Actions and Reactions
Actions and Reactions
A sermon
delivered by Rev. Dr. Randy K. Hammer, May 5, 2019
Judges 13-16 (summarized); Matthew 5:38-48 GNT
So, in the Old Testament book of Judges, we read the story of Samson, one of the charismatic leaders of Israel prior to the Jewish monarchy, or before the time of kings Saul and David. Samson’s parents dedicated him to God at birth as a Nazarite, which meant he was to live a life of strict devotion, drinking no strong drink and eating no unclean food, and never having his hair cut. Samson’s extraordinary strength was attributed to his long, un-cut hair.
Well, Samson fell for a non-Jewish, Philistine girl and pressured his parents until they relented and gave in for him to marry her. But trouble began immediately, even before the wedding festivities had ended. We see a triangular relationship occur between Samson, his new bride, and his bride’s close acquaintances. Samson tells his in-laws-to-be a riddle, and they all make a bet. If they can solve the riddle before the week-long wedding festivities are over, Samson vows to give them 30 new outfits of clothing. But if they can’t solve the riddle, they are to give Samson 30 new outfits of clothing.
Well, these 30 acquaintances of Samson’s new bride pressure her to get
Samson to tell them the answer to the riddle. So she cries, begs and manipulates Samson
until he tells her the answer to the riddle, which she immediately relays to
the 30 Philistine men. So Samson loses the wager. Feeling deceived, in a fit of
anger Samson runs to a nearby town, slaughters 30 men, removes their clothing,
and then takes it to the 30 men who had won the bet. But in the meantime, unbeknownst
to Samson, his new wife is given to his companion who had served as the best
man at his wedding.
So Samson goes back to his wife’s family to retrieve his bride, but her father refuses to give her to Samson, informing him that he has given her to his best man. So in retaliation, Samson goes and finds 300 foxes (where he found 300 foxes is a mystery), ties their tails together two by two, and places a fiery torch in each of the knots, and turns them loose in the Philistines’ fields of dry grain that are ready to be harvested. When the Philistines get wind of the smoldering fields, they confront Samson to ask why he would do such a thing, and he tells them it is because his bride was given to another. So the men go find the bride and her father and burn them to death in their home. In turn, Samson turns on those men and strikes them down.
So, in retaliation, soldiers from the Philistines march against the Israelites. Samson’s fellowmen ask him why he has committed all this violence so as to bring down upon them the wrath of the Philistines. And Samson says (and this is important), “As they did to me, so have I done to them” (Judges 15:11).
Samson’s own countrymen, in order to try to avert the wrath of the Philistines, bind Samson in ropes and deliver him into their hands. But strong Samson breaks the ropes and strikes down 1,000 more of the Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey.
Time passes and Samson again falls for a deceptive woman, Delilah, who gets out of him the secret to his great strength, which was his uncut hair. Samson’s head is shaved while he sleeps ion Delilah’s lap, he loses his strength, and is captured by the Philistines. They gouge out his eyes and bind him in shackles and make him grind in the mill like a beast of burden.
Well, over time, Samson’s hair grows again and his great strength returns. One day the Philistines are having a big celebration in the temple of their god Dagon and call for Samson to entertain them as they mock him. They place Samson between the two middle pillars of the temple. Samson prays for strength one last time, and, as the story goes, pushes the pillars until they fall, causing the roof of the temple to fall in on top of 3,000 women and men, and taking Samson’s life as well. End of story.
So Samson goes back to his wife’s family to retrieve his bride, but her father refuses to give her to Samson, informing him that he has given her to his best man. So in retaliation, Samson goes and finds 300 foxes (where he found 300 foxes is a mystery), ties their tails together two by two, and places a fiery torch in each of the knots, and turns them loose in the Philistines’ fields of dry grain that are ready to be harvested. When the Philistines get wind of the smoldering fields, they confront Samson to ask why he would do such a thing, and he tells them it is because his bride was given to another. So the men go find the bride and her father and burn them to death in their home. In turn, Samson turns on those men and strikes them down.
So, in retaliation, soldiers from the Philistines march against the Israelites. Samson’s fellowmen ask him why he has committed all this violence so as to bring down upon them the wrath of the Philistines. And Samson says (and this is important), “As they did to me, so have I done to them” (Judges 15:11).
Samson’s own countrymen, in order to try to avert the wrath of the Philistines, bind Samson in ropes and deliver him into their hands. But strong Samson breaks the ropes and strikes down 1,000 more of the Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey.
Time passes and Samson again falls for a deceptive woman, Delilah, who gets out of him the secret to his great strength, which was his uncut hair. Samson’s head is shaved while he sleeps ion Delilah’s lap, he loses his strength, and is captured by the Philistines. They gouge out his eyes and bind him in shackles and make him grind in the mill like a beast of burden.
Well, over time, Samson’s hair grows again and his great strength returns. One day the Philistines are having a big celebration in the temple of their god Dagon and call for Samson to entertain them as they mock him. They place Samson between the two middle pillars of the temple. Samson prays for strength one last time, and, as the story goes, pushes the pillars until they fall, causing the roof of the temple to fall in on top of 3,000 women and men, and taking Samson’s life as well. End of story.
Now, what is the point of this long, fantastical story? you may be
asking. Well, one of the themes we see
repeated again and again in this story is action and reaction. The Philistines act
with deception and violence, then Samson reacts with violence. Then the
Philistines react to Samson’s action with more violence, and then Samson reacts
again in return. Action begets reaction. Violence begets violence in an
unending cycle.
But isn’t such an age-old, universal pattern of humanity? Violence begets a reaction of violence. The cycle is unending. Every action begets a reaction of equal or greater proportions.
One of the things we learned in the Holocaust Study Group about what set the stage in Germany for the rise of Hitler and Nazism was the way the Germans felt humiliated and debilitated by the whole world following World War I and the Treaty of Versailles. Germany’s economy was totally destroyed after World War I and their country’s spirit was completely broken. Germans traded their most prized and valuable possessions for a loaf of bread, and they burned their money, so worthless it was. So when Hitler came along some fifteen years later, promising to restore Germany’s greatness, the German people listened and followed him blindly. Action and reaction. Germany’s fall in the eyes of the world, and the reaction of the German lust for race superiority and world domination. Action and reaction.
More recently, we have been saddened by the number of incidents of violence in places of worship. On Easter Day, we heard of the terrible church bombing massacres in Sri Lanka. At least 359 Christians were killed. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks. But did you hear the theory as to why Islamic extremists carried out the Easter Day massacre? One theory is it was retaliation for the shootings that claimed 50 lives at two Muslim mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, less than six weeks earlier. Violence begets violence.
As we watch the world news and hear of another attack upon another place of worship in retaliation for a previous attack upon another place of worship, we want to cry out, “When will it all end?” This week a Christian church, next week a Jewish synagogue, and the following week a Muslim mosque. When will the cycle of violence be broken?
Jesus addressed the issue of the cycle of violence, you know, when he said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But now I tell you: do not take revenge on someone who wrongs you. . . love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:38-39, 44). In more practical terms, as pointed out in that quote attributed to Mohandas Gandhi, “An eye for an eye will eventually make the whole world blind.” And Martin Luther King Jr, who studied the ways of both Gandhi and Jesus, said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
But isn’t such an age-old, universal pattern of humanity? Violence begets a reaction of violence. The cycle is unending. Every action begets a reaction of equal or greater proportions.
One of the things we learned in the Holocaust Study Group about what set the stage in Germany for the rise of Hitler and Nazism was the way the Germans felt humiliated and debilitated by the whole world following World War I and the Treaty of Versailles. Germany’s economy was totally destroyed after World War I and their country’s spirit was completely broken. Germans traded their most prized and valuable possessions for a loaf of bread, and they burned their money, so worthless it was. So when Hitler came along some fifteen years later, promising to restore Germany’s greatness, the German people listened and followed him blindly. Action and reaction. Germany’s fall in the eyes of the world, and the reaction of the German lust for race superiority and world domination. Action and reaction.
More recently, we have been saddened by the number of incidents of violence in places of worship. On Easter Day, we heard of the terrible church bombing massacres in Sri Lanka. At least 359 Christians were killed. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks. But did you hear the theory as to why Islamic extremists carried out the Easter Day massacre? One theory is it was retaliation for the shootings that claimed 50 lives at two Muslim mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, less than six weeks earlier. Violence begets violence.
As we watch the world news and hear of another attack upon another place of worship in retaliation for a previous attack upon another place of worship, we want to cry out, “When will it all end?” This week a Christian church, next week a Jewish synagogue, and the following week a Muslim mosque. When will the cycle of violence be broken?
Jesus addressed the issue of the cycle of violence, you know, when he said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But now I tell you: do not take revenge on someone who wrongs you. . . love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:38-39, 44). In more practical terms, as pointed out in that quote attributed to Mohandas Gandhi, “An eye for an eye will eventually make the whole world blind.” And Martin Luther King Jr, who studied the ways of both Gandhi and Jesus, said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
When will humanity learn that Samson’s philosophy of “As they did to me,
so have I done to them” will only keep the world in a constant state of violent
turmoil? When will we learn that acts of
hatred can’t end acts of hatred, violence can’t put an end to violence, and
seeking revenge for a previous offense doesn’t solve anything?
You and I may feel helpless when it comes to church bombings, mosque massacres, and synagogue shootings. We may think there is nothing at all that we can do to change the world. But perhaps there is. We can seek to establish and foster friendly relations with those of other religions and let them know we do not condone such violence or hateful rhetoric against any religious group and it is not a part of our culture.
You and I may feel helpless when it comes to church bombings, mosque massacres, and synagogue shootings. We may think there is nothing at all that we can do to change the world. But perhaps there is. We can seek to establish and foster friendly relations with those of other religions and let them know we do not condone such violence or hateful rhetoric against any religious group and it is not a part of our culture.
And when we feel
wronged by another, instead of seeking revenge and continuing the cycle of
hatred and possibly violence, we can decide to break the cycle and choose the
higher ground of prayer for those who offend us. And if we find loving and forgiving those who
wrong us to be too difficult at the moment, the very least we can do is
determine to break the cycle and not seek revenge. As Oak Ridge’s own beloved Mira Kimmelman – a
Holocaust survivor who passed away last month – reminds us, “Hate
destroys. We are not born with
hate. It is taught at home, in school,
and on the streets.”
The proliferation of
hatred and the unending cycle of violence can stop with us as we let our
reaction to a previous hateful one be such that chooses the higher ground and works
for peace and harmony instead. May we have
the strength to do so. Amen.
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