An Eye for an Eye
It's true. I do love Star Trek. A common theme in Christian ethics is the importance of "turning the other cheek," a reference to this passage from the Sermon on the Mount: 38 “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... (Matthew 5:38-40, NRSV) Putting on my historical-critical hat for a moment, I'm noting that here, as in the Temptation story that came just a few pages earlier (see my previous post about literalism), Jesus is critiquing a teaching from the Torah, though in this case instead of counterposing it with another passage, he's making up one of his own. Standard preaching practice is to treat this as a counterpoint, to suggest that Jesus is rejecting the Biblical mandate for vengeance with a different ...