In Week 4 of the Sermon on the Mount, we review three more case studies of Jesus explaining the Torah and the Prophets in terms of oaths, justice, and enemies. In the morality that persists in God’s Kingdom, Jesus speaks to your core desires and the motivation behind how you treat others. Instead of making oaths using God’s name or the temple, live honestly and with integrity when dealing with others.
When the Torah says, “an eye for an eye,” Jesus explains that this is about asserting equality across humanity rather than seeking vengeance. A particularly interesting point in this teaching, as explained by the BibleProject, is that the first strike on someone’s cheek is with the back of the hand, while the second strike is with the open hand. The significance of turning the other cheek, then, is that an open-hand strike is one among equals, whereas the first strike with the back of the hand is more demeaning.
Loving our enemies is an assertion that even enemies, as creations of God, have value—no matter what they’ve done to us. Wow. Let that sink in.
Last week, Jesus focused on murder, adultery, and divorce as behaviors rooted in sinful human desires. He taught that God’s Kingdom and morality are counter-cultural, and our calling as Christ-followers to experience The Good Life involves recognizing and rejecting the root of all these behaviors: the devaluation of other people. To devalue others is to devalue God’s creation, which has been made in His image.
Letting this truth sink in should be challenging.