Matthew 5:38-42

1 Kings 21:1-16

Psalm 5:2-3ab, 4b-6a, 6b-7

Matthew 5:38-42

Jesus said to his disciples:

“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.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, help me to see how true justice and mercy flow from you, the source of all justice and the fount of all mercy. I am called to imitate your justice and mercy. I cannot do it on my own, and so, I trust in the gift of your grace to empower me.

Encountering the Word of God

1. The New Law: After pronouncing the blessings of the New Covenant (Matthew 5:3-12) and outlining the mission of the New People of God to go out into the world bringing the salt and light of the Good News (Matthew 5:13-16), Jesus deals with the laws and stipulations of the New Covenant. He explains how the New Law fulfills and deepens the directives of the Old Law. In particular, he uses six antitheses and brings six of the old laws of Moses to their fulfillment. Moses forbade killing, Jesus forbids anger and hatred (Matthew 5:21-26). Moses forbade adultery; Jesus forbids lust (Matthew 5:27-30). Moses forbade undocumented divorce; Jesus forbids divorce and remarriage (Matthew 5:31-32). Moses forbade false oaths; Jesus forbids false speech (Matthew 5:33-37). Moses invited the Israelites to practice justice; Jesus invites us to practice mercy (Matthew 5:38-42). Moses invited the Israelites to love their neighbor; Jesus invites us to love our enemies (Matthew 5:43-48).

2. Justice and Mercy: Jesus quotes Exodus 21:24-25, which says: “eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.” The intention of the Law was to limit retribution. According to the Law of Moses, the punishment had to fit the crime and not exceed it. “[T]his law of Moses was itself an act of mercy in limiting punishments. Human instinct is to punish the evildoer with more punishment than he inflicted” (Bergsma, The Word of the Lord: Year A, 251). In calling his disciples to mercy, Jesus brings out the hidden heart of the Old Law and brings it to its fulfillment. If someone strikes you on the right cheek – meaning they just insulted you with their right hand and gave you a backhanded slap across your face – Jesus says to offer them the left cheek to slap. “In the Mishnah, [the back-handed] slap was regarded as far more insulting than a normal slap and involved double the penalty for a normal one. Yet Jesus challenges the disciples to forego the financial compensation one could receive and even endure further insult by offering the other cheek” (Mitch and Sri, The Gospel of Matthew, 100). Jesus is not forbidding his disciples to defend themselves against an attack or to protect the more vulnerable. What Jesus’ examples tell us is that his disciples are not going to return insult for insult. Jesus tells his disciples that if a Roman soldier compels them into service for a time, they are to be generous beyond the required call of duty. In short, Jesus’ disciples are to bear with insults and be generous with our goods and time. Justice and mercy do not oppose each other or exclude each other. “God is the one who proclaims justice forcefully but at the same time heals wounds with the balm of mercy” (Benedict XVI, December 18, 2011).

3. King Ahab and Queen Jezebel: While the Gospel focuses on the relationship between justice and mercy, the First Reading tells a story about a grave injustice. It is the story of King and Ahab and Queen Jezebel doing evil to obtain Naboth’s beloved vineyard. King Ahab, who reigned from 874 to 853 B.C., was introduced in 1 Kings 16:30 as an evil king of Israel. Part of the prophet Elijah’s mission was to confront King Ahab and his wife, the wicked Queen Jezebel. The king coveted Naboth’s property and his wife resorted to false witness and murder to acquire it for him. Queen Jezebel, a Phoenician princess, wanted her husband to act like a Canaanite tyrant rather than a virtuous king (Deuteronomy 17:14-20). Elijah will confront the king and pronounce doom on his royal line (1 Kings 21:17-27). Ahab responds to Elijah’s words with repentance, putting on sackcloth and fasting. God shows mercy to Ahab and postpones the punishment pronounced by Elijah. In contrast, Queen Jezebel gave no sign of repentance and will die a violent death (2 Kings 9:30-37).

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you are the just one sent by the Father to justify us and restore us to righteousness. You are the merciful one sent by the Father to forgive our sins and be a model of merciful love for us to imitate. Fill my heart with your righteousness and pour out your mercy upon me today.

Living the Word of God: Do I repay insult with insult or do I respond to insult with merciful love? Do I complain when someone asks me for help or a favor or do I respond generously? Do I focus primarily on my needs and wants or am I attentive to the needs and wants of others? How am I called to live this section of the Sermon on the Mount today?