“You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.
A similar version appears in the Book of Leviticus, "Anyone who inflicts a permanent injury on his or her neighbor shall receive the same in return: fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. The same injury that one gives another shall be inflicted in return. Whoever takes the life of an animal shall make restitution, but whoever takes a human life shall be put to death.
The principle is crude. Injuries are never equal; they occur to different persons at different times and under different circumstances. In this case the action may be an unfortunate result of two men fighting, and perhaps accidental; while the reaction is deliberate. A regular court of law, governed by principles of the community and engaging many people, customs, laws, and practices, with argumentative lawyers on all sides, could never agree on the vague principle of equality and how the correspondent violence should be administered. Nor is there evidence in the Bible that the law was ever applied. It was the kind of principle parents might use to govern their toddlers, or a way to settle differences between neighbors.
As I think of this I am reminded of a comical scene I saw in a recent movie where two aging, beer drinking buddies have a quarrel and agree to settle their difference with fisticuffs. But "Let me take my glasses off;" and "No biting;" and "Don't hit my face because I've got to go to a wedding tomorrow;" and so forth.
In any case the Bible offers an obverse principle, "Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you."
Today's teaching leads us to the ultimate command of the Sermon on the Mount, "Do to others as you would have them do to you." That is just as challenging as today's "...offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one to him as well."
Who can meet violence with such docility? "For man it is impossible but not for God." We can accept hostile attitudes from others, and suffer their violence, only when our thoughts, actions, reactions, words, and deeds are governed by the very same Spirit which guided the Lord. We must be travelling with him to Calvary.
When the Lord's words are fulfilled: “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him."
We are, in effect, becoming God. The death of Baptism and the communion of Eucharist lead us into the living presence of the Holy Trinity. I often think of Mary's intensely personal knowledge of God. She was the daughter of the Father, Mother of the Lord, and Spouse of the Holy Spirit. All three relations are physical, involving the whole person with no place for reservations or private secrecy. Totus tuus! I am totally yours.
Such is our destiny in love and gratitude to the Lord.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.