This post continues our series in which we are marching through the Gospels and making connections to the Revelation of Baha’u’llah. The passage below is from the Sermon on the Mount, from the Gospel of Matthew-

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth. But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor  and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.  If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

These words, spoken as part of the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus Christ delivered the “Beatitudes” noted in the previous post, are extraordinarily important and significant for the spiritual and moral evolution of humanity on this planet.  They represent a marked departure from the traditional morality taught in cultures all over the world before Christ, both within and outside of the Jewish tradition.  The interactions between people, and social law generally, was marked by the ethic of “an eye for an eye”, meaning, if someone did someone to you, you had the right to do it back to them.  Jesus Christ- with these passages- brought a new standard- and it changed everything. 

“Christian charity”, the concern for others, treating even your enemies with respect- all of these things had untold effects on the societies that embraced Christianity- effects that are still felt today.  Unfortunately, too often these societies also forgot this standard and fell back to the “pagan” standards of antiquity- an “eye for an eye”.  How often have we seen a movie where something bad is done to the hero, and then the rest of the movie is about his effort to exact revenge on the perpetrators, who are cast as evil uncaring villains?  This is not a Christian standard but a pre-Christian one that humanity was supposed to have outgrown by now. 

Baha’u’llah’s Revelation builds upon the standard of Jesus, as expressed in numerous passages.  Baha’u’llah teaches that are vision should now be “world embracing” and that we should expand “love of our neighbor” beyond just our actual neighbor, but everyone in the whole world.  “Ye are the fruits of one tree and the leaves of one branch. Deal ye one with another with the utmost love and harmony, with friendliness and fellowship”. 

He encourages us, as in the following passage, to follow the teachings of God and “taste its sweetness”-

Beseech ye the one true God to grant that ye may taste the savor of such deeds as are performed in His path, and partake of the sweetness of such humility and submissiveness as are shown for His sake. Forget your own selves, and turn your eyes towards your neighbor. Bend your energies to whatever may foster the education of men. Nothing is, or can ever be, hidden from God. If ye follow in His way, His incalculable and imperishable blessings will be showered upon you. This is the luminous Tablet, whose verses have streamed from the moving Pen of Him Who is the Lord of all worlds. Ponder it in your hearts, and be ye of them that observe its precepts.

Abdu’l-Baha’ continued the teaching of these principles, how faith in God gives us the power to act in a way that is different from our society, how we can use our love of God to overlook the shortcomings of others, and see all people as part of our one human family. 

O army of God! Praise be to God, Bahá’u’lláh hath lifted the chains from off the necks of humankind, and hath set man free from all that trammeled him, and told him: Ye are the fruits of one tree and the leaves of one branch; be ye compassionate and kind to all the human race. Deal ye with strangers the same as with friends, cherish ye others just as ye would your own. See foes as friends; see demons as angels; give to the tyrant the same great love ye show the loyal and true, and even as gazelles from the scented cities of Khatá and Khutan¹ offer up sweet musk to the ravening wolf. Be ye a refuge to the fearful; bring ye rest and peace to the disturbed; make ye a provision for the destitute; be a treasury of riches for the poor; be a healing medicine for those who suffer pain; be ye doctor and nurse to the ailing; promote ye friendship, and honor, and conciliation, and devotion to God, in this world of nonexistence.

O army of God! Beware lest ye harm any soul, or make any heart to sorrow; lest ye wound any man with your words, be he known to you or a stranger, be he friend or foe. Pray ye for all; ask ye that all be blessed, all be forgiven. Beware, beware, lest any of you seek vengeance, even against one who is thirsting for your blood. Beware, beware, lest ye offend the feelings of another, even though he be an evildoer, and he wish you ill. Look ye not upon the creatures, turn ye to their Creator. See ye not the never-yielding people, see but the Lord of Hosts. Gaze ye not down upon the dust, gaze upward at the shining sun, which hath caused every patch of darksome earth to glow with light.

Next post in series- Prayer