A Love Like Sunshine? Reflections on Matthew 5:38-48

February 17, 2014 by Alyce McKenzie

Continued from Page 1

In our text, the analogy could be expressed like this:

Love those who are like you: Christians :: greet only your friends : tax collectors and Gentiles

Remember the rule that to figure out an analogy we start by determining the relationship between the first pair of words.

In standardized tests, there are lots of options for relationships between the word pairs, fourteen to be exact. See which one you think verse 46 is.

1. Sameness (synonyms)
wealthy : affluent : : indigent : poverty-stricken boring : monotonous 2. Oppositeness (antonyms)
zenith : nadir : : pinnacle : valley genuine : phony 3. Classification Order (general - specific)
orange : fruit : : beet : vegetable food : fruit : peach 4. Difference of Degree (or Connotative Values)
slender : skinny
clever : crafty : : modest : prim cool : cold : frozen 5. Person Related to Tool, Major Trait, Skill, or Interest
entomologist : insects : : philosopher : ideas writer : novel 6. Part and Whole
eraser : pencil : : tooth : comb wheels : bicycle 7. Steps in a Process
cooking : serving : : word processing : printing birth : life : death 8. Cause and Effect (or Typical Result)
fire : scorch : : blizzard : freeze poison : death 9. Thing and Its Function
scissors : cut : : pen : write shovel : dig 10. Qualities or Characteristics
aluminum : lightweight : : thread : fragile gold : valuable 11. Substance Related to End Product
silk : scarf : : wool : sweater cow : milk 12. Implied Relationships
clouds : sun : : hypocrisy : truth light : knowledge 13. Thing and What It Lacks
atheist : belief : : indigent : money spinster : husband 14. Symbol and What It Represents
dove : peace : : four-leaf clover : luck Uncle Sam : U. S.

If you guessed #1, you are correct! If we habitually retaliate and hate, we are exactly the same as those who instinctively and consistently retaliate when wrong is done to them. We are exactly the same as those who instinctively and consistently love those who love them and hate those who hate them. We are synonymous with the world around us and its dominant values.

I began these thoughts by admitting that, lacking a divine intervention or radical change agent, that's where I would stay. Jesus' teachings in these two antitheses introduce us to that change agent, the love of God, as indiscriminate and life-giving as the sun that shines on all the inhabitants of the earth.

Sources Consulted

http://www.mhhe.com/socscience/english/spears/stu3/studisk/verbal_analogies/va_intro.htm

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About Alyce McKenzie

Alyce M. McKenzie is the George W. and Nell Ayers Le Van Professor of Preaching and Worship at Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University.

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