Today's paragraph topic is: (The new law of talion).
This topic that Christ gives us today is very controversial. It tells us that instead of extracting a just punishment for a wrong committed, we should allow for further punishment from the wrongdoer. The word talion comes from the word Lex talionis, which is the principle or law of retaliation that a punishment inflicted should correspond in degree and kind to the offense of the wrongdoer, thus an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
Christ, with this sermon, tells us not to resist the evildoer, but on the contrary if a person strikes you on the right cheek turn to him the left also. This principle is practically none existent today, for we believe in heroes and villains that get their due justice in the end. And this is what our belief system is based upon, what we are fed through the media. Nice guys finish last. They do not win, and winning is the ultimate goal. The heroes get the pretty girls and live life, happier ever after. We are fed this belief from the crib and our environment is filled with examples of this belief system. How can we believe anything else? How can we do anything other than what we have been given??
This is why Christ has given us this sermon, so that we may learn other than what we are being fed in our lives. He says do not resist the evildoer, and our world tells us to fight back to exact justice, to get revenge. What does this mean, and why would Christ tell us to not resist?? What happens when we resist?? First our hearts are filled with the feeling of being wronged. Then our minds are filled with the thoughts of exacting justice. And finally our entire being is directed along the path of believing that we must have revenge and we must right the wrong. God is the ultimate judge of right and wrong and he will exact vengeance. It is not our place to do so ourselves. When we take the position of exacting vengeance and righting wrong, our hearts have turned away from God. We have gone astray.
Christ is providing us with a principle that protects our most precious gift, our hearts. It is not about right or wrong, it is about our hearts. God is love and through our hearts we experience and know love for ourselves and our fellow man. And it is through our hearts that we are able to experience the ultimate love of God through the love for each other. If our hearts are covered with rage and resentment, and doubt and vengeance, and thoughts of right and wrong, how can we love. How is it possible for us to love each other if we turn away from the source of that love, God?
Our peace comes through our hearts also. God's peace coexists with God's love. If we do not know God's love, how can we experience God's peace? And through God's peace comes God's power.
Satan does not want us to experience God's power. He wants us to be blind to the gift of God and to block that gift from entering our hearts. So he tells us that we should take an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Satan tells us that we should take revenge, that we should seek justice within ourselves. He knows that by doing so we block God's love from entering and staying within us. He know that by blocking that love, we block God's peace and God's power. Satan wants us to be spiritual weaklings. By being spiritual weaklings we are unable to break his hold over us and he then has control over us. Then finally with that control, he completely blocks God's love from entering our hearts and turns us into spiritual stones. The salt of the earth becomes worthless and is only good to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.
This message is a powerful message despite the appearance of being controversial. One who takes hold of this message, takes control of the power that God offers us in this world. One who takes control of this sermon, takes control of his heart and allows God's peace and God's love to come in, contrary to what the devil wants. One who takes hold of this message builds a spiritual foundation upon which his/her entire life can be built and the seal of the Holy Spirit comes upon us. One who takes hold of this message and lives it in his heart, becomes a peacemaker and is a child of God. Christ has told us in the Beatitudes that we are blessed if we suffer for his name sake. He has told us that if we hunger and thirst for justice that we shall be satisfied. He has told us that when we are persecuted for his name sake, when men say all manner of evil against us, when men reproach us and speak falsely against us that we should rejoice and exult, for great is our reward in heaven. So what appears to be weakness, is a cause for celebration. What appears to us as a opening for anger to come in becomes a cause for joy. What can be lock that chains us to the devil, is a great reward if we choose to accept it. Let us protect our hearts and rejoice and exult in the rewards of our great God and father and in this living word that comes from Christ.
This topic that Christ gives us today is very controversial. It tells us that instead of extracting a just punishment for a wrong committed, we should allow for further punishment from the wrongdoer. The word talion comes from the word Lex talionis, which is the principle or law of retaliation that a punishment inflicted should correspond in degree and kind to the offense of the wrongdoer, thus an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
Christ, with this sermon, tells us not to resist the evildoer, but on the contrary if a person strikes you on the right cheek turn to him the left also. This principle is practically none existent today, for we believe in heroes and villains that get their due justice in the end. And this is what our belief system is based upon, what we are fed through the media. Nice guys finish last. They do not win, and winning is the ultimate goal. The heroes get the pretty girls and live life, happier ever after. We are fed this belief from the crib and our environment is filled with examples of this belief system. How can we believe anything else? How can we do anything other than what we have been given??
This is why Christ has given us this sermon, so that we may learn other than what we are being fed in our lives. He says do not resist the evildoer, and our world tells us to fight back to exact justice, to get revenge. What does this mean, and why would Christ tell us to not resist?? What happens when we resist?? First our hearts are filled with the feeling of being wronged. Then our minds are filled with the thoughts of exacting justice. And finally our entire being is directed along the path of believing that we must have revenge and we must right the wrong. God is the ultimate judge of right and wrong and he will exact vengeance. It is not our place to do so ourselves. When we take the position of exacting vengeance and righting wrong, our hearts have turned away from God. We have gone astray.
Christ is providing us with a principle that protects our most precious gift, our hearts. It is not about right or wrong, it is about our hearts. God is love and through our hearts we experience and know love for ourselves and our fellow man. And it is through our hearts that we are able to experience the ultimate love of God through the love for each other. If our hearts are covered with rage and resentment, and doubt and vengeance, and thoughts of right and wrong, how can we love. How is it possible for us to love each other if we turn away from the source of that love, God?
Our peace comes through our hearts also. God's peace coexists with God's love. If we do not know God's love, how can we experience God's peace? And through God's peace comes God's power.
Satan does not want us to experience God's power. He wants us to be blind to the gift of God and to block that gift from entering our hearts. So he tells us that we should take an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Satan tells us that we should take revenge, that we should seek justice within ourselves. He knows that by doing so we block God's love from entering and staying within us. He know that by blocking that love, we block God's peace and God's power. Satan wants us to be spiritual weaklings. By being spiritual weaklings we are unable to break his hold over us and he then has control over us. Then finally with that control, he completely blocks God's love from entering our hearts and turns us into spiritual stones. The salt of the earth becomes worthless and is only good to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.
This message is a powerful message despite the appearance of being controversial. One who takes hold of this message, takes control of the power that God offers us in this world. One who takes control of this sermon, takes control of his heart and allows God's peace and God's love to come in, contrary to what the devil wants. One who takes hold of this message builds a spiritual foundation upon which his/her entire life can be built and the seal of the Holy Spirit comes upon us. One who takes hold of this message and lives it in his heart, becomes a peacemaker and is a child of God. Christ has told us in the Beatitudes that we are blessed if we suffer for his name sake. He has told us that if we hunger and thirst for justice that we shall be satisfied. He has told us that when we are persecuted for his name sake, when men say all manner of evil against us, when men reproach us and speak falsely against us that we should rejoice and exult, for great is our reward in heaven. So what appears to be weakness, is a cause for celebration. What appears to us as a opening for anger to come in becomes a cause for joy. What can be lock that chains us to the devil, is a great reward if we choose to accept it. Let us protect our hearts and rejoice and exult in the rewards of our great God and father and in this living word that comes from Christ.
