To Jesus, good or bad, all are God's family

We read some essential Christian teaching in what is termed as ‘The Sermon on the Mount’ in the Gospel of Matthew, the opening book of the New Testament in the Bible.


In the first-ever long sermon that Jesus gives his followers, he speaks of the relationship between God and man. As our Creator, God is our Father and Provider.

God gave the first man and woman a good world to live in and rule over. Evil found its way into human hearts and human affairs. But God has his own family of children who love and understand Him and are faithful to Him. Jesus calls them blessed because God’s kingdom belongs to them. They are free from pride and pretensions. They are pure of heart and are able to see God acting in their lives. Amid the actions of evil-doers, they hunger and thirst for righteousness and they will be satisfied.

Jesus speaks of the super-abundant munificence of God. Though sins abound among people, God easily forgives and blesses them, and by his example, we should know not to be overwhelmed by the wickedness we see around us. Jesus tells his followers to remember the immeasurable goodness of God, who blesses all his creation with sunshine and rain that give warmth and livelihood to the good and the bad alike, to the righteous and the unrighteous.

The weight of all the evil in the hearts of people is nothing compared to the love and goodwill of God towards his children. The only way the evil ones can know of this limitless love of God is for his devotees to repay evil with super goodness and love. Hence, follow Jesus’s astounding words: ‘Do not resist an evil person. If a man strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other cheek also. If someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the man who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. ’ Jesus adds, ‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. ’

Gandhiji is said to have practised these teachings. The counsel is considered absurd by those who believe that evil action calls for revenge or punishment. But Jesus reasons that as members of the spiritual family of God we must look upon all – even those who trouble and hurt us out of the evil in them – as members of God’s family and our goodwill must extend towards all. It is not the evil-doer but evil itself that has to be defeated. Turning the other cheek may make the evil-doer ashamed of the evil. That may be a sure way to wipe out enmity and turn an enemy into a friend.

Jesus tells his followers to act on God’s behalf: ‘Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect. ’ Thereby, they spread peace and goodwill, which is God’s will for the world that he created. ‘Blessed are the peacemakers,’ Jesus says, ‘for they will be called sons of God. ’