Contact Us | Quaker History | The Queries | Our Location
Online Discussion Group
Until a fully functional blog is implemented, please join the online discussion group by doing the following:
Click here to contact the site's webmaster directly OR send an email to webmaster@eugenefriends.org. In either case, include in the message your name and your affiliation (e.g., member, visitor, former attendee, or whatever fits your situation) with Eugene Friends Church. Anyone is welcome to join the discussion group; we only want to know who the participants are.
Include in the email your contribution to the discussion. Within about 24 hours, your text will be posted on this web page.
***********************************
(Posted Jan 25, 2009 -- Marie M)
In Matthew 5, Jesus talks about what it means to be righteous under the Old Testament scriptures and His mission to fulfill the “Law and the Prophets”. Then Jesus sets the “righteousness bar” even higher by taking six laws from the OT (murder, adultery, divorce, oaths, retaliation, and love for our neighbor) and interpreting them in a way that went beyond the customs and teachings of His day about the letter of these laws. In His teaching about these six laws, Jesus uses a common formula: “You have heard that it was said…. But I say to you….”
Are these six laws exhaustive? In other words, did Jesus confine His teaching to these six only OR was He challenging the crowd and us to apply His “formula” to other laws and thus learn and relearn the kingdom standards that Jesus calls us to live by on earth.
I went to Exodus 21 and 22 to try out the “you have heard it said…but…” formula. Here are some examples that made me think deeply about possible meanings for today.
Exodus 21:20 – “When a man strikes his slave…with a rod and the slave dies under his hand, he shall be avenged.” Of course, slavery is not a situation that we in the United States face now, but can this law be applied to the modern workplace, for example? If we are in a position of power over employees (e.g., owners or supervisors or hiring someone to do repair work), how do we treat them? Are we careful how we address employees? Are we concerned for their health and welfare? Do we compensate them fairly and treat them fairly? Do we invest our money in companies that treat their employees fairly? Do we get returns on our investments at the expense of employees or customers?
Exodus 22:21 – “You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.” How do we treat travelers from other parts of the world? Does it matter where they are from? How do we treat immigrants (legal or illegal)? Were we once sojourners in this country we now call “ours” and should that make a difference?
Exodus 22:5 – “If a man causes a field or vineyard to be grazed over…he shall make restitution from the best in his own field and in his own vineyard.” This one is still somewhat relevant as literally stated, but what about the majority of us who live in cities? Are we doing what we can to lower the negative impact we have on the earth? How do we honor and dishonor God’s creation that is entrusted to us?
I would really like to know your reactions to this posting.