Justice and Good News (not Good Advice)

Matthew 5:38-39, 43-48

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 the one who is evil [‘don’t use violence to resist evil’]. . . .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, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Tom Wright, Matthew for Everyone (Vol. 1)

Jesus offers a new sort of justice, a creative, healing restorative justice. The old justice in the Bible was designed to prevent revenge running away with itself. . . . Better [still] to have no vengeance at all, but rather a creative way forward, reflecting the astonishingly patient love of God himself, who wants Israel to shine his light into the world so that all people will see that he is the one true God, and that his deepest nature is overflowing with love. No other god encourages people to behave in a way like this (51).

Whatever situation you’re in, you need to think it through for yourself. What would it mean to reflect God’s generous love despite the pressure and provocation, despite your own anger and frustration?

Impossible? Well, yes, at one level. But again Jesus’ teaching isn’t just good advice, it’s good news. Jesus did it all himself and opened up the new way of being human so that all who follow him can discover it. . . . The Sermon on the Mount isn’t about us. . . . It’s about Jesus himself. This was the blueprint for his own life. . . . The Sermon on the Mount isn’t just about how to behave. It’s about discovering the living God in the loving, and dying, Jesus, and learning to reflect that love ourselves into the world that needs it so badly (52-3).