Sketchy Scenes: Reflections on this Sunday Scriptures

Last updated on: February 18, 2011 at 4:39 pm by Alyce McKenzie

3 Comments

Sketchy Scenes: Reflections on this Sunday Scriptures 2011-02-18T16:39:09+00:00 Alyce McKenzie

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Lectionary Reflections on Matthew 5:38-48

February 20, 2011

When I hear these teachings about love of enemies and non-retaliation, I feel the way I feel when I go to a Mavericks basketball game in Dallas. I stand next to the big backdrop in the first floor lobby of the arena that shows you how high Dirk Nowitski can jump. The display challenges you to see how you measure up. It is discouraging. I am 5′ 6-½” tall. I will never be able to jump as high as Dirk Nowitski, no matter how hard I try. It is not a matter of practice. It is a matter of impossibility.

Sketchy Scenes
At this point we could shake our heads in disgust and discouragement and give up on relating this text to our lives. Or we could take the genre of this text into account. Matthew 5:38-42 is what New Testament scholar Robert Tannehill calls a “focal instance.” I prefer to call it a “sketchy scene.” “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away.” “First take the log out of your own eye.” “Let the dead bury their own dead.” “If anyone strikes you . . . If anyone wants to sue you and take your coat . . . If anyone forces you to go one mile . . .”

These sayings picture a specific scene and make a command. They are specific, exaggerated, and extreme. They are not meant as blanket principles to fit all situations. They function like a proverb, which is an ethical flashlight, not a floodlight, appropriate for some situations but not all. Think, for example of “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh words stirs up anger” (Prov. 15:1). In some situations, that’s a wise word, but in others, a harsh, blunt word is called for.

Jesus’ “sketchy scenes” contrast his teaching with conventional human behavior and induce a new way of looking at such topics as judging others (Mt. 7:3-5), inward motives and outward behavior (Mt. 5:29-30), retaliation (Mt. 5:39-42), private piety and public opinion (Mt. 6:1-7), family ties (Mt. 10:34-36) and the call of God’s kingdom (Mt. 8:21-22) (McKenzie, Preaching Proverbs, 76; Hear and Be Wise, 145-6). Jesus doesn’t intend for us to cut off our own feet, tear out our own eyes, pull logs out of our eyes, stand still while someone slaps us twice, and skip our own father’s funerals. He wants to make our habitual, deeply ingrained patterns of behavior seem strange to us.

Do Unto Others as They Have Done Unto You?
The Old Testament law contained what is known as the lex talionis, (Ex. 21:24; Lev. 24:20; Dt. 19:21), known as “an eye for an eye.” It was the principle of “negative reciprocation”: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot, a burn for a burn, a wound for a wound, a stripe for a stripe. While negative reciprocation sounds cruel to contemporary ears, it was designed to set limits on vendettas. Extract the injury that was inflicted on you and it ends there. The eye-for-an-eye principle was not unique to the Hebrew Bible, but was known throughout the ancient world.

Matthew’s Jesus is not recommending a blanket policy of non-resistance, say when weak and vulnerable members of a community are threatened with violence. Nor is he dismissing the validity of negative consequences for negative behavior (10:32-33; 6:14-15). He is saying that “an eye for an eye” is not a legitimate motto for his followers when they suffer personal insult (Allison, 94).

Read the rest of this article at Patheos here.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

February 17, 2011

Liberation, from Egypt: Portents of Change in American Christianity

Next Post

February 22, 2011 No Easy Answers: Reflections on Matthew 6:24-34

Recent Comments

3 Comments | Leave a Comment

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Advent Author Interviews Battle Over the Body and Blood of Christ Bearing Beauty Book Reviews Christian Education christian spirituallity christianity Christmas Church Church Leadership Contemplation Creation Care Death and Dying Death Penalty Disruptive Change Disruptors Series Easter Education Evolution and Faith Future of Progressive Christianity Gun Violence Health & Wellness Holy Week Interfaith Israel-Palestine Leading Differently Lent LGBTQ Living with Cancer Meditations on the Cross Mental Illness millennials Mimetic Mondays Monday Meditations Movie Reviews New Monasticism Pando Populus Parenting Patheos 10+1 Q&A Series PC(USA) Politics Pop Culture Practical Theology Series Prayer progressive christian Race Relations Reformation religion Religion and Politics Religion in America Rethink Church Social Justice Spirituality Spirituality of the Body Stump a Scholar Technology and Faith Thanksgiving Theodicy Trust Me Church Uncategorized Why I'm Still Christian Youth Ministry

Select a Month December 2025 April 2025 January 2025 September 2023 September 2022 May 2022 February 2022 January 2022 November 2021 October 2021 May 2021 February 2021 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 June 2020 May 2020 March 2020 June 2019 March 2019 January 2019 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

How many people were saved from Sodom?

Select your answer to see how you score.

4 3 5 6