I wanted to post some notes from the 2007-08 Confirmation Class and their study of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount.
I. Matthew 5:21-26
In these passages, Jesus interprets the commandment "Thou Shalt Not Kill" (Exodus 20:13: Deuteronomy 5:17) in a new way. He suggests that to "kill" someone is not limited to physically taking their life. We can "kill" them, Jesus says, with our nasty words and negative thoughts. We diminish their humanity. We can kill relationships. Jesus emphasizes that reconciliation with God and reconciliation with each other are linked together (Matthew 5:23-25). We have a God-given bond with each other that we need to honor covenantally.
II. Matthew 5:38-42
Jesus says that disciples do not practice "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth (Matthew 5:38-39); --We do not respond to evil with evil
-- We do not compound a wrong
-- We are urged to pay attention to the "simple, underlying signs" to be sensitive.
This study gave us an opportunity to gain some further insight into Jesus' teaching.
(a) When Jesus says, "Do not resist the evildoer," the word, antistenai, really means "do not respond in kind." Jesus then gives three examples:
(1) "Turn the other cheek." If someone were to slap you (their right hand to your left cheek), to "turn the other cheek" would be to expose your right cheek. They could only hit you with their left hand (impermissible in their religious culture) or their backhand (an insult that brought shame to the person doing it).
(2) "If anyone wants to sue you to take your coat, give them your cloak as well." In a society populated by many poor people, there was need to borrow from the wealthy. The wealthy often lent money at exorbitant rates, and when a person could not repay the loan the lender was legally able to sue for the person's garment as payment (the shirt off your back). Jesus says, essentially, if someone does that, give them your underwear as well! Your nakedness will bring shame to them!
(3) "Go the second mile." The occupying Roman Army conscripted civilians to carry burdens, do work, etc. You could be grabbed by a soldier and forced to carry his pack. But regulations said that they could only force you to carry it for a mile. Jesus says, "Carry it another." We have the image of a citizen continuing to carry the pack while the Roman soldier is begging for it back!
In each case, Jesus urges:
(a) meeting violent power with asserive nonviolence
(b) acting in a way that exposes how wrong the original violent action (striking another, exploiting the poor, forced labor) really is.
(c) acting with a deep sense of personal dignity and faith in God.
FJ 101 participants: Can you think of some concrete ways that we can practice such lessons, and learn them by heart, in the life of the church? BE SPECIFIC.
That's enough for one post! More later.
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2 comments:
I have come to try and aviod falling in to a pattern of aggression and frustraion. When a conflict arises and the conversation takes a turn towards anger, I have practiced hard to stop, think, breath and then proceed in a better controlled, manner, w/ my thoughts coming from my heart and not out of impulse. There are still times I tend to get swept up in the moment, but as I practice more and more, these moments tend to be brief and when I change how I reponse and act, I find that the other person or others in the conversation can not continue with anger and rage and the conversation or event takes a turn and the communication is improved. It takes work to stop acting out of impulse and act from your heart or more like my soul. But the reward is not only improved communication but a sense of peace and wholeness within my spirit.
I agree with Gail, and it works in any situation, not just potential arguments.
I've learned over the years that sometimes it's best to just keep my mouth shut. It's not an easy thing to do, as I have very important things to say. And my point of view is the best, and more importantly, the right way, to do anything. That's what I think when I don't consider the other person in any relationship: home, work, friend or family.
But if I stop for even one second before reacting, I give myself the opportunity to think about what I'm going to say before I say it. In that brief time, I can turn an angry retort into a measured response. A selfish want into a considerate plea.
Practicing this, and I DO mean practice, shows respect and consideration for others and changes the course of any conversation for the better.
So when someone says something inflammatory or hurtful, or just doesn't agree with my point of view, sometimes, I try not to take the bait. I try to stop, for the briefest of moments, and keep my mouth shut before speaking.
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