YOU MUST BE CASSIUS CLAY

Now after  we have been following Christ unfolding and explaining in the detail His “Mission Statement’, or, we could call it His ‘Programme’, or, further still His ‘Magna Carta’, when on the mountain He spoke about the Beatitudes; those were only the headlines. Now, the story is unfolding itself by giving more details and making it clear that ‘Rejoicing’ is not a state to be enjoyed ‘by right’, and ‘solely’ by the wealthy, by the powerful leaders of the state and of the Temple, by the priests and high priests in the days of Jesus. That is what the common man in the street; the sick, the maimed, the widows, the orphans and the women were made to believe because of the erroneous teachings of the Scribes and Pharisees.

NOW, Christ is telling one and all that the Kingdom of Heaven is there for all who cared to work for it; irrespective of class, social standing or the financial situation. He repeats quite often that now-famous statement: “You have heard what was written ….” or a similar statement, “You have learned what you were told…” BUT, “I tell you.”

Here we have the new law-giver, the new Moses, who is speaking with authority, the authority of God Himself, Authority itself. Yes, for a number of centuries the people had to be led, controlled, guided by such laws as ‘a tooth for a tooth’ and ‘an eye for an eye’. But before those laws were enacted (you can still see them engraved on stone at the Louvre) the people were living in a disorganised society; my neighbour steals a chicken from me and in revenge I steal his three cows. Some sense of justice had to be put into their heads. But, now, Jesus wanted the people, His ‘chosen people’, to stop and think. Up to that time, forgiveness was an unknown word, an ignored sentiment, a forgotten virtue, call it what you will. This was the Lex Talionis, a sort of tit-for-tat Law.

He mentioned many an example. One of these examples was well understood by His people, but not by us. I’m referring to that verse wherein He says: ‘If a man slaps you on the right cheek…’ not to retaliate and offer the other side. When Jesus was slapped on His face during the Trial He did not turn His other cheek. Certainly not, because what He said before, in this Gospel text, was a reference to a Jewish phrase or idiom; meaning accept the offence with calm and forgiveness for the love of God.

Have you ever stopped to think about those specific words: ‘slaps you on the right cheek’? That is something very ubnormal, rather impossible. If we had to slap someone we usually use the right hand (I know there are those who are left-handed, but that is an exception). We normally use the right hand and automatically the slap lands on the ‘left’ hand cheek. A greater effort has to be made to strike someone on the right cheek, you must be a Cassius Clay.

Of relevant importance is His other example: “ … if your friend wants your dress let him have your tunic as well.” Now when He mentioned ‘tunic’, Jesus knew, and the people ALL knew what the ‘tunic’ meant. The Jews used to go about wearing their tunic especially when going on a pilgrimage or voyage. What was this tunic? This served as their bed for the night to sleep on; it served as their blanket to cover themselves up because of the cold in the night; it had two deep pockets on the inside, one on each side, the whole length of the coat. In these pockets they used to carry their belongings; money precious objects, food, certainly some oil and wine and what takes their fancy.

So giving up your cloak, your mantle meant giving up everything you possessed in life. That is just what Christ had in mind: Do not hesitate to help those in need even if means surrendering all you have, as long as help the needy. Yes we do need understand certain phrases that reflect the Jewish belief and tradition to grasp clearly the words of Jesus and His message.