Matthew 5:33-48
New International Version (NIV)
Oaths
33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne;35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’;anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
Eye for Eye
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
Love for Enemies
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Jesus first analyses what one has to do when he promises to another. Jesus says no one has any right to promise on the heaven nor earth. Then Jesus says not even on the head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.
By saying - All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’;anything beyond this comes from the evil one. Jesus says about being assertive.
The earlier laws said about the punishment for a wrong. Eye for an Eye - If anyone has been responsible for lose of a vision due to any violence or any other act, he should also be punished the same way. But Jesus says If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. By saying this Jesus brings us down from our Judgment seat to forgiveness. The one who slaps on the right cheek, if he is in the right sense and has hit with a consciousness, he will not hit the other side of the cheek. But even if he hits the other side it wont hurt the person to whom it was hit, because he already knew what is going to happen. By saying this Jesus gives us a new perspective for our lives. To be assertive, to be aware, to become humble.
Jesus again says to "Love your enemies". The greatest way to show the Love towards one another is not when someone is Loved for their position, or being a friend or for any other reasons. Even if he is your enemy he is to be Loved. This is not the kind of Love we often see in the world, we always analyse what we may get from the other or from loving them. Being perfect as we have thought is to have good relationships with our friends, but Jesus teaches us to have a loving relationship with our enemies too. Jesus then compares the Loving relationship of the Tax Collectors and that of Pagans.
Jesus says to pray for those who persecute you. He didn't say to take revenge or to go away. But pray, when we pray - We always ask for the right thing to be done - as Jesus, to ask Heavenly Father's Will to be done.
Jesus says that those who are sinners, or enemies who did wrong should be forgiven, they should be Loved too. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
No comments:
Post a Comment