In Junior High School I got into an argument with a friend about
capital punishment. Naturally, even then, I was on the right side of this issue
and opposed it. At age 14 I was ill equipped for a biblical argument from my
friend, who said, “the Bible says, ‘an eye for an eye.’” Indeed, he was right,
I checked and that’s indeed what the Bible says. In the Old Testament, it says
it three times. In Exodus 21.24, Leviticus 24.20,
and Deuteronomy 19.21, there is something along the lines of the law of
retaliation.
Three or four years later, after attending a Church service where
I heard what Jesus had to say I went back to my friend and, wagging my finger I
said, “but Jesus said, ‘You have heard that it was said, an eye for an eye and
a tooth for a tooth,’ but I tell you, love your enemies.” My friend had no idea
what I was talking about and I didn’t bother to remind him of our earlier
debate. (I was satisfied with the victory.)
A quote,
believed to be authentic, is attributed to Mohandas K. Gandhi, “an eye for an
eye leaves the whole world blind,” which fits
wonderfully with the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus says, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” The
suggestion to love our enemies causes one to reflect on the whole notion of
enemies and friends. An enemy is a
person who is actively opposed or hostile to someone or something. Jesus is
speaking to a people who are living in a land that is occupied by foreign
forces, but the recommendation to love our enemies suits all situations.
I think Jesus knew that the first
step in truly loving an enemy is to stop viewing them as an enemy, but as
someone worthy of love. Eventually, the transformation takes hold in our hearts
so that it has a chance to take hold in the hearts of our enemies. Already God
loves our enemies by showering rain (and love) on them as God does on us.
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