Today Ronald Sider writes about the meaning of Matthew 5:39 "Do not resist one who is evil" as he continues to write on Christ and Power.
What then doe Matthew 5:39 mean? It means two very radical things: 1) that one should not resist evil persons by exacting equal damages for injury suffered (i.e., and eye for an eye); and 2) that one should not respond to an evil person by placing him in the category of enemy. Indeed, one should love one's enemies, even at great personal cost. The good of the other person, not one's own needs or rights, are decisive.
In some ways this is very similar to what Walter Brueggemann was saying when he wrote of the "other." Even though the other is not me, I need the other and must engage the other with respect and honor and in a way that creates the possibility for dialogue. So too with one who is evil. That does not sound pleasant and yet there is no other way to bridge the gap between myself and the other. Unfortunately, as Sider points out, the cost of such a gesture and stance may be great to the one who extends one's self in love to the enemy. But there, is the hope of a new age. We are being asked to seek the healing of the break and the restoration of relationships. If we respond with resistance that attempts to "get them back," the battle never stops and it will, in fact, rise up again when the winds of power change.
Connection: I must admit that a very difficult part of "not resisting evil" is the initial moments. The reactive part that wants to "get them back." Then again, with the help of others who know this way of peace, we can move past the reaction and begin to work on a new way to respond and live together. Unfortunately, we often hang around people just like us...so we really have to work at this.
It is not easy, O Prince of Peace, to follow you along the pathway of reconciliation and peace. It is often too easy to be violent and to seek revenge and want those "pay backs" when things go wrong in our lives. Lead us in your ways and let your Spirit of Peace grab our hearts and lives. Amen
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