Eye for an eye makes the whole world blind

Perhaps most importantly, he cautions us against being made over into the very evil we oppose by adopting its methods and spirit. He is, rather, warning against responding to evil in kind by letting the oppressor set the terms of our opposition. вЂњJesus is not encouraging submission to evil that would run counter to everything he did and said. In his far-reaching exegesis of JesusвЂ™ admonition, вЂњDo not resist an evildoer,вЂќ Walter Wink demonstrates how poorly that text is rendered in English. For вЂњwhile we were enemies we were reconciledвЂќ (Romans 5:10) by the BelovedвЂ™s unilaterally transforming initiative, baptizing into the same mission all who trust ResurrectionвЂ™s promise, disarmed hearts rising to participate in the disarming of the nations. The power to love enemies is both the evidence of salvation and its acclamation, taking on the AbbaвЂ™s family resemblance, walking in the Way of Jesus, by the SpiritвЂ™s power conforming to the mind of Christ. The notion of loving enemies is effectively reduced to humorous ridicule, as when Frank Sinatra quipped: вЂњAlcohol may be man's worst enemy, but the Bible says love your enemy.вЂќ Mohandas Gandhi was right when he said вЂњAn eye for an eye ends up making the whole world blind.вЂќ That inventive interpretation also takes aim indirectly at the repeated insistence in the Bible against meeting evil with evil. In a quick search I found one online poster with a photo of the lethal Air Force A-10 вЂњWarthogвЂќ fighter with the inscription:Д«ut underneath the text, in smaller type is a subtext: When 82% of those polled believe вЂњGod helps those who help themselvesвЂќ comes from the Bible, ScriptureвЂ™s function as cultural prop and national talisman is confirmed. More than three-fourths believe the Ten Commandments should be posted in public buildings, but nearly two-thirds of those can recall even five of those instructions. According to polls, 88% of US citizens own a Bible, 80% think it sacred, and more than half think it has too little influence in public life.

Trump is hardly the only one who reveres the Bible while panning its substance. вЂњIt is a rare society that tells exemplary stories of peacemaking,вЂќ Lance Morrow wrote in a Time Magazine essay, вЂњexcept, say, for the Gospels of Christ, whose irenic grace may be admired from a distance, without much effect on daily behavior.вЂќ Majority opinion is closer to this bumper sticker sentiment accompanied with a Marine Corps insignia: вЂњPacifism is a luxury paid for by warriors.вЂќ Though criticizing Jesus isnвЂ™t something you want to do in public, especially during an election cycle. Trump-along with most, even in the church-consider вЂњloving enemiesвЂќ utterly impractical and, for that matter, the reason weвЂ™re in the mess weвЂ™re in. Which is why JesusвЂ™ mandate about loving enemies-undeniably the hallmark of his teaching-is so thoroughly ignored, except as a tool for instructing children about playground fairness. Trump instinctively senses that revenge is вЂњnot nice,вЂќ but, hey, somebody has to do it, or otherwise people will take advantage of you. These stipulations undermine the kind of limitless revenge as typified in LamechвЂ™s pledge, вЂњIf Cain is avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy-sevenfold' (Genesis 4:23a-24). As scholars point out, those teachings were established for the cause of justice rather than justification for vengeance. Trump was referencing the lex talionis tradition in Hebrew Scripture, popularly alluded to as the вЂњeye for an eyeвЂќ standard of justice. Meet Donald Trump, populist theologian and champion of street level exegesis. We have to be very firm and we have to be very strong, and we can learn a lot from the Bible, that I can tell you.вЂќ TheyвЂ™re taking our jobs, theyвЂ™re taking our money, theyвЂ™re taking the health of our country. In the interview Trump continued, вЂњIf you look at whatвЂ™s happening to our country, when you see whatвЂ™s going on with our country, how people are taking advantage of us and how they scoff at us and laugh at us and laugh at our face. вЂњNot niceвЂќ? You mean thereвЂ™s something вЂњnot niceвЂќ in the Bible? When asked to pick a text that informed his thinking, why go to the вЂњnot niceвЂќ part? One that Jesus contradicted. He continued, вЂњThatвЂ™s not a particularly nice thing.вЂќ And some people, look, an eye for an eye, you can almost say that.вЂќ (Notice his characteristic way of saying something without quite saying it.) I mean, when we get into the Bible, I think many, so many. When asked on a radio talk show to name his favorite Bible verse or story that вЂњinformedвЂќ his thinking or character, TrumpвЂ™s response was (and this is verbatim): US presidential candidate Donald Trump hints at the disconnect in a recent interview. JesusвЂ™ command to вЂњlove your enemiesвЂќ is likely the New TestamentвЂ™s most memorable yet most effectively ignored directive. вЂњWeвЂ™ll worship the hind legs off Jesus but never do a thing he says.вЂќ -Clarence Jordan

Eye for an eye makes the whole world blind