SIX ANTITHESES--

MATTHEW 5:21-48

Matthew 5:17-37/38-
48
 5. RETALIATION
YOU HAVE HEARD THAT
IT WAS SAID, AN EYE
FOR AN EYE AND A
TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.
BUT I SAY TO YOU DO
NOT RESIST AN EVIL
PERSON.
MOSES LAWEYE
FOR EYE, TOOTH FOR
TOOTH, LIFE FOR
LIFE.
SOME TAUGHT IT MEANT
ANY AUTHORITY WHO
STEALS FROM ME OR
OPPRESSES ME, I CAN
REBEL AGAINST. JESUS
SAID DO GOOD TO
THOSE WHO OPPRESS
YOU.
6. LOVE OF ENEMIES
YOU HAVE HEARD THAT IT
WAS SAID, YOU WILL
LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR
AND HATE YOUR ENEMY.
 BUT I SAY TO YOU, LOVE
YOUR ENEMIES AND PRAY
FOR THOSE WHO
PERSECUTE YOU SO THAT
YOU MAY BE SONS OF
YOUR FATHER WHO IS IN
HEAVEN; FOR HE CAUSES
HIS SUN TO RISE ON THE
EVIL AND THE GOOD AND
 RAIN UPON THE
RIGHTEOUS AND THE
UNRIGHTEOUS.
MOSES LAWLOVE
YOUR NEIGHBOR. DO
NOT DO GOOD TO
NATIONS WHO HAVE
HATED YOU.
 SOME TAUGHT IT
MEANTDESTROY
THOSE WHO HATE
GOD. EXPRESS
HATRED TO THOSE
WHO PERSECUTE
YOU. JESUS SAID
 DO GOOD TO YOUR
ENEMIES, FOR THAT IS
WHAT GOD CONSTANTLY
DOES.IF YOU ACT
LIKE GOD,
BY IMITATING HIS
MERCY, YOU WILL BE
REWARDED BY GOD.
 VERSE 38: AN EYE
FOR AN EYE
THIS QUOTES A
LEGAL RULE (TALION
= FROM THE LATIN,
TALIS, THE SAME)
 THE ORIGINAL
INTENTION WAS TO
LIMIT REVENGE BUT
LATER BECAME HARSH
AND COMMUTATION
TO FINES OCCURRED.
RESTITUTION
 LATER WERE
INTRODUCED.
RESTITUTION IS
RETURNING TO THE
PROPER OWNER
PROPERTY OR THE
MONETARY VALUE OF
LOSS.
 SOMETIMES
RESTITUTION IN
CRIMINAL CASES, ONE
OF THE PENALTIES
IMPOSED IS RETURN OF
STOLEN GOODS TO THE
VICTIM OR PAYMENT TO
THE VICTIM FOR HARM
CAUSED.
VERSE 39: DO NOT
RESIST EVIL
THIS IS BEST
EXEMPLIFIED BY
MAHATMA GANDHI
AND DR. MARTIN
LUTHER KING, JR.
MOHANDAS KARAMCHAND
GANDHI
WAS THE PREEMINENT LEADER
OF THE INDIAN
INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENT IN
BRITISH-RULED INDIA.
 EMPLOYING
NONVIOLENT CIVIL
DISOBEDIENCE, GANDHI
LED INDIA TO
INDEPENDENCE AND
INSPIRED MOVEMENTS
FOR CIVIL RIGHTS AND
FREEDOM ACROSS THE
WORLD.
 THE
HONORIFIC
MAHATMA
MEANS "HIGH-
SOULED",
"VENERABLE"
 GANDHI, COINED THE
WORD AHIMSA THE
HINDI WORD FOR NON-
INJURY, OR
NONVIOLENCE MADE
POPULAR BY GANDHI AS
THE CENTRAL VALUE OF
HIS BELIEFS AND
LEADERSHIP AND
 SATYAGRAHA
TRANSLATED AS
"INSISTENCE ON TRUTH"
(SATYA "TRUTH";
AGRAHA "INSISTENCE"
OR "HOLDING FIRMLY
TO") OR HOLDING
ONTO TRUTH OR
 IS A PARTICULAR
FORM OF
NONVIOLENT
RESISTANCE OR CIVIL
RESISTANCE
EMPHASIZE THE
POWER OF LOVE IN A
SOCIAL STRUGGLE.
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
WAS AN AMERICAN
BAPTIST MINISTER AND
ACTIVIST WHO WAS A
LEADER IN THE CIVIL
RIGHTS MOVEMENT.
 HE IS BEST KNOWN
FOR HIS ROLE IN THE
ADVANCEMENT OF
CIVIL RIGHTS USING
NONVIOLENT CIVIL
DISOBEDIENCE BASED
ON HIS CHRISTIAN
BELIEFS.
KING ALSO HELPED TO
ORGANIZE THE 1963
MARCH ON
WASHINGTON, WHERE
HE DELIVERED HIS
FAMOUS "I HAVE A
DREAM" SPEECH.
 ON OCTOBER 14,
1964, KING RECEIVED
THE NOBEL PEACE
PRIZE FOR
COMBATING RACIAL
INEQUALITY THROUGH
NONVIOLENT
RESISTANCE.
 IN 1968, KING WAS
PLANNING A NATIONAL
OCCUPATION OF
WASHINGTON, D.C., TO BE
CALLED THE POOR
PEOPLE'S CAMPAIGN,
WHEN HE WAS
ASSASSINATED ON APRIL 4
IN MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.
VERSE 39 - 41: TURN
THE OTHER ONE TO
HIM AS WELL, HAND
HIM YOUR CLOAK AS
WELL, GO WITH HIM
FOR TWO MILES.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO SHOW
THAT JESUS TEACHING IS A
RECIPE FOR WINNING AND
NOT FOR PASSIVE
RESIGNATION OR
INDIFFERENCE TO EVIL THE
WHOLE IDEA IS TO SHAME
THE OPPONENT INTO A
CHANGE OF HEART.
 STRIKING THE OTHER
CHEEK WITH THE BACK
OF THE HAND IS
DISHONORING.
 CLOAK: AN OUTDOOR
OVERGARMENT, TYPICALLY
SLEEVELESS, THAT HANGS
LOOSELY FROM THE
SHOULDERS.
CAPE, PONCHO, SHAWL,
MANTLE JEWISH LAW
HAS IT THAT AT
SUNDOWN, WHEN THE
ONE PERSON HOLDING
THE CLOAK DO NOT
RETURN IT, HE OR SHE
SINS GRAVELY BEFORE
GOD.
 GO TWO MILES: JEWISH
PEOPLE WHO WERE MADE
CAPTIVES BY THE ROMANS
ARE TO CARRY THE LOAD BUT
BEYOND A MILE, THE LAW
SAYS THAT THEY WILL HAVE
TO BE PAID.
VERSE 44: BUT I SAY
TO YOU, LOVE YOUR
ENEMIES, AND PRAY
FOR THOSE WHO
PERSECUTE YOU.
THIS IS NOT A HOPELESS
IDEALISM BUT A WISE
STRATEGY FOR
OVERCOMING THE
PERSECUTOR. THE
HEROIC STANCE OF THE
MARTYRS GIVE THE
PERSECUTORS A BAD
IMAGE.
CHRISTIANITY IS NOT
INTROVERTED
AGGRESSION BUT
TRANSMUTED INTO A
STRATEGY FOR
WINNING THROUGH
THE WISDOM OF
 JESUS EXTENDS THE
LOVE COMMANDMENT
TO THE ENEMY AND THE
PERSECUTOR. HIS
DISCIPLES, AS CHILDREN
OF GOD, MUST IMITATE
THE EXAMPLE OF THEIR
FATHER, WHO GRANTS
 HIS GIFTS OF SUN AND
RAIN TO BOTH THE
GOOD AND THE BAD.
JESUS DISCIPLES MUST
NOT BE CONTENT
WITH MERELY USUAL
STANDARDS OF
CONDUCT.
WHEN WE ARE ENSUED TO
BE PERFECT, IN THE
GOSPELS THIS WORD
OCCURS ONLY IN
MATTHEW, HERE AND IN
MT 19:21. THE LUCAN
PARALLEL (LK 6:36)
DEMANDS THAT THE/
WE, HIS DISCIPLES BE
MERCIFUL.