SERMON ON THE MOUNT

UNIQUENESS OF HIS TEACHINGS

The Ten Commandments are the minimum requirements and anyone who has fulfilled all of them is nothing but a good Jew, a good citizen of the Jewish society. It seems that the New Testament spirituality, which is the same as the Gospel, demands more from a Christian disciple.

In the Gospel, the Sermon on the Mount is quite difficult to follow but it is where we can encounter the fundamentals of Christian discipleship and the uniqueness of the Master’s teachings. A follower who wants to evaluate, assess, or test his awareness of Christian living, in addition to knowing how he is as a person and professional, is compelled to read the Gospel of Matthew, chapters 5 to 7, where the Sermon on the Mount can be found.

The more I read the passage, the more I am convinced that the Sermon on the Mount contains the official but shocking doctrine of Jesus. It is a catechetical summary of the mind of the Teacher, an opening of His heart to the inner circle, to his closest friends. Jesus spoke with such power that it was written of the listeners: Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as their Scribes” (Matthew 7:29).

Jesus said, “You have heard... You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca’ (‘good for nothing’) will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna” (Mt. 5:21-22). He seems to tell me that the Old Testament condemns actual murder, while Christian discipleship already condemns mere anger in one’s heart and in one’s lips. If I am serious to follow Jesus, I really have to be careful and loving when reprimanding or correcting a subordinate or a kasambahay.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’. But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away…  And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it. It is away better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna” (Mt. 5:27-30). The Old Testament forbids the act of adultery, while Jesus forbids the inordinate use of our senses to stimulate our carnal desire.

GOLDEN RULE

Even the formulation of the Golden Rule of Jesus is different, which is in the positive form. The Jews have the Golden Role in the negative form. The Book of Tobit commands: “Do to no one what you yourself dislike” (Tobit 4:15a). This was quoted by the Jewish Rabbi Hillel while giving instruction to a Jewish convert, “What is hateful to yourself, do to no other.”

Among the Orientals, it was Confucius who taught the Golden Rule as one of the basic principles of life, but also in the negative form, “Do not do unto others what you do not want others do unto you.”

When wondering why Jesus taught the Golden Rule in the positive form, it occurs to be that negative form involves nothing more than NOT DOING or SIMPLY REFUSING TO DO certain things. It is never difficult not to do things. That we refrain from doing injury to anyone else is not something special. One can forever restrain himself from doing injury to others by mere inaction on one’s part.     

In comparison, it is unique to perform a positive act and to add something constructive to what is lacking. It takes great effort to open your window and share food or money to the beggars when the traffic light is red. It is hard to offer time and muscles for Gawad Kalinga to build a little house for the homeless. It appears that the Golden Rule in the positive form is superior than the ones formulated in the negative form. “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you” (Mt. 7:12).

BE GENTLE AND LEARN TO FORGIVE

Again, the uniqueness of the Christian teachings established during our Lord’s ministry here on earth stands out when compared with the “tit for tat” principles of the Old Testament. It is written in the Book of Exodus: “But if injury ensues, you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe (Ex 21:23-25).

The Book of Leviticus (chapter 24, verse 19) states: “Anyone who inflicts an injury on his neighbor shall receive the same in return. Limb for limb, eye for eye, tooth for tooth! The same injury that a man gives another shall be inflicted on him in return.”

The “eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth” or “tit for tat” principle is taken from the LEX TALIONIS of the code attributed to Hammurabi who reigned in Babylon from 2285-2242 B.C. The axiom sends off a clear signal: if a man has inflicted an injury on any person, an equivalent injury shall be inflicted upon him. The impression given is that LEX TALIONIS sounds similar to “the law of the jungle” which is savage and vindictive. In truth, however, it is a law that limits vengeance and hatred.

In the earliest days vendetta was characteristics of tribal societies, and it was dreadfully disproportionate. For instance, if a man of one tribe was injured, all members of that tribe geared up and went off to take vengeance, most likely_, on all members of the tribe of the man who committed the injury. In contrast TALIONIS then became the set standard law of just proportion. It lays down the principle that only the man who committed the injury must be punished and the punishment must be no more than the equivalent of the injury he has inflicted—hence, the notion ‘an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.”

When our Blessed Lord came, He said: “You heard that it was said, ‘an eye for an eye, ‘a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, offer no resistance to evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, offer the other one to him as well. You have heard it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate enemy’. But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you” (Mt 5: 38-48).

In effect, what Jesus is telling us now is that vendetta or retaliation, even the most proportionate one, has no place in our Christian discipleship. Our Lord’s command even goes as far as for us disciples to love our enemies.

It may be well to know that Jesus never asked us to love our enemies in the same manner and in the same degree that we love our dearest ones. To love with the love of philia is to love in the natural manner, to shower our loved ones with hugs and kisses. To love with the love of agape is to love in the supernatural manner, of which it is not necessary to demonstrate one’s love. With agape, in a supernatural way, we love our enemies. Hence the song goes “Oh, I love you with the love of the Lord… “

           

But why do we have to love our enemies, one is bound to ask? It can only be because God loves both the saints and the sinners, that’s why. He sends the rain and lets sun shine upon the just and the unjust. And if we are God’s children_, we ought to strive to do what He does, to pattern our attitude and conduct with His. Jesus, the Lamb of God, in the mystery of the Incarnation, took upon Himself the sins of the world (Is 53:6b, Jn. 1:29).

He searched for the lost sheep. He came to heal the sick and not the self-righteous (Mt. 9:12-13). He forgave Matthew, Mary Magdalene, the adulterous woman, and all who believed (Mt 9:9-13, Jn. 8:1-11). His first words when He was hanged upon the saving tree were: “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do” (Lk. 23: 34).

           

The uniqueness of Our Lord’s teaching lies here: to forgive as God forgives, to love as God loves, embracing all, and excluding no one.