Matthew 5

v41

The scathing instructions of unfathomable difficulty just keep on rolling here.

Now, I've been forced to go many miles with people, but that force was usually the sort of unwritten semi-internal cultural quasi-forcing, rather than someone using physical force to require me to do something. But the point is that this verse isn't talking about a requirement that someone may have of you for their own best interests; it's talking about someone getting you to do something through coercion.

You may have heard that this verse is talking specifically about the Roman practice of forcing local people to act as porters or guides. That is in fact the case; I'm told that the same word is used to describe Simon of Cyrene's enforced carrying of the cross for Jesus, and that it is a technical term for this conduct. So this isn't simply someone forcing you to do something; it's someone forcing you to do something using an unjust law to do it, who is your enemy (I mean, the forcing thing might have given that away) and they are forcing you to do something that you may have a conscientious objection to. That is a rather big deal. Jesus says do it twice.

I will at least point out that forcing here is pretty tough forcing. This isn't saying go and volunteer. It's also interesting to think about something in my current situation, like a bribe. Bribes are unjust, especially when coercion on the part of the bribee is involved - that's less bribery and more extortion. If someone extorts money out of me through force - say a police officer - should I give them double? At least bribery (and extortion) are illegal, whereas the angareuo of the Roman times was perfectly legal if just not really fair.

The closest parallel I can think of is the enforcement of intellectual property law. If someone forces me to do some act in keeping with IP law, then perhaps I should do it twice. But still, no need to volunteer. And before you jump on your high horse and get all judgy, read Proverbs 6:30-31.

Also, the KJV says "twain". Hah.

v42

How hard is this verse in modern times? We cling pretty tightly to our money, and so when people ask for something, we don't think we should just give it or loan it. As a matter of fact, I've had a number of well-meaning Christians tell me to do just the opposite, and to be shrewd, cunning and trustless with people asking me for money. Quite often the instructions to not give people money is thought to be in their best interests - we shouldn't give handouts, we should give empowerment. Fair enough, but then why not give loans? They're mentioned in this passage right next to giving. I'm not saying that it's easy, and I'm not saying I've always done it, but I can at least say I've tried.

v43

In case you can't tell from your translation, the "hate your enemy" part is not a direct quote from anywhere in the Bible. No doubt you could make parts of the Bible say it, but it would really be about as responsible as using this verse to argue the point itself.

v44

So when Jesus counters here with a directly contradictory command, it's not contradictory to scripture, merely to interpretation. This is the hard love of the gospel that we know so well. It's not exactly new to the Bible either: David spends a number of psalms praying for his persecutors. Jesus is here merely reiterating stuff that happens in other parts of the Bible.

v45

Wow. This verse is an absolute killer. We should treat everyone with basic common dignity and good - no, more than that, we should love them and treat them with more than just a basic common good - because they are people, and because that's what God does. God does not punish the sinner and the wicked in all times and in all ways. He still makes it rain where they will benefit; he still lets them see the sun. "Basic" should perhaps be replaced with "fundamental" to represent the huge importance of what God gives to every person regardless of their relationship with him.

v46-47

And now we see that Jesus is acknowledging that what he's asking of people is not normal. The normal stuff is people already do. You don't get a reward for doing normal stuff; it's its own reward! You're already doing it for some reason you can fathom, understand and accept, if not downright appreciate.

Just a word on v47 and the greeting thing: greetings are a much bigger deal here in Namibia. If you snub someone on a greeting, that is noticed, and it is a mark of disrespect, even if you're a newbie  and you don't mean it.

v48

And here's the final punch in the crotch: be perfect, just as God is perfect. If this doesn't make it clear that the standard is utterly unattainable, then nothing will. We aren't perfect. We can't be perfect. This is the standard though. This is the standard God holds us to, holds everyone to. We need to respect that. It's not half-arsed. We need to understand it too, because without that we might think that perhaps we could keep the 10 commandments, or the commands of Jesus. Even when they get boiled down to two, we still fail terribly.

And it's not even as if this is the end. There will be yet more incredibly hard teachings to come in the next chapter.