7TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (A)

So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect

Mt 5:38-48

v. 38 - You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'

See Ex 21:24; Lv 24:20; Dt 19:21

v. 39 - 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.

The mention of the right cheek implies that the blow is made with the back of the aggressor’s hand. This was a particularly insulting assault and was subject to a specially heavy fine.

v. 40 - If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well.

Tunic (Gr., chiton) is the undergarment while the cloach (Gr., himation) is the outer garment. The former may be demanded as a legal fine or pledge. Cf. Ex 22:25f and Dt 24:13f.

v. 41 - Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles.

The Romans followed the Persian practice of requisitioning privately-owned horses, etc. for public service. The word “press” (Gr., angareuein) is the technical term for such requisitioning. Cf. Mt 27:32 where Simon of Cyrene is compelled to carry the cross of Jesus.

The disciples are not only to be liberal with their possessions – their time is also to be available.

v. 42 - Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.

They are to give to beggars and to lend to borrowers. They are to have no anxious care for their property in this world. Cf. Heb 10:34.

v. 43 - "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'

The first part is a quotation from Lv 19:18. The second part is not found in the OT. The Jews did limit the interpretation of neighbor to fellow Jews. They may in practice conclude that Gentiles were to be hated. In one of the Dead Sea scrolls we find written: “…(it is the duty of the members of the sect) to love everyone, whom he (God) has elected, and to hate everyone, whom he has rejected….’

v. 44 - But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you….

The disciples are to be indiscriminate in their love, and love those who hate them, and pay for those who persecute them. It is not enough to be persecuted. They must meet their persecutors with love and prayer.

v. 45 – “…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.”

The indiscriminate good of the disciples is a reflection of the goodness of their Father.

v. 46 - For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same?

To return love for love is another form of an eye for an eye. It does not involve doing anything more that what those who are outside even the old Israel (e.g. tax collectors) do. Therefore it merits no reward.

v. 48 - So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Compare this with Lv 19:2.

Under the old covenant, holiness had involved separation from those outside Israel; and there is still a sense in which the disciples are to be distinct from the world (salt of the earth and light of the world). But the separation must not take the form of refusal to love.

The perfection of the disciples is a perfect love – this is the final truth about the new righteousness, which exceeds that of the scribes and pharisees. And in fact, this is the fulfillment of the law and the prophets (Mt 5:17).  Cf. Rm 13:9ff.

The law of Jesus is impossible because it puts before us a perfection that is beyond our capability. His law is not a set of detailed set of instructions. It is reducible to one word, “love”.

The law of Jesus is simple and yet demanding and by it the disciples are made entirely dependent on God because only the grace of God can enable us to keep the law of Jesus.