Mateo 5:21-37
21 »Ustedes han oído que a sus antepasados se les dijo: “No mates, pues
el que mate será condenado.” 22 Pero yo les digo que cualquiera
que se enoje con su hermano, será condenado. Al que insulte a su hermano, lo
juzgará la Junta Suprema; y el que injurie gravemente a su hermano, se hará
merecedor del fuego del infierno.
23 »Así que, si al llevar tu ofrenda al altar te acuerdas de que tu
hermano tiene algo contra ti, 24 deja tu ofrenda allí mismo
delante del altar y ve primero a ponerte en paz con tu hermano. Entonces podrás
volver al altar y presentar tu ofrenda.
25 »Si alguien te lleva a juicio, ponte de acuerdo con él mientras
todavía estés a tiempo, para que no te entregue al juez; porque si no, el juez
te entregará a los guardias y te meterán en la cárcel. 26 Te
aseguro que no saldrás de allí hasta que pagues el último centavo.
27 »Ustedes han oído que se dijo: “No cometas adulterio.” 28 Pero
yo les digo que cualquiera que mira con deseo a una mujer, ya cometió adulterio
con ella en su corazón.
29 »Así pues, si tu ojo derecho te hace caer en pecado, sácatelo y échalo
lejos de ti; es mejor que pierdas una sola parte de tu cuerpo, y no que todo tu
cuerpo sea arrojado al infierno. 30 Y si tu mano derecha te
hace caer en pecado, córtatela y échala lejos de ti; es mejor que pierdas una
sola parte de tu cuerpo, y no que todo tu cuerpo vaya a parar al infierno.
31 »También se dijo: “Cualquiera que se divorcia de su esposa, debe darle
un certificado de divorcio.” 32 Pero yo les digo que si un
hombre se divorcia de su esposa, a no ser en el caso de una unión ilegal, la
pone en peligro de cometer adulterio. Y el que se casa con una divorciada,
comete adulterio.
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Matthew 5:21-37
21“You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ 22But I say to you that if you are angry with a sibling, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire. 23So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your sibling has something against you, 24leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your sibling, and then come and offer your gift. 25Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. 26Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.
27“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell. 31“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
33“Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Becoming One.’ 34But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35or by the earth, for it is her footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great Queen. 36And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one.
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La lectura de hoy
es un poco difícil de oír. Jesús
tiene palabras fuertes para las personas con quien habla, pero no suena lo
mismo por cada uno de nosotres.
Esta hablando en el sermón del monte a sus discípulos y a la multitud,
pero la manera en que habla en esta parte significa que está hablando con
personas con poder en su comunidad.
Está hablando sobre el poder—en la sociedad y, sobre otras personas—y cómo restringirlo.
Today's reading is a little
hard to hear. Jesus has strong words for the people he’s talking to, but
they don’t resonate the same for each of us. He’s speaking in the sermon on the mount
to his disciples among a growing crowd, but the way he speaks in this part
means that he’s talking to people with power in his community. He is talking
about power — in society and over other people — and how to restrict it.
As in many marginalized communities, the queer community knows a lot about power. In the sixties and seventies, when Marsha P. Johnson and Silvia Rivera led the resistance at Stonewall, they knew that the police and immoral laws against trans and queer people had the power in society. Today, while we hear of the laws appearing in Iowa and other states against trans youth in particular, we know where the power is.
As in many marginalized communities, the queer community knows a lot about power. In the sixties and seventies, when Marsha P. Johnson and Silvia Rivera led the resistance at Stonewall, they knew that the police and immoral laws against trans and queer people had the power in society. Today, while we hear of the laws appearing in Iowa and other states against trans youth in particular, we know where the power is.
Como en muchas
comunidades marginalizadas, la comunidad queer conoce mucho sobre el
poder. En los años sesenta y
setenta, cuando Marsha P. Johnson y Silvia Rivera dirigieron la resistencia de
Stonewall, sabían que la policía y las leyes inmorales contra personas trans y
queer tenían el poder en la sociedad.
Hoy en día, mientras que oímos de las leyes apareciendo en Iowa y otros
estados contra jóvenes trans, sabemos dónde está el poder.
Cada año cuando
leemos los nombres y reconocemos las vidas tomadas de las personas trans, la
mayoría de quienes son mujeres trans de minoría, sabemos dónde está el
poder. Este poder de matar y sacar
derechos es poder individual y aun más es poder corporal. Ese poder, en el sentido estructural,
reside con personas que no son marginalizadas y se colocan en instituciones y
organizaciones que ayudan a ciertas personas y oprimen a otras.
Every year when we read the
names and recognize the lives taken of trans people, who are mostly trans women
of color, we know where the power is. This power to kill and take away rights
is individual power and moreso communal power. That power, in the structural sense, resides not with people
who are marginalized, but in institutions and organizations that help people
with privilege and oppress others.
But power is not only a societal concern, but it also affects how we relate to each other. In this part of the sermon on the mount, Jesus is speaking to people with more power on how to better relate to people with less power.
Pero el poder no solo es una cosa de la sociedad, sino también afecta como nos relacionamos unes a otres y en esta parte del sermón de la monte, Jesús está hablando a las personas con mas poder sobre cómo relacionarse mejor con personas con menos poder.
But power is not only a societal concern, but it also affects how we relate to each other. In this part of the sermon on the mount, Jesus is speaking to people with more power on how to better relate to people with less power.
Pero el poder no solo es una cosa de la sociedad, sino también afecta como nos relacionamos unes a otres y en esta parte del sermón de la monte, Jesús está hablando a las personas con mas poder sobre cómo relacionarse mejor con personas con menos poder.
Cuando Jesús habla
del homicidio y el enojo, está hablando a las personas quienes han ofendido a
otra persona. No es la
responsabilidad de la víctima iniciar la resolución o reconciliación. Es la responsabilidad de la persona que
es perpetrador a pedir perdón y cambiar como actúa. De esta manera, Jesús requiere algo de la persona con más
poder en vez de añadir al peso que lleva la persona con menos poder.
When Jesus speaks of murder
and anger, he is talking to people who have harmed another person. It is not
the responsibility of the victim to initiate resolution or reconciliation. It’s
the responsibility of the person who is the perpetrator to apologize and to
change how he acts. In this way, Jesus requires something of the person with
the most power rather than adding to the burden of the person with less power.
When Jesus speaks of divorce, he is telling men in a patriarchal society that they cannot divorce their wives for any old reason. Because the divorce will leave the woman without resources. When Jesus speaks of adultery, he is talking to men, who objectify gender minorities. Today Jesus would be talking about all the rules in schools about how young women can dress, about anyone who says she "was asking for it" or deserved the harm, abuse, or harassment she experienced because of how she dressed. Jesus is talking about each time someone tries to figure out the gender of a stranger or calls a trans woman a “man in a dress.”
When Jesus speaks of divorce, he is telling men in a patriarchal society that they cannot divorce their wives for any old reason. Because the divorce will leave the woman without resources. When Jesus speaks of adultery, he is talking to men, who objectify gender minorities. Today Jesus would be talking about all the rules in schools about how young women can dress, about anyone who says she "was asking for it" or deserved the harm, abuse, or harassment she experienced because of how she dressed. Jesus is talking about each time someone tries to figure out the gender of a stranger or calls a trans woman a “man in a dress.”
Cuando Jesús habla
del divorcio, está diciéndoles a los hombres en una sociedad patriarcal que no
se puede divorciarse de su esposa por cualquier razón. Cuando divorcia a una mujer, le deja
sin recursos. Cuando Jesús habla
del adulterio, está hablando a los hombres, quienes objetivan a personas que
son minores de género. Hoy en día
es que Jesús está hablando sobre todas las reglas en las escuelas sobre como
pueden vestirse las jóvenes, sobre cada persona que dice que ella “estaba
pidiendo” o mereció el daño que experimentó por como se vistió. Está hablando sobre cada vez que se
trata de averiguar cual género pertenece a una persona o le llama a una mujer
trans que es un “hombre en vestido.”
En realidad, Jesús
dice que el perpetrador tiene la culpa por un ataque. La responsabilidad por no mirar con lujuria o meterse en sus
asuntos cuando trata del género de otra persona es, en la sociedad
heteronormativa, la del hombre, y si es difícil, Jesús dice “si tu ojo derecho te hace caer en pecado,
sácatelo y échalo lejos de ti; es mejor que pierdas una sola parte de tu
cuerpo, y no que todo tu cuerpo sea arrojado al infierno.”
Instead, Jesus says that the
perpetrator is to blame for an attack. The responsibility for not looking with
lust or for minding your own business about another person´s gender is, in
heteronormative society, that of the man, and if it’s difficult, Jesus says “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it
out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than
for your whole body to be thrown into hell.”
In the queer community, we navigate a lot the ins and outs of consent and power, because not everyone has the same power or the same safety. While a cis white gay man can run for president, more and more trans people, especially trans women of color, are killed every year. More and more in this country people feel comfortable insulting and harassing queer people as well as all marginalized people. And every time, people in the community who are already the most vulnerable, receive the greatest harm from the abuse.
In the queer community, we navigate a lot the ins and outs of consent and power, because not everyone has the same power or the same safety. While a cis white gay man can run for president, more and more trans people, especially trans women of color, are killed every year. More and more in this country people feel comfortable insulting and harassing queer people as well as all marginalized people. And every time, people in the community who are already the most vulnerable, receive the greatest harm from the abuse.
En la comunidad
queer, navegamos mucho las entradas y las salidas del consentimiento y del
poder, porque no todos tenemos el mismo poder o la misma seguridad. Mientras que un hombre blanco y gay
puede tratar de ser presidente, más y más personas trans, especialmente mujeres
trans de minoría, están matadas cada año.
Más y más en este país personas sienten cómodas echar insultos y acosar
a personas queer, como todas las personas marginalizadas. Y cada ves, las personas en la
comunidad que ya son las mas vulnerables, reciben el impacto más grande del
abuso.
Por eso, cuando
Jesús está hablando a las personas con poder y sobre su poder, es importante
para nosotres hoy. Jesús está
hablando a una comunidad sobre cómo funcionar en un sistema que refuerza la
desigualdad y los abusos del poder.
Está hablando sobre cómo mitigar las diferencias de poder en las
relaciones interpersonales.
So, when Jesus is speaking
to people with power and about their power, it’s important for us today. Jesus
is talking to a community about how to function in a system that reinforces
inequality and abuse of power. He is talking about how to mitigate power
differences in interpersonal relationships.
In this conversation, Jesus isn’t talking about how to correct or change the unjust system, although we know that it is part of our work as followers of Christ. He’s talking about how to interact, how to survive in the midst of injustice. How to limit abuses of power. How to create space so that people with less power can use their power.
In this conversation, Jesus isn’t talking about how to correct or change the unjust system, although we know that it is part of our work as followers of Christ. He’s talking about how to interact, how to survive in the midst of injustice. How to limit abuses of power. How to create space so that people with less power can use their power.
En esta
conversación, Jesús no está hablando de cómo corregir o cambiar el sistema
injusta, aunque sabemos que es parte de nuestro trabajo como seguidores de
Cristo. Está hablando de cómo
interactuar, cómo sobrevivir en el medio de la injusticia. Cómo restringir los abusos del
poder. Cómo crear espacio para que
las personas con menos poder pueden usar su poder.
Esto es parte de
una cultura de consentimiento. El
consentimiento mitiga un poco la desigualdad dentro de una comunidad. Cuando compartimos la paz, si preguntamos
antes de abrazar o dar la mano, damos a cada persona la oportunidad de decir
“no.” Si alguien tiene dolor en la
mano de artritis, si alguien tiene una experiencia de trauma que afecta a sus
interacciones con otras personas, la oportunidad de decir no o decir sí, es muy
importante.
This is part of a culture of
consent. Consent works to mitigate inequality within a community. During the
sharing of the peace, when we ask before hugging or shaking hands, we give each
person the opportunity to say "no." If someone has hand pain from
arthritis, if someone has a trauma experience that affects their interactions
with other people, the opportunity to say no or say yes is very important.
When we teach kids that their bodies are theirs and they don't need to give a hug to a person if they don't want to, we teach them that if someone tries to do something bad that they don’t like, they don't need to accept it. We teach them that if another person says they don't want a hug, they need to respect that person’s desires. We support them in having autonomy over their own body and respecting the bodies of others.
When we teach kids that their bodies are theirs and they don't need to give a hug to a person if they don't want to, we teach them that if someone tries to do something bad that they don’t like, they don't need to accept it. We teach them that if another person says they don't want a hug, they need to respect that person’s desires. We support them in having autonomy over their own body and respecting the bodies of others.
Cuando enseñamos a
niñes que sus cuerpos son suyos y no necesitan dar un abrazo a una persona si
no quiere, les enseñamos que si alguien trata de hacer algo muy malo, no
necesitan aceptarlo. Les enseñamos
que si otra persona dice que no quiere o sí quiere un abrazo, necesitan
respetarle a la persona. Les
apoyamos en tener autonomía sobre su propio cuerpo y respetar a los cuerpos de
otras personas.
El mundo a que nos
invita Jesús es un mundo donde las estructuras de desigualdad no existen. Y, Jesús nos invita en este mundo en
que todavía vivimos que todavía tiene las estructuras de desigualdad a
portarnos diferentemente. Nos
invita a encontrar y construir maneras de interactuar que respeta a cada
persona y que apoderar a personas más vulnerables. Cuando preguntamos si podemos abrazarse, o darse la mano,
practicamos un mundo diferente aun en el medio del mundo como es.
The world Jesus ultimately invites us to is a world where structural inequality doesn’t exist. And, Jesus invites us, in the midst of this world that still has structural inequality and oppression, to behave differently. Jesus invites us to find and build ways to interact that respect each person and empower the most vulnerable people. When we ask if we can hug, or shake hands, we practice a different world even in the middle of the world as it is.