? 48 Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.
We have listened to last Sunday's interpretation of Jesus of the four texts Tiràh of Israel. Today it is presented to the other two.
The first is the new way to get justice . We all agree that evil must be resisted and content. But how? In archaic societies where
there was a state power capable of maintaining order, recourse was easy to revenge, to retaliate without limits. The head of a wrongdoing, once discovered, was subjected to exemplary punishment to public punishment, so severe and cruel, to deter anyone from committing similar mistakes. The retaliation served as a deterrent, but it was a barbaric way of doing justice.
Lamech, the descendant of Cain, brought terror to protect themselves: "I killed a man for a scratch and a bruise for a boy. If Cain is avenged seven times, but Lamech seventy-seven times "(Genesis 4:23-24).
is to put a stop to such excesses that the Torah ruled: "An eye for eye, tooth for tooth" (Exodus 21.23-25).
This law is perhaps the most misrepresented the history of law. It cited, for example when, after receiving a rude, pays the same coin. "An eye for eye, tooth for a tooth" is the same in these cases, the refusal to be compassionate, to grant clemency to the guilty. In fact, the provision had different meaning: the so-called prohibited exemplary punishments and reprisals. Everyone had to pay for the wrong committed, not for all the evil in the world.
properly understood remains valid today and, if practiced, ensures fairness judgments. Jesus did not consider it invalid, proposes to go beyond this strict justice is invited to address the problem in other ways (vv. 38-42).
The rabbis of his time teaching, "Be killed, but not kill," but immediately adds: But if someone attacks you and wants to take your life, you do not think, do not say to yourself, maybe I will make myself guilty of his blood ; kill him before he has to kill you!
This interpretation of the rabbis did not raise objections. Was consistent with the human logic and could also find justification in the Torah .
Now here's the surprise, and does not accept Jesus tells his disciples: "You do not have resist the evil! "rather than do violence to his brother, you must be willing to suffer injustice (Mt 5:39). We are faced with unambiguous words, however, for the avoidance of doubt, adds four examples taken from everyday life of his people.
The first is the physical violence : "If someone strikes you on the right cheek ..." (v. 41).
When you receive a blow, if the attacker is not a lefty, you're hit on the left. Jesus speaks of the right because the violence is greatest: this is the manrovescio, an extremely serious offense, punishable by a fine in Israel is more than one month's salary. The disciple, Jesus is not recommended to be good, milder in claims for damages, demands a radically new behavior: "You offer also the other cheek."
"Good, yes, but not stupid" - they say. Of course, Jesus' words should not be taken literally (that would be really silly). He, too, when she received the slap, did not present the other cheek, but he protested (Jn 18:23). This requires of its followers is the inner disposition to accept injustice, to bear the humiliation, rather than reacting hurting his brother.
The only way to stop the diabolical cycle-violence offense is forgiveness. If you react to violence with more violence, not only deletes the first injustice, but there is another. This circle can be broken only with the original act, absolutely new: forgiveness. Everything else is old, it is something already seen, repeated incessantly since the beginning of humanity.
The second example is economic injustice (V.40).
In Israel, men and women wore two garments: a tunic with long sleeves or short sleeves, worn on the naked body, and a hood (mantle). In the mantle there are wrapped when it was cold and took off when she was working slavishly. The poor also served as a blanket for the night, so the Torah stated that it could not be seized (Ex 22.25 to 26).
Jesus offers an extreme case of injustice: a disciple is brought to court because they want to deprive him of his tunic. Clearly all the other goods have already been removed. What should I do? Nothing more than express its full and unconditional refusal to enter into disputes and contentions. For this yields the mantle, the last garment that remains, what might not be requisitioned as a pledge, and is willing to stay naked on the cross as his Master.
The third example is the abuse of power (v. 41).
often happened that the Roman soldiers or some local squire bulldoze the poor farmers and forces them to lead or carry loads. An example we have in the passion narrative: Simon of Cyrene is forced to carry the cross of Jesus (Mt 27.31).
The zealots, that the revolutionaries of that time, the rebellion and suggested the use of violence to oppose similar redressing injuries. Epictetus urged for caution: "If a soldier confiscates your ass, do not resist and do not complain or you will be beaten and eventually you will give him the same. " Jesus makes no consideration of this type, does not refer to the caution, the disciples simply says: "If someone forces you to do a mile, go two." Not that a rule of wisdom, does not suggest a strategy to convert the aggressor, not even sure that such behavior will yielding positive results quickly. It asks the disciple who, without doing calculations, keep the heart free from resentment and refrain from any reaction that is not dictated by love.
The fourth case is that of the importunate person who comes to borrow money (but it can also be an accommodation, an apartment in rent, a job, a special price ...) perhaps, as often happens, without a minimum of discretion.
Jesus tells the disciples: "Give to him who asks you, and do not turn away those who asks you" (v. 42). Do not pretend not to understand, not to make excuses, do not invent non-existent problems, do not try to download on the problem. If you can do something, just do it.
Nell 'last (sixth) as Jesus referred to the dual commandment "Thou shalt love thy neighbor, but hate your enemy" (vv. 43-48). In the Old Testament it is the first (Lev 19:18), but the second not. Probably Jesus does not refer to a specific text of the Torah , but the mentality that was created in Israel from biblical texts. In sacred Scripture speaks sometimes of holy war (Deut. 7.2; 20.16), appearing feelings of vengeance (Ps 137.7-9), to express their attachment to the Lord, but in a very archaic language "Do not hate, maybe, your enemies, O Lord? I hate them with perfect hatred "(Psalm 139.12-22). Expression of this hatred is the call that the Essenes of Qumran monks turned their followers: "Love all the children of light, but hate all the sons of darkness, each according to his own fault, in the vengeance of God."
There are, however, in the Bible - it should be remembered - in other texts which warned not to return evil (Proverbs 24:29) and recommends the love of the enemy: "When you see the donkey of your enemy collapse under the load not leave it to himself: Get help him with it "(Exodus 23.5). Appealing to them, some rabbis argued that the commandment: "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Lev 19:18) had to be extended to the enemy, but the common opinion the restricted to members of the Jewish people.
In this religious context, the double commandment of Jesus sounds paradoxical: "Love your enemies and pray for your persecutors. "
is the pinnacle of Christian ethics, the request is free and unconditional love that does not expect any reciprocation and that, like God, also reaches those who do evil.
Some ancient sages have proposed high moral: "Behave so as to turn your enemies into friends" (Diogenes). "That man is to love even those who beat it" (Marcus Aurelius), but the imperative Love your enemies is an invention of Jesus
The second command - pray - suggests the means to be able to practice love for "those who persecute us", for those who make life impossible prayer. It rises towards the sky, joined to the Lord, purify the mind and heart by the thoughts and feelings dictated by the logic of this world and shows the evil eyes of God, who has no enemies.
Jesus invites us to show her children, asks the disciples to let it shine through in their behavior the character of our heavenly Father "makes his sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust." The distinction between good and evil and the fight against men, carried out in the name of God, I'm swearing! Two examples
(vv. 46-47) compare the usual behavior of men with the newness of life of those who have assimilated the thoughts, feelings and deeds of the Father in heaven. The characteristic of the "sons of God" is the love offered to those who deserve it and greetings to those who behave as an enemy. The salutation was: Shalom, wish for peace and all good. With all my heart, the disciple wishes, even if you hate him, the good and forget the wrongs you committed for this to happen.
The conclusion points to the unattainable goal : "Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect" (v. 48).
The perfection of the Jew was in the exact observance of the precepts of the Torah . For the Christian is love without limit as that of the Father. Perfect is the one who wants for nothing, who is healthy, who does not have the heart divided between God and idols. The willingness to give everything, not to keep anything for himself, to devote themselves totally to the service of humanity - including the enemy - lies in the footsteps of Christ and leads to the perfection of the Father who gives everything and does not exclude anyone from his love.
Fernando Armellini (biblical scholar)
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