Today's Double Feature

I spent all evening contemplating creative excuses for why I didn't finish the blog entry yesterday, which is especially ironic considering Sunday's sermon, don't you think?! But, alas, I simply forgot. So today I'm determined to make it up to you. So I will post a reflection on one of yesterday's AND today's readings. (It's probably going to take me all morning!!) So, here we go!

Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
Weds, Feb. 4- Whose cry will God hear in Exodus 22?
Exodus 22:22-23, “Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan. If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry.”

And here's the question of the day:
Thurs, Feb. 5- How much silver does Judas receive to betray Jesus?

And here's the reflection for a reading from YESTERday:
I made a promise not to skip the difficult passages we will inevitably come across as we read through the Bible. I've preached on the almost sacrifice of Isaac and the Canaanite woman Jesus seems pretty rude to. So, this morning, I'm going to tackle the whole "eye for eye" discussion.

Here are the pertinent verses in the larger context:
Exodus 21:22-25 22 When people who are fighting injure a pregnant woman so that there is a miscarriage, and yet no further harm follows, the one responsible shall be fined what the woman's husband demands, paying as much as the judges determine. 23 If any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

Earlier this week, I wrote about the idea of LAW and narrative. And here we begin to run into the law, spelled out in specific rules in Exodus. But the law remains firmly in God's hand; it is not an external objective authority completely divorced from history. The law is given by a loving God who is intimately involved in our lives, bringing discipline and mercy to each one of us. The law in this particular section involves interpersonal relationships and are "designed to protect human beings from physical harm by other human beings. . . in order to promote the well-being of all" (Fretheim, Exodus, 249-250).

Laws and consequences for breaking the law were designed to be enforced by the court of law, not by individuals. Fretheim goes on to say: "Some of the penalties may seem unusually severe to us today" (cf "eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth") but that they need to be evaluated in light of the importance of certain interrelationships, meaning the harm to or death of a person requires a stricter penalty than stealing from a neighbor's garden, for example.

Similar ancient Near Eastern penalties show that its "purpose is to provide equality before the law (e.g., the rich could not get by with fines in cases of physical violence)." Several resources I have checked agree with this interpretation. The emphasis seems to be that the punishment should fit the crime. Now, it seems up to the individual COURT OF LAW to decide if the loss of one life requires the loss of the life of the perpetrator.

The New Interpreter's Bible commentary on Exodus suggests that a "law" is not a commandment. In other words, a law given to one society at a particular time is not a law given to every society at any given time. Our contemporary laws are not static, right? They are constantly changing and being re-evaluated so as to make them more effective.

(And, for those of you are into debate and discussion about this topic, what do you do with this: Matthew 5:38-42 38 Jesus said, "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' 39 But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; 40 and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; 41 and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. 42 Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.")

So what's the answer? Is "eye for an eye" a law or a commandment? Should someone who kills someone else also die as punishment? What is the place of mercy in the law? Well, it doesn't seem like there is a definitive answer. That's why we INTERPRET the Bible--we have to use the brains God gave us and figure out a faithful way to live.

I'm not going to tell you what to believe; I'm not even going to tell you what I believe. I just hope that this info broadens the discussion of "eye for an eye." I'd REALLY like to hear what you have to say about this too!

And here's the reflection from TODAY's readings:
We don't know too much about Judas. Every Gospel and Acts include the story of Judas betraying Jesus and what Judas did after the betrayal.

It's easy to blame Judas and to say that it's all his fault. He was the turn-coat, the biblical Benedict Arnold, started the whole thing. But consider this quote:

Congregational Church pastor L. Alexander Harper makes a remarkable observation about Johann Sebastian Bach's musical representation of the Passion story in the Saint Matthew Passion: "Judas' question to Jesus had always been a solo in other cantatas, because Judas is an individual. Not so for Bach. Breaking all tradition, he has the whole chorus instead sing that guilty question, 'Is it I, Lord?' The chorus represents you, me, the whole world. Judas is within us all, not 'out there' or 'back in history' somewhere comfortably remote. Judas is our brother."

--L. Alexander Harper, "Judas, Our Brother," St. Luke's Journal of Theology 29 (1986),102.

Have you ever thought of the Judas as a brother?

I know these haven't been terrible uplifting conversations, but that's what you get when you read the Bible straight through--the good, the bad, and the ugly. But it's all about God, who is over all and in all and through all. To Him be the glory, even in passages like these!
Allison