The Sermon on the Mount continues.
The Mosaic law required “Breach for breach, eye for eye,
tooth for tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to
him again” (Leviticus 24:20). There are those who believe this calls for
retribution or an excuse for mayhem. This distorts the Mosaic Law.
“In biblical days, the ‘eye for an eye’ passage was never
understood as a license to take physical revenge on one’s adversary, even for
an injury. The understanding that was developed in Old Testament times, and
that was perpetuated by Jewish tradition down to the time of Jesus and beyond,
was that ‘an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth’ was a statement of
theoretical liability, a standard to be used in court proceedings when monetary
damages could be awarded where physical loss or injury had been incurred … In
the event an offender was found guilty of injuring or depriving another, the
court was to determine monetary compensation, or some other form of
compensatory service, to be awarded the aggrieved party.”[1]
Once again, Jesus sets a higher standard.
“But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever
shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
“And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy
coat, let him have thy cloak also.
“And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him
twain.
“Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would
borrow of thee turn not thou away” (Matthew 5:39-44).
“When He said ‘resist not evil,’ He was not advising
capitulation to wickedness; ‘evil’ in this context refers to the judgement of
the court. ‘Do no resist the court’s negative sentence’ was the essential
message. ‘Whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other
also’ was advice to accept any corporal punishment the court might order
without resistance … Jesus emphasized the principles of personal responsibility,
just compensation for misdeeds we might commit, and even the principle of ‘going
the extra mile’ to make sure that we put right whatever we might to wrong.”[2]
Under the Mosaic law, they were told to love your neighbor
and hate your enemy. A disciple of Jesus was expected to live a higher
standard. We are to love our enemies. We are to do good towards those who hate you.
It’s easy to love those who love you. Even the publicans do
this. We are being held to a higher standard.
Then we are commanded to be “perfect, even as your Father
which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). “God’s perfect, righteous,
exalted status is the ultimate goal to which the Beatitudes and the whole
Sermon point us … These are not idealistic, isolated words, they hark back to
the Beatitudes.”[3]
When teaching the Nephites, He changed this teaching. “Therefore
I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is
perfect” (3 Nephi 12:48).
“Beyond rendering the penitent person guiltless and spotless
with the promise of being ‘lifted up at the last day,’ there is a second vital
aspect of abiding in the love of God. Abiding in His love will enable us to
realize our full potential, to become even as He is. As President Dieter F.
Uchtdorf stated: ‘The grace of God does not merely restore us to our previous
innocent state. … His aim is much higher: He wants His sons and daughters to
become like Him.’”[4]
[1] Life and Teachings of Christ – From
Bethlehem through the Sermon on the Mount, What Jesus Taught the Jews about the
Law of Moses, Jeffrey R. Chadwick.
[2]
Ibid.
[3] The Life and Teachings of Christ, Vol. 1:
From Bethlehem through the Sermon on the Mount, A Reading of the Sermon on the Mount: A Restoration Perspective, Andrew
C. Skinner.
[4] “Abide
in My Love,” Elder D. Todd Christofferson, October 2016 General Conference.
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