Times and again, we are embarrassed by the morality stipulated in the Old Testament. Quite a large number of the precepts are culturally conditioned and may not be universally applicable. Take the example of keeping the Sabbath holy. Frankly speaking, nowadays many people mistake Sunday for the Sabbath because they rest on Sunday and the Sabbath is supposed to be the day of rest. Actually, in ancient time, Sunday was the day devoted to the worship of the sun. That is why it was called Sunday. Roman legislation made it the first day of the week. The concept of the Sabbath comes from the creation story in Genesis. The Sabbath is the day after the 6-day creation. God blessed this seventh day (Genesis 2:3). So, if we equate one week with seven days, the Sabbath is the last day of the week: Saturday! The Ten Commandments make it mandatory to rest on the Sabbath (Exodus 20:10). However, the Christian Western world rests on Sunday to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus and Christians also observe the Ten Commandments. Therefore, Sunday gets mixed up with the Sabbath. Christians rest on the wrong day! What is worse, whoever works on Saturday should be put to death!
You shall keep the sabbath, because it is holy for you; every one who profanes it shall be put to death; whoever does any work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD; whoever does any work on the sabbath day shall be put to death (Exodus 31:14-15).
No wonder early Christians were persecuted by Saul (Paul) and many other Jews.
Jews are a very pragmatic people. They don't care much about the niceties of morality. They care more about the consequences. Take the advice of Ezekiel as an example.
But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way; he shall die in his iniquity, but you will have saved your life (Ezekiel 33:9).
Ezekiel advised us to do good in order to save our life! The motive is not very noble, is it? Who cares? As long as you donate money to save the needy, whether you do it for fame or for compassion, Jews don't care. Probably, it was God, rather than the Jews, who was pragmatic. How do you motivate pragmatic people to do good? I'm afraid high-sounding ideals will not work. You need to speak their language, do a cost-benefit analysis with them to convince them.
Christians are an idealistic folk. When they try to persuade people to do good, they give you high-sounding ideals to convince you.
If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother (Matthew 18:15).
Therefore, your motive is not to save your own life, but to save the soul of your brother. Isn't is noble? Yes, but I am afraid it is really too challenging. Wouldn't it be more natural and easier to curse them, to wish them die instead of reasoning with annoying and offensive people? Well, Christians are called to be perfect (Matthew 5:48) and practice makes perfect, doesn't it?
Now, after an initial failure, Christians do not lose heart. They call more people together to exert peer pressure on the offender (Matthew 18:16). Matthew was in fact very Jewish. The reason he gave was based on Jewish law (Deuteronomy 19:15). When it does not work, Christians will call on the authority of the church (Matthew 18:17a). The next step has to be interpreted very carefully.
and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector (Matthew 18:17b).
Does it mean we should excommunicate the offender who does not obey even the church?
If this line were written by Paul, the answer would be positive. Paul, the Pharisee, was very strict to sinners. He advised the Corinthian Church to remove immoral members from the community (1 Corinthians 5:2, 9).
Luckily, the line was written by Matthew, the tax-collector whom Jesus called. Tax-collectors served the Romans who were Gentiles. Gentiles were clients they served everyday. So, both tax-collectors and Gentiles are not people to be rejected, but people to be won over! If the Church fails to win them over, their only hope lies in the mercy of Jesus.
Once again, when we read the Bible, we cannot read it out of context.
My dear Advocate, we are called to be perfect. We will stop if only we reach perfection 止於至善. Yet, perfection is an ever receding goal. There is always room for improvement. I pray that You continue to accompany us on this pilgrimage home. Amen.
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