From the Daily Lectionary for Thursday in the Fourth Week of Easter
Matthew 5: 21-26
‘You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, “You shall not murder”; and “whoever murders shall be liable to judgement.” But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgement; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, “You fool,” you will be liable to the hell of fire. So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.
We have established that at the heart of Torah, Jewish Law, is justice, which is no less than God’s vision for the world. Justice is the governing principal by which societies thrive with dignity. Justice is a practice by which communities are sustainable. The laws given to Moses in the Sinai desert were the practical ways the people of Israel would live together justly. We know about ten of the laws which we call the Ten Commandments, but there are scores of additional laws in the Torah, from matters of financial dealings to dietary laws, and everything in between. According to the tradition, to practice Torah was to practice the ways of God, with the goal of a prosperous and sustainable nation, a nation that would shine the light of justice upon all nations. The Law was the means of God inhabiting a people.
As we have noted, Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount is reimagining Torah for his own time and place, the present day context. The people of Israel in the time of Jesus are no longer nomads in the desert; they are now an occupied nation under the oppressive rule of the Roman Empire. How does Torah speak to such a situation? The societal stress due to the occupation is taking its toll on the Judeans, causing the very fabric of their common life to unravel. Their leadership, the priestly class and the councils, are complicit with the Roman overlords in order to serve their own interests, to look out for themselves. It was a good idea to steer clear of the Judean councils, lest one face the caprice of imperial jurisprudence.
So Jesus here is teaching ‘contextual Torah.’ And he offers a practical, simple, but profound synopsis of the spirit of the law: “Be reconciled to your brother, your sister;” in other words, don’t harbor resentment. It serves no fruitful purpose. But moreover, this teaching is a call to empathy as a way of life. Practicing empathy will always keep one out of trouble, in short.
If, as Reinhold Niebuhr suggests, Justice is God’s means of love in the world; then I suggest that empathy is the means of justice. It is a predisposition, an orientation toward sacrifice. It is living one’s life for the good of one’s neighbor. This is why Jesus makes much ado about forgiveness… “Teacher, how many times should one forgive, as many as seven?” “No, very truly I tell you, as many as seventy times seven!” Jesus, in this same sermon (which is more a teaching than a sermon) will exhort the faithful to even love their enemies; the point being, anger and resentment always result in our undoing. We know that, yet anger and resentment are so very much in the air these days.
Be reconciled to your brother, your sister, good people. Resentment is a waste of time; it saps the life blood. Empathy is our way. The very sustainable sanity of our world depends on our choosing it.
Prayer for the Human Family (BCP p. 815)
O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred that infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
