Hi everyone. Welcome back to our podcast and we're taking a look at the Gospel reading from today's mess and then we're going to try and provide an exegesis of the literal sense of the text. So today's passage is from Matthew chapter 5, verse 38 to 48. So let's jump into it. Jesus said to his disciples. You have learned how it was said, an eye for eye and tooth for tooth. But I say this to you offer the
wicked man. No resistance on the contrary if anyone hits you on the right cheek offer him the other as well. If a man takes you to law and would have your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone orders you to go one mile, go two miles with him. Give to anyone who asks and if anyone wants to borrow, do not turn away. You have learned how it was said. You must love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say this to you love your
enemies and pray. For those who persecute you, in this way, you will be sons of your father in Heaven for. He causes his sun to rise on bad men, as well as good and his rain to fall on honest and dishonest men alike. For if you love those who love you, what, right? Have you to claim any credit even the tax collectors do as much do they not? And if you save your greetings for your brothers. Are you doing anything exceptional? Even the pagans do as much, do
they not? You must therefore be perfect. Just as your heavenly father is perfect. So that's our reading for today. Quite well-known. Passage from The Sermon on the Mount, and quite a difficult one, in a lot of ways. So, there's a lot that could be said about this passage and what I'm doing here. There's the probably be some aspects of it that I don't cover because I think in The Sermon on the Mount Jesus is actually
doing multiple things at once. He's trying to contrast the Pharisees with, you know, the Pharisees righteousness with true righteousness. He's trying to set up a new way of living in his kingdom. He's trying. Provide practical advice for living and there's a whole lot of things going on in here and so I think it's well worth reading a full commentary on the entire Sermon on the Mount if he
can. But let's jump into it and do our best to pick up on some features of the text that are often not considered So it's The Sermon on the Mount is what we're in, which goes from Matthew 5 to 7 where Jesus gives a series of. It's almost a series of topics a series of speeches where he's kind of presented as the new Moses, giving the new law on a mountain just as Moses gave the Old Law on a mountain. And that's certainly how Matthew
wants to present him. So he's giving the final authoritative interpretation of what God's law should look like in his kingdom. Now, before this Jesus is actually already listed quite a few. You have heard that it was said, but I say to you statements And so, Jesus basic idea with this part of it, is that the Jews at this time? Had they knew their external requirements of the law really? Well, they were very good.
The Pharisees and most of the Jews were really good at fulfilling their external requirements of the law, but now Jesus says, you need to go beyond that. There's an internal transformation. That is the real intent of each of the laws. So he's just given a few of those in the previous passages. He's been talking about You know, if you look at a woman lustfully, you've committed adultery in her in your heart
and now he gets to this bit. Here you have learned that it was said an eye for an eye Etc. Now, with each of the things is about to list, it's important that we understand this, he's not saying the law that they have heard and received is wrong, he is not saying that. So he's not saying an eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth is wrong per se. He's not saying that, but he is saying this, the way you've heard it taut, it is only a partial fulfillment of the law.
There is a much deeper and more meaningful way of doing God's will in relation to this law. So God had given the Israelites laws and those laws did apply and they were true laws. However, the reality is God gave them the Israelites, some laws that were only partially corresponding to the way, God wants things to work, and it was only when Jesus came along that he revealed God's full intention of things.
So yes, the law. Oh, was did apply in the Old Testament and it was God's will for his people at that time. But there were some aspects of God that were not fully revealed in his will is fully revealed in Jesus, in the New Covenant. So, now, Jesus is saying you have heard that it was said, and then he gives the old boar and now he says, but this is the true new law that we now need to Aspire to.
So the time has come for God to more fully reveal himself and his more truer intentions through Jesus. So fulfilling the external requirements is necessary. So when it says, things like you have heard. It said that you shall not commit adultery. Yes, that's a basic minimum. You cannot commit adultery. Jesus is saying You must fulfill these externals. So he's not canceling out the externals in favor for internals, but he is saying, you need to go beyond the externals
and do the internals as well. And he actually says that explicitly elsewhere in Matthew. He says, you should have done the externals without neglecting electing the internals as well. So verse 38, the first example he says is you have learnt. Let's stop for a minute and actually analyze the phrase. You have learnt. It was said, when Jesus says you have learnt, you have heard that it was said, or you have learned how it with said, He's talking about how the Pharisees and the
rabbis. Had taught the Jews. People had taught the Jews God's laws according to their interpretation. So the Pharisees in the rabbi's would do their best. To impart the truth of God's law, but it was really just the rep Pharisees in the rabbi's
interpretation. So sometimes they would just the Pharisees were present, it directly as it is, for example, you shall not commit adultery that tradition was handed down directly to the Jews. But then other things as will see, the Pharisees said, kind of changed a little bit and then handed it on to the Jews. The Pharisees laws were binding, so the Jews were required to follow the Pharisees, but now Jesus is giving a more Fuller You could say more correct
interpretation. The better corresponds to God's God's will. So, Jesus gives the first example, you have heard learned how it was said, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. So this is this law comes from Exodus 21:24 and it's in other places in the Torah as well. In this is often known as The Lex talionis law in Latin, an eye for an eye, and tooth for a tooth, The Lex talionis. So, what's going on in this law? Why would God say an eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth in context?
The Lex talionis law was Even to ensure that they didn't flicked more punishment than was required. So it actually sets the maximum boundaries, there would be appropriate for punishment, so it's making sure that retribution is proportional. So at that time, it is reluctant in Israel's history in Exodus God said, okay, well, the Israelites naturally going to want revenge when things happen to them. That's not ideal because I'd prefer that they didn't take revenge at all.
However, what I will do for now. If we can imagine God thinking what? I'll do for now is put this law in place which at least minimizes the amount of Revenge that people can do. So for example, an eye for an eye is supposed to mean that if someone puts your eye, the maximum you can do is put out there. I you can't go and kill all their relatives. They can't have this Mafia mentality. The maximum you can do is Revenge equal to the thing that was done to you. So that was the original Law.
It sets maximum proportional boundaries. So apparently, the Jews at the time of users were applying this law pretty commonly. They were when wrong was being done to them. The Jews would cite a Lex talionis and then they would use it to retaliate against the person and that was legal, according to Jewish law, you are allowed to demand equal compensation for the wrong that
had been done to you. So eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth was basically how the legal system at least, most of it worked in Judaism at this time. So, Jesus says that this law is not enough at does not get to God's true intent of you could say God's heart. God's true will for people. So now Jesus tells us what God's true will is verse 39, but I say this to you. So when Jesus uses this phrase, but I say this to you, he's being the authoritative, interpreter of God's law.
The final interpreter of God's law because he's got himself and he's come to give us the deeper true meaning of the law. This is what he says, offer the wicked man, no resistance. And then he goes on to give lots of examples. What a few examples where clearly Something Wicked is done to a Jew to one of Jesus disciples. A wicked man, does something wicked to them and he says, he's what you should do. When Wicked people do stuff to
you. This next part that we're going to get into is a little difficult to interpret because it's not entirely clear to the extent. That Jesus is using hyperbole. Some parts of The Sermon on the Mount. We know that Jesus is using hyperbole because he says things, like, do not let your right hand, know what your left hand is doing, and that's, that's physically impossible, that's clearly a hyperbole because that can't actually be done. So if Jesus is using hyperbole there, it's possible.
He's using hyperbole here if that's the right interpretation. Then what we're about to hear, doesn't literally mean don't resist when people are doing evil to you. But rather, what Jesus is saying is don't let self-centeredness and your did desire for Revenge dominate your thinking. So some Scholars think that that's what Jesus is doing.
He is exaggerating using hyperbole to make a point about self-centeredness and selfishness and revenge, I tend to think it's my personal view is I think he actually literally means it for the Disciples of his time. He actually wants them to physically carry out these actions and we'll talk about the reason. Why I think that's the best interpretation when we get to the end of the passage? Because they're he actually explains to the disciples why he wants them to do these things.
So he's about to give some examples that challenge his disciples to resist the temptation to return, one offense for another. His genic challenge them, not to retaliate, but to return evil with good So the key theme that we're about to see is it in each example, the person or Jesus disciples are unjustly persecuted by Wicked person. And Jesus point to them is in, do it anyway, in fact to return
their evil with kindness. So the first example says, on the contrary, if anyone hits you on the right cheek offer him the other as well. And you probably heard this, the background of this cheek stuff. So, in Jewish, there's actually significance in the fact that Jesus says, Jesus says, right cheek. So in that culture men in particular were all right, handed pretty much. And so that would slack with their right hand to do a normal
slap. And by the way to slap, someone was actually kind of like bashing them. It was assaulting them. And if imagine a do with the right hand, when he slap someone typically, you would slap someone across their left cheek because that, you know, that's the way your normal hand slap would work. So when Jesus says, if someone hits you on the right cheek so to hit someone on the right cheek was actually a Hand slap. It's someone's right hand hits. You on your right cheek.
That's a back hand slap and to the Jews. I was considered to be doubly insulting. The worst kind of assault, it was actually quite demeaning and insulting for someone to do that to you. So and we get this information from the mishnah which was a series of Jewish writings from around this time. The mishna says that if someone gives you a back hand slap then as a Jew you could demand double a financial penalty. So you could demand that the person repays you twice as much.
Then if they had of giving you like a front hand slap on your left cheek so that will be the imagine your Ado and you're given a back hand slap on to your right cheek your natural Jewish Inclination is going to be to demand immediate compensation and a lot of it but Jesus says actually don't do that. Instead turn your other cheek turn the other cheek to the person. So Jesus main point here is don't take revenge, don't demand compensation instead, offer your other cheek.
And in doing that, as we'll find out, Jesus is trying Jesus says that by doing actions like this, you will do good or shower. Good on the other person in some sort of way. Now, if there's help hyperbole involved here, Jesus might just be saying that there is Merit in suffering righteously rather than retaliating. And he certainly saying that, but I also think Jesus is literally saying, if someone slaps, you then turn the other cheek.
That's we saying to his original disciples now, notice He's not saying you can't defend yourself, right? Someone slapping. You this. That's not like a full kind of life-threatening full bashing up kind of thing. That would probably be a different situation. Jesus here is saying that if you're injured and you a mild persecution where someone lashes out at you with a hurtful slap don't take your natural.
Your natural thing would be to sort of get angry and then go and demand retribution, he's saying don't do that. So, Jesus is not condoning, he's not saying you're not allowed to defend yourself. If it was like a full-on assault, obviously Jesus would allow the person to defend themself. He's here. He's talking about someone slapping you in kind of a direct but perhaps a lesser lesser way than a full-on assault.
So let's keep that in mind. Jesus is not being a full-on pacifist here, as some people have tried to interpret. It is just saying these little scuffles can be part of normal, Jewish life and where possible Abel. This is what you want to do in response, hope that makes sense. Verse 40, he now gives another example which is in a way similar, he says, if a man takes you to law and would have your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. Now again, the context here is important.
So in that culture, Jewish men would wear to garments. So they had a tunic, which was an inner garment and then a cloak, which was a larger heavier outer garment So a man could be sued for his tunic. That apparently, that was part of normal Jewish life, where, you know, when Jews sued each other, they could demand compensation in the form of tunic. They could say you have done me
wrong. Now, you need to give me your tunic but They couldn't serve another man for his coach for the inner coat because the inner coat was considered essential to keep warm. People needed to wear coats all the men wore coats in order to keep all that was a necessity.
So Jesus here is saying that if someone should sue you for your tunic and ask for your tunic, which they have a right to do, you should actually rather than seeking compensation or, you know, taking it to court or whatever in that situation. Offer your cloak offer, your basic necessity as well. That's a pretty strong statement. Jesus is basically saying offer yourself completely give your most in give you this most important garment that keeps you
warm offer that as well. Presumably the idea here is that if you do that to the man, he's going to sort of his conscience is going to be sort of pricked, and he's going to perhaps in some way, turn to God. As a result of seeing this good work. That the persecuted person is doing So that's that one verse 41 is. Another example, if anyone orders you to go one mile. So again, the context is really important in that culture of
Roman soldier could legally. According to Roman law could force a Jew to carry the Romans equipment for up to a mile. So that Roman could say right here, take my stuff, take my armor and it was legal for the Roman to demand that for one mile. And apparently lots of Jews were subject to this at the time. So he Jesus says, don't just go one mile offer to go, another mile. So Jesus is saying show extreme generosity to the Romans to the
Jewish years. This is shocking because the Romans were hated by the Jews. The Romans were the oppressors of of them. And so Jesus saying not only should you endure their weird laws in their suffering, you should show extreme generosity and offer to take it. Another mile. It's interesting thinking about the kind of Kingdom Jesus trying to set up. He wants a kingdom of Of extreme self-giving of extreme generosity. Jesus says that that's the way that will bring people closer to God.
There will shower blessings on them. I can certainly said, that's true. My own life. The reason that I first became a Christian was, because I was drawn to these people, that clearly lived in such a different way. There was something different about them, and they were so kind and generous, perhaps some of you have similar stories where you were drawn to Christianity because you saw this such radical generosity. In people's lives and you wanted
what they had. I think that's the kind of thing Jesus talking about here. That's the kind of people he wants his disciples to be. Verse 42 Jesus then bronze it out of it. He says give to anyone who asks so Jesus says don't hold anything selfishly if anyone wants to borrow do not turn away. So Jesus who I think is laying down the law at least for his immediate context disciples that if someone wants to borrow something you must out of Christian Duty, give them what
they ask for. At least for borrowing, you know, he's talking here about borrowing, not, you know, someone taking of stuff. But at least for borrowing, you must give it to them. And I think that that's, you know, I think that that would probably apply today that's a reasonable thing to expect of Christians, as Klein people. Verse 43. Jesus now gives another example you have heard. It said You shall love your
neighbor and hate your enemy. Now, that statement is not in the Torah. It is in the Torah and say you shall love your neighbor but it's not in the Torah to say you should hate your enemy. So it must be that the common Jewish interpretation at this time. As the Jews have tried their best to understand the Torah. Have developed over Leviticus 19:18, which says, love your neighbor. And the common Jewish opinion had was developed to such a point. That it said, love your neighbor.
And therefore that means love, no one else and hate your enemies. So the common Jewish teaching at the time was love your neighbor. Hate your enemies. What does Jesus mean? When he says, he says love your enemies and we've all heard this phrase before rather, you must love your enemies. What does it mean to love your enemies? A lot can be said about the word love, but certainly in the gospels and in the New Testament
as well. The rest of the New Testament, what does it mean to love someone? It means to do good to them, to do. Good to them, to will their best to do good. It doesn't mean feelings, does it necessarily Even mean a commitment we often talk about love in terms of a commitment in the New Testament. Thinking the best way to describe what love means is doing good to someone. That's what it means to love them.
So when Jesus says, love your enemies, he means do good to your enemies do. Good, deeds to your enemies and desire, their welfare. He takes it further. He says, pray for those who persecute you now. Who persecutes the Jews? Why would Jesus say persecute you? So at this time, the people who are persecuting, the Jews was of course, the Romans the Romans
would often put in unjust laws. They would make fun of the Jews that would often sometimes physically attack and kill and crucify the Jews. They are. They took their Homeland. The Jews were very much persecuted by the Romans so Jesus challenges his disciples. His Jewish disciples to love and pray for the very people who occupy their land tax them heavily and treat them with violence and Injustice. That such a radical teaching, pray for the people who are doing this to you.
Again, that's another example of doing a good deed for that person. So not only should you carry their armor for two miles? And not only should you turn the other cheek? She not only, should you give them your cloak, those are all good deeds. Another good deed you can do for them. Says, Jesus is pray for them, pray for God's blessing. Now, Jesus is just giving all those examples and now he's going to tell us why he thinks. It's important that people do
that verse 45 in this way. You will be sons of your father in Heaven. So Jesus says, in order to be considered a son of the father of Son, of God, one must do the things that Jesus has just said, right? So you need to love your enemies. You need to turn the other cheek in doing. So you will be sons of your father in Heaven. That probably implies that if you don't do those things.
As a Christian disciple, you're not really a son of the father and obviously that's developed a lot more in the rest of the New Testament. Then he says this statement which I think has been misunderstood quite a bit and I certainly didn't understand this statement in context until I read a couple of commentaries on this as I Was preparing. So Jesus now says, for he causes his sun to rise on bad men as well as good and he's rain to fall on honest, men and
dishonest men alike. First thing to say here is that these two statements mean the same thing. Rain we see, rain is probably a bad thing, but in that culture rain was a blessing. So Jesus saying he causes his Sun-ok blessings to rise on all people. He causes his rain to fall AKA blessings on all people, Good and Evil. So God gives blessings to all people, even evil men. And so Jesus teaching is just as
God does that to all people. So Christians like Good Children of their father should take on the same characteristics of her father. And therefore, be a blessing and do good to all people. Do you see the connection there? Jesus says the reason you should do good to evil people is because that's what God does. And we're sons of the father. We're sons of God, so to be good representatives of the father, we need to do good to all All people as well.
Just as God gives his blessings and good gifts to all people. That's pretty cool, isn't it? When we realized what Jesus is saying, they're in context, we should be like the father as much as possible which means doing good to all people. Not just some people. And Jesus Now sort of gives us the flip side of that and tells us what it means if we don't do those things verse 46 for if you love those who love you, what right, have you to claim any credit?
So the basic idea here is there's nothing particularly virtuous about doing good for those who do good to us, that's easy to do. Disciples of Christ are called to do good to everyone, even those who persecute them. Jesus, says, even the tax collectors do this. So Tax Collectors were not well, liked by the Jews.
They were conspirators with Rome, and the Jews consider them to be Sinners. So, Jesus is saying, even tax cullinan tax collectors who are considered to be the worst of the Sinners who couldn't do anything, right? Even, they can love those who love them. So there's nothing particularly virtuous about that. And then Jesus phrases another way in verse 47 and if you save your greetings for your brothers. Are you doing anything exceptional? Even the pagans do as much, do they not?
So, same basic meaning, don't just save your greetings. Don't just be kind to those who are good to you. You need to be kind and give good gifts and show good actions to all people Disciples of Christ are called to be kind to everyone. Even those who persecute them, the more you get into The Sermon, on the Mount, you'll often hear The Sermon on the Mount presented. As I, this is an unrealistic standard.
Jesus setting up. It's some sort of mystical thing, not really, I think it's actually quite grounded. Jesus. Basic teaching is we need to do good to all people and he's given a few examples of what, how that can look in terms of extreme generosity and extreme selflessness. I think that's still does apply today. That's the kind of Kingdom. Jesus wants his disciples to have to show. This 48, this is the probably the hardest part right at the
end. He says You must therefore be perfect just as your heavenly father is perfect. So Jesus, he is set up the ultimate standard. It's not enough to just do easy things, it's not enough to just follow the law externally, as the Pharisees did. All of that is okay, but Jesus saying, Christian followers, must do more than that. Christian followers must strive to be internally changed and perfected, even become so holy that they're almost becoming perfected.
So Jesus is telling his disciples that they want to conform their lives, to the will of God as much as possible. They want to become perfect as god is perfect. Just as God is Holy, the Christian disciples must strive to be holy in every respect. Now, this particular law probably recalls this particular teaching of Jesus, probably recalls, Leviticus 19, verse 2, where it says God says be holy for the Lord, your God is, Holy be holy as I am.
Holy And in fact that's Sid Jay Gould says that right before, he says, love your neighbor as yourself. So Jesus is actually recalling old Commandments that God has given in in the Torah. But had largely been forgotten about Jesus is calling for a return to that. Be holy as God is Holy, love, your neighbor as yourself, show extreme undeserved, kindness, to all people. That's what Jesus is Calling the Jews back to, which in fact was pretty much laid out in the law, but obviously it, Got lost
amidst, all the externals. Now when Leviticus 19 verse to be holy as the Lord, your God is Holy often. The Jews would interpret that to mean Holiness, as in separating yourself from everything that's Unholy, including Sinners and Gentiles Jesus says no that's not what that verse mean. Jesus says that actually Holiness involves loving and doing good to those people to the tax collectors and the Sinners just as their, father, loves and does good.
To them. Now notice that when he's hard, this teaching is hard, be perfect. As god is perfect. Notice that Jesus doesn't use this phrase. He doesn't say You must be perfect. In order to get into heaven, all right? He doesn't say that. Remember earlier, in the Sermon, on the Mount, he did, he did lay out the conditions, could getting into heaven, where he said, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees,
you cannot get into heaven. So, what Jesus basically says is, You need to go above the Pharisees in terms of your righteousness. If you can do that, that's the minimum requirement for getting into heaven, okay? He doesn't say, you need to be perfect to get into heaven, right? Did you notice that? But he does say still, you must strive for Perfection. So, it's not like we have to be perfect at the end of our life in order to get into heaven. But still that's what we're
supposed to strive for. That is our aim to be like God to be as holy as God is. And obviously that's developed a lot by very spiritual writers. Now, just to, I want to reiterate one more time. What's Jesus Central teaching In
this passage Jesus teaching? Is that just as God gives blessings and good gifts and good works, to all people, good and evil, Christian disciples if they're going to be true representatives of God, if they're going to be true, people who were in his kingdom, they also need to show complete, good works, pure generosity extreme goodness to all people including those who persecute them. That's the main part.
This teaching. Now, obviously, this is a very important teaching in Catholic theology and morality, and so there's lots of references to this in the catechism. Lots of places where it's quoted verse by verse. I'll just give you a couple of them in verse 19, 33 in the section on social justice, he says the same it. Sorry, the catechism says this same Duty extend to those who think or act differently from us, the teaching of Christ goes so far as to require the Forgiveness of offenses.
He extends the The Commandment of love which is that of the new law to All Enemies Liberation in the spirit of the Gospel is incompatible with hatred of one's enemy as a person but not with hatred of the evil that he does as an enemy. Verse 2 paragraph, 2 3 or 3 is in the discussion about peace says, deliberate hatred is contrary to charity hatred. Hatred of the neighbor is a scene where one deliberately
wishes him evil. Hatred of the neighbor is a grave sin when one deliberately desires him. Grave harm quote, 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, unquote. And then paragraph 2608 in the section on how Jesus teaches us how to pray. It says, from The Sermon on the Mount on words, Jesus insists on conversion of heart reconciliation, with one's brother.
Before presenting, an offering on the altar love of enemies and prayer for persecutors prayer to the father in secret, not heaving up. Empty phrases prayer for forgiveness, from the depths of the heart, purity of heart and seeking the kingdom before. All else, This filial conversion is directed entirely to the father. So, we'll finish the today's podcast there. There was a lot in today because this is such a pivotal passage, and I think it's one that needs to be understood.
If you've enjoyed this podcast, I'd recommend listening. Again, I've certainly got a lot out of studying for this passage. There's so much in there and please share with other people. If you think that they would benefit from hearing or really digging into the literal sense of The Sermon on the Mount rather than just sort of, you know, sometimes these vague things we might hear in certain sermons or whatever. Sir, please share it with other people. Leave me a rating on iTunes.
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