Jerusalem in Jesus' time was a fractured society. They were under Roman rule with a two tiered system of Roman rulers and Jewish governors. Herod was king, his son Herod Antipas, the one who had John the Baptist beheaded, was a governor. Not only was the ruling system fractured, but society was as well. There were the wealthy aristocrats, nobles and priests called the Sadducees. There were the idealist Pharisees, who would not compromise with the Romans and thought if they followed the letter of the law they would be pure. There were the Zealots who advocated violence and rebellion to rid Israel of Roman oppression. Finally, there were the Essenes who wanted nothing to do with any of it and withdrew into a monastic existence. Add to this mix the other nationalities who had settled in Israel since the time of the kings, such as the Greeks, and you have a melting pot much like ours today. And like today, there was much animosity between the various groups.
That is why Jesus' message to them was so radical. There was something in it to offend almost anyone in polite society.
"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.
"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." - Luke 6:27-37 NIV
For the wealthy, he said they must give to everyone who asks; not only their cloak, but their tunic as well. For the Pharisee's, the message was that they should not judge or condemn. For the Zealots, the word was love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. And for those who would withdraw from the world, they were to love others, not just the ones that loved them. With the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Today, we would say, "What goes around, comes around." Easy to say, but extremely difficult to put into practice. That's why the gospel is just as radical today as it was in Jesus' time.
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