Matthew 5 to the End

Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion
Matthew 26:14—27:66
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/032926.cfm

Jesus lived by his principles to the end. We often look at Jesus’s death as being necessary for the forgiveness of our sins and the redemption of the world, but Jesus makes it very clear in Matthew 5, that we are not to be retaliatory because God is not retaliatory. Sin is not a remedy for sin. If you should not murder, why would God make it necessary for salvation? The Father did not need the son’s blood. 

In Matthew 5:38-48 Jesus expresses how extreme his approach was to those who sinned against him and that he was calling us to the same:

“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. When someone strikes you on [your] right cheek, turn the other one to him as well. If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow. 

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Our traditions tend to look past these passages as hyperbole, but what if they are not? We have Thomas Aquinas with his just war theory in the Suma Theologica where he defines that a war is just if it’s done by a legitimate authority, for a righteous cause, and with righteous intent. Jesus clearly speaks contradictory to this. Within this gospel where is there room for this?

Jesus lived by these passages to the end. He did not offer resistance, he turned the other cheek, and he loved his enemy as himself. He let the sun rise and fall on the bad and the good and the rain on the just and unjust. Jesus may have anticipated redemption from God on the cross, thus, he says, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me.” But, God’s redemption transcends one’s death. Jesus’s death and resurrection speaks of the commitment and truth of his words. Why do you think the first followers took a non-violent stance and accepted their own martyrdom? They seemed to get the message, so why don’t we today?

Jesus died for his principles, and in dying for his principles, he died for all of us, enemy and friend alike. Like the sun and the rain, he died for the just and unjust, the good and the bad. He died for and because of us. His death is to teach us to live by his teachings and principles regardless of the outcome. It is the right thing and the true bringer of the kingdom. Violence begets more violence. Like Jesus, we need to be the exception that truly drives change.

Leo Tolstoy believed in the message and wrote the book, “The Kingdom of God is Within You”, about it.  Mahatma Gandhi read that book and was inspired to non-violently protest against the British Empire. As a Hindu, Gandhi was inspired by the message and example of Jesus as understood by Tolstoy. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. learned that this book influenced Gandhi, so he read it and was inspired to his non-violent approach to advocate for civil rights. Jesus, Gandhi, and Dr. King left lasting impressions that inspired great change in the world. I would argue that these three people were bringers of the Kingdom of God. Jesus is calling us to do the same. Jesus not only told us what to do, he shared and gave his life as an example for us to do the same. So, let’s do the same.