Radio Beloved

Life for life,
Eye for eye,
Tooth for tooth,
Hand for hand,
Foot for foot,
Burning for burning,
Wound for wound,
Wound for wound,
Wound for wound for wound for wound for wound,
Stripe for stripe for stripe for stripe for …

… and stone laws of stone table yield.

Wounded for our transgression,
with his stripes we are healed.
–Neal Davis

¶ Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: ∙But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. ∙And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. ∙And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. ∙Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
–Matthew 5:38-42

The gospel of the second mile. Christ exemplifies the practical application of this most practical doctrine throughout his eternal ministry. Consider, for a moment, the Parable of the Good Samaritan:

A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. ∙And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. ∙And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. ∙But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, ∙and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. ∙And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
–Luke 10:30-35

It was morally incumbent on the Samaritan to bind the man’s wounds and care for him, even to go so far as the inn with him. Certainly no less would be expected by any ethical system, but note the further action of the Samaritan–he pays, in advance, for the further care his charge will require. We can nod knowingly at this gesture and say, “He was certainly a charitable man,” but I think that if that alone were the target of this parable, Jesus wouldn’t have watered down the precious words of his few parables with gratuity. No, this line from the Fisher of Men is intended to draw us into deeper waters of truth.

And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.

Jesus Christ is inviting us to go a mile farther than we have been compelled to go, as included in the Sermon on the Mount, the seminal moral discourse for any Christian. He’s reminding us that part of life is putting more in than you receive. I know that in a salvational sense that isn’t true, but in interpersonal relationships it can be, and must be, if we are to bring souls to Christ.

In the Book of Mormon, Jesus spent an entire day with the people of the New World preaching, teaching, and prophesying. Towards the late afternoon, he drew his ministering to a close:

Therefore, go ye unto your homes, and ponder upon the things which I have said, and ask of the Father, in my name, that ye may understand, and prepare your minds for the morrow, and I come unto you again.
–3 Nephi 17:3

The Nephites sadly considered Jesus’ departure, but, as the record states, “they were in tears, and did look steadfastly upon him as if they would ask him to tarry a little longer with them (3 Nephi 17:5).” Strictly speaking, the Lord’s ministry for the day among the Nephites was complete, for he had taught them the principles of the gospel. Here, however, was an opportunity to go the second mile. Jesus spent much longer in direct ministry to the Nephites, and their lame, and their children. Marvelous miracles, on the scale of those at Jerusalem, were performed for God’s children in America, and the sacrament was administered for the first time in that new dispensation of grace. The second mile.

In the broadest sense, the Atonement itself embodies this principle. We know that Christ paid the price for our moral separation from God, due to the Fall:

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; ∙being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: ∙whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.
–Romans 3:23-25

We learn through modern revelation that the Atonement was, however, broader than this, and that Christ took upon himself even more:

And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. ∙And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.
–Alma 7:11-12

Jesus Christ took upon himself voluntarily death. He took upon himself voluntarily sin. These were necessary elements for our redemption. However, he also chose to take upon himself our infirmities, that he might know how to succor (from L. to run to) us. The Holy One of Israel chose to set the ultimate example for us of going the second mile, and succoring us beyond what we may view as having strictly been required.

Now I’ve written a bit about what is required ethically. I suggest that what is “required”, in that sense, is insufficient. It draws us into a terrestrial sphere, but not into the celestial.

For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? ∙And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? ∙Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
–Matthew 5:46-48

This is the genius of true Christianity, the deeper requirement that is so often glossed over. In total consecration, more than the minimum, ethically required good is performed, and the maximum good is sought.

Freely ye have received, freely give.
–Matthew 10:8

The iron rod is two miles long: one mile from the lonely way of Eden to the gate of salvation, and another to the circles of exaltation.

This week I’d like to share a little bit of my recent impressions on repentance, forgiveness, and application of the Atonement.

Sin is the introduction of a division between us and God. We are all in this state, having long ago acted waywardly, and we are all in need of the Atonement. Jesus Christ reminded us in several places of our mutual need to repent and forgive, as in the parable of the unworthy servant, which ends thus:

Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: ∙Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? ∙And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
–Matthew 18:32-34, KJV

This parable clearly illuminates the divine expectation that in expecting grace, we must extend it. By withholding forgiveness from my sister or my brother, I signal not that I have, but that I would deny them the Atonement if I could. It signals that my desire for “justice” outweighs any claim that they may make for mercy.

Therefore, if ye shall come unto me, or shall desire to come unto me, or if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee, ∙leave thou thy gift before the altar, and go thy way unto thy brother, and first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
–Matthew 5:23-24, IV

There is a proscription apparent on tacit repentance, or that we might try to repent only before the Lord when our brother or sister is also offended. By openly acknowledging our error and our repentance, we invite both their forgiveness and their repentance for withholding it. We invite them to be more Christlike, as well as progressing towards that ideal ourselves.

Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art in the way with him; lest at any time thine adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. ∙Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, until thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.
–Matthew 5:25-26, IV

We invite grace, or to have the uttermost farthing paid in our stead, by participating in the means of repentance, the Atonement.

Jeffrey R. Holland, in his concluding discourse as Commissioner of Church Education, stated:

Unless we indeed understand the message of the baptismal covenants in this kingdom, and bear one another’s burdens; and the way you can bear mine…it’s an ironic thing, the atonement is ironic…is to take the sin back that I gave you. You shoulder the fact that I despitefully used you. Forgive me of it. Take it on your shoulders. …
I see this as the one way we consciously, conspicuously, dramatically present ourselves as members of the body of Christ; that we actively participate in the atonement. That is the sacrifice for sin, to bear the burden of somebody else’s problems because whosoever else’s they are, they were not His. Those were not His problems for which that flesh was torn and that blood ran.
–Jeffrey R. Holland, “What is the Heart of the Atonement?”

Perhaps this offers a better way for us to understand the apparent dichotomy between faith and works. Works become a way of making our peace with the Lord, as it were, not for his sake so much as for ours. Any work that we could perform, of course, is limited in its utility: “If ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants (Mosiah 2:21).” As Robert L. Millet once said, “Show me faith without works.” (On a side note, having true faith is itself a work consistent with the will of the Lord.)

It is thus incumbent upon us to promote the application of the Atonement, in my life and in that of others, by inviting forgiveness and repentance through humble, sincere forgiveness and repentance.  I know I’ve a long way to go to reach this level of authenticity in my interpersonal relationships, but I hope that Elder Holland’s reminder that “those were not His problems for which that flesh was torn and that blood ran” will help me to remember the Savior more during the week and beyond.