- Our first reaction to reading Jesus’ words here is likely to be disbelief. “Is He serious? You’ve got to be kidding me!”
- Which leads us to our first question. . .
What Was He Thinking? Is Jesus naïve, stupid, or insightful?
- Matthew 5:39-42.
a. Is Jesus naïve?
- Maybe Jesus was in over head when giving advice on this difficult issue. Maybe Jesus thought with a little push we’d all join hands and sing “Kumbaya.” Perhaps He just didn’t understand how deep in our DNA the desire for revenge and justice is. Maybe He meant well – He was just naïve.
b. Is Jesus stupid?
- Maybe Jesus is like your friend who advised you to put all your money in Bears Sterns. Maybe Jesus just doesn’t know what He’s talking about and is dispensing ridiculous advice.
c. Is Jesus insightful?
- Obviously, this is the one that I think is true.
- But I’ve phrased it in this harsh way because I think it’s easy for us to read past this advice as being unrealistic or otherworldly. To do that, however, denies that Jesus was a practical person with wise advice. What Jesus says here is something that we need to dig into for wisdom.
- And the fact that it initially sounds ridiculous to us is probably more of a reflection on our thinking than it is on Jesus’.
- Why does this sound ridiculous to us?
Our Culture’s Cry: “I have my rights!”
- Often we’re more interested in demanding our rights than we are in doing what’s right.
- Although there are obvious great things that have come out of the pursuit of basic human rights within our culture, there can come with it an inordinate selfishness.
- When our rights are violated, we’re quick with a hue and cry demanding that our rights are preserved.
- While certainly there are times when claims of violated rights are legitimate, the excessive lawsuits in our country make it clear that we often take our demands to a ridiculous extreme.
- Recently on Facebook, someone posted under one of my friends’ posts about a political issue: “Christians should be offended. Christians should be offended about a lot of things. Our rights are being stripped away.”
- We as Christians have become just like our culture in demanding our rights.
Jesus’ Idea: Start your response with grace rather than revenge.
- Matthew 5:38-42.
- Our initial response to being hurt or challenged is to get revenge. You don’t have to look any further than the endless cycle of violence in the Middle East to know that this is the default human response.
- Our first response is not to be a demand for justice and revenge.
- Verse 38 brings up the Old Testament law of “lex talionis.”
- Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:19-20; Deuteronomy 19:21.
- This law became an engine for revenge, but it wasn’t intended that way. It was actually intended to stifle bloodlust and limitless revenge.
- The intention of the law was not “You must take an eye for an eye” but “You cannot take more than an eye for an eye.” This law that was intended to prevent or limit retaliatory revenge was being used to justify its excesses.
- Remember that throughout much of Israelite history, they were basically living without a police force or much government. Justice was handled by individuals.
- We need to think more about our impact than our rights.
- Is my larger concern how I can show God’s love or how I can preserve my rights?
- Let’s look at the four examples Jesus uses and what that might translate to in our everyday lives.
a. “If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.”
- This is not about a physical assault, but about an insult.
- If a right-handed person hits someone on the right cheek, that’s a slap with the back of their hand, not a hit with a fist. Further, if someone hits you with a fist in a fight, they’re generally not going to wait on an invitation to throw a second punch – they’re going to start wailing on you.
- So this has more to do with someone insulting you or injuring your dignity than it is about getting beat up.
- What would be an everyday example of this?
- You take great pride in your work in the office. In a staff meeting, a co-worker trashes what you’ve done on a particular project. Do you respond with: “You’ve got a lot of room to criticize anyone after being the one who lost the Anderson account?” (i.e. hit back) or “Is there any other part of my work that you want to criticize?” (i.e. offer the other cheek).
b. “And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.”
- Back in Jesus’ day, the tunic was a garment that was worn close to the body, while the cloak was an outer garment.
- I think the core issue here is someone making a claim on you.
- What would be an everyday example of this?
- A co-worker comes around and tells you that you owe $20 on a birthday gift for Anne in accounting. You’re thinking, “I don’t work in accounting – I’ve only had a couple conversations with Anne the whole time I’ve worked here – and no one asked me ahead of time about this.” So you could respond with: “I didn’t know anything about it, so I’m not giving anything to it.” (i.e. refuse to give anything you have) or “Actually, here’s $25 – tell her I hope she has a great birthday.” (i.e. go further than asked).
c. “If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.”
- “Go the extra mile” is for most of us today just a generic proverb, but in Jesus’ day it was electric. The issue was the Roman occupation. A Roman soldier could force an Israelite to carry his gear for a mile. This was a hated part of the presence of the Romans.
- And, into this toxic mix of anger and resentment, Jesus proposes that they “go the extra mile.”
- There is a citation in the New Testament of a time when this happened. In Matthew 27:32, Simon of Cyrene was compelled to carry the cross of Jesus.
- Imagine the resentment in Iraq today if we imposed a rule saying that an American soldier could force any Iraqi to carry his 50-pounds of gear for up to a mile. It would cause widespread anger and resentment among the Iraqis.
- I think the core issue here is someone demanding assistance of you.
- What would an everyday example of this?
- You’re getting ready to watch your son’s basketball game when the team mom comes to you and tells you that someone hasn’t shown up and she needs you to work in the concession stand for the first half. So you could respond with: “Today’s not my day – I’m going to watch the game.” or “Do you have someone to work the second half?”
d. “Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”
- This one translates straight into today, since someone wanting money is still someone wanting money.
- It’s worth noting that some have argued that this only applies to giving to fellow Christians. Or at the very least, someone with a legitimate need and not just a foolish request.
- Does this mean that we have to give everything we have, even if it pushes us to bankruptcy? I think it’s interesting that the previous three examples have limits. We’re told to turn the cheek, but not to endure endless insults. We’re told to give our cloak, but not to surrender our house. We’re told to go a second mile, but not to walk ten miles.
- It’s also important that in His original statement that Jesus doesn’t include the part of the original law that said “Life for life.”
- It’s also worth noting that this is instruction intended for the individual disciple, not for a government or a judge. They have a God-ordained role in dispensing justice (Romans 13:4; 1 Peter 2:13-14).
- This does not mean that we are never to stand against evil. Jesus cleansed the Temple (Matthew 21:12; John 2:15).
- We’re responding with grace instead of revenge, but Jesus doesn’t call us to be eternal, limitless doormats.
- Even in thinking of God’s grace, it is not without limits. It requires our repentance. It will not be extended to those who refuse it while on earth. So what Jesus is saying here is not a blank check to become a doormat.
What Might Happen If We Do This?
1. We might have less anger and stress.
- Revenge is a cycle of violence that tends to feed on itself, which created the original for the “eye for an eye” law that Jesus refers to.
- When we opt out of the normal “call and response,” we short-circuit the anger that typically comes with the situation.
- This is not a miraculous and complete thing, but it can be a dramatic improvement.
2. We might regain a measure of control in the situation.
- Usually the person who violates our rights has in so doing pretty much dictated the way that we’re going to respond.
- When we refuse to follow the script their actions have tried to dictate, we’re regaining a measure of control and power within the situation.
- We become the one with the initiative.
- We can move from victim to victor.
3. It might force us to trust God’s hand for justice.
- Romans 12:17, 19.
- The Word says to leave vengeance to God, but truthfully we’d rather handle it ourselves.
- A major reason why is that we don’t trust God to do the job the way we want it done.
- Following Jesus’ teaching here puts us in a situation where we have to trust God to handle long-term what we want to handle short-term.
4. It might amplify our witness.
- One of the most dramatic ways to make an impact for Christ is not through fancy words or slick presentations but through living in ways that stand out.
- To be faced with a situation where everyone expects us to do the obvious and common thing only to see us do something completely unexpected. That’s one way to open hearts to a radical Jesus.
5. It might reduce the harshness of our judgment someday.
- John 7:2.
- Jesus tells us in the Sermon on the Mount that the severity of our judgment toward others will impact the severity of God’s judgment toward us. An amazingly scary concept to consider!
- Our revenge response (shouting that we won’t have our rights trampled on) could be phrased as us demanding of the person: “Give me what I deserve!”
- One problem with that is that the Bible makes it clear that we are to give mercy because we have received mercy from God. And the level of mercy we show impacts the level of mercy that God shows us.
- It’s one thing to look at someone who’s trampling on our rights and say, “Give me what I deserve!” It’s quite another to stand in judgment before God and say, “Give me what I deserve!” As someone who knows how frequently I falter and fail, I want as much grace and mercy as I can. If I get what I deserve, I’m in trouble!
- Can I live as a Christian demanding what I deserve if I didn’t become a Christian that way?
6. It might help me to become more like Christ.
- Matthew 26:47-57; Matthew 26:68; Luke 23:34; 1 Peter 2:20-23.
- Here’s a crazy concept: being Christlike requires being like Christ.
- Jesus consistently showed grace to people who deserved justice. Jesus showed grace even on His way to the cross.
- If we want to be Christian who looks like Christ, we have to act the way Jesus did. Not as an abstract concept, but actually behaving the way Jesus did.
- Being Christlike doesn’t mean acting just like everyone, only be a little nicer.
- Like two different incompatible computers, we are on a different operating system than the rest of the world.
- If we want to have a radical impact, we have to live differently.
- We don’t like having to do this in difficult situations, but the nature of grace demands that it be shown in situations that are challenging to us. If it wasn’t, it wouldn’t be grace.
