“That’s not fair”
Matthew 5:38-42
Here are some things we always see in the news:
There was a mass shooting
There was another bombing
A church fought and split over who got to be in charge
Cruel words were spoken, doors were slammed
Tears were shed, and bones were broken
Hearts were broken, children were abused
Anxiety and depression are on the rise
Homeless man beaten up and left for dead
We live in a world:
Where it’s easy to think everything is about what we want and how we feel
We ain’t gonna take nothing off nobody
It’s our way or the highway
We are a proud people, and we aren’t gonna let anyone disrespect us.
Nobody’s gonna take advantage of us, or play us for a fool
Our world is filled with hate and revenge:
If we all always demand our rights, we will always be warring with eachother
Jesus has a problem with that
Challenges us today to rethink how we respond to mistreatment
Don’t miss it:
Jesus is showing us a difficult road
Teaching us about His kingdom
How His kingdom is RADICALLY different than MOST THINK
Let the words of Jesus challenge your life!
Luke 6 records about the same message as Matthew 5, but Luke gives a “pre-lude”
We MUST learn to love our enemies:
“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Luke 6:27-28
When someone hurts me, or someone I love:
In my natural self, I don’t want to get even
I want total destruction
It’s not a thing I’m proud of but SOMETIMES:
I’m not looking to be loving
I’m not looking for “Justice”,
I’m looking for total annhilation.
I am not alone in this attitude:
WE are taught, if someone hits you, hit them back harder so they’ll think twice next time
Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me….
And the thing is :Even if it feels right to seek revenge:
That is exactly the wrong attitude.
Jesus is looking for people who are willing to lay down their rights.
For people who will love others more than they love themselves.
Jesus corrects our wrong thinking:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’”
Matthew 5:38
Jesus is referring to the Old Testament Law:
That established JUSTICE in society
Injured parties compensated, and the guilty were punished
While simultaneously limiting punishment to fit the crime.
If your tooth was knocked out, or eye damaged
The court could determine the offender needed to pay with a tooth or eye
They might make financial restitution
But the price of the crime had limitations
Though many think an “eye for an eye, and tooth for a tooth:
Allows for personal retaliation
The fact is that the courts determined the punishment
And the victim was not the one to balance the scales.
I was told a story recently connected to William Tyndale:
A man was caught stealing a loaf of bread
He was hungry and stole the bread
He was found guilty and the punishment was
He would be ‘drawn and quartered”
Arms and legs ripped off by horses
Then while he was still alive,
He was quartered, or cut open and had his organs removed.
How shocking:
All that over a loaf of bread
The punishment didn’t fit the crime
The Law made sure that the punishment never exceeded the crime
However people now think an “eye for and eye” means an obligation to retaliate
God’s intention was that the punishment would be just and limited.
Jesus raises the bar on our response to mistreatment:
How are we to respond to Personal INSULTS?
“But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.”
Matthew 5:39
The greatest insult in the day of Jesus was to slap someone on the face:
It was an act of disrespect and contempt
There was an element of violence, but mostly it was an insult
When slapped we are to turn the other cheek
What does “turn the other cheek” mean?
It doesn’t mean that we go looking for slaps in the face
It means when insult and injury comes that we do not retaliate
We don’t slap them back,
You might say “That’s hard! I can’t do that! That’s not fair!
I won’t lie, it’s hard to walk away when you’d rather punch someone in the nose!
It’s tough to suffer injustice, to choose to not fight back
Jesus led the way by suffering on the cross for us!
Jesus was innocent, but tried and convicted
Committed no crime, but he was arrested
He did not fight, but was beaten
Broke no Law, but was nailed to a cross
We are the guilty ones!
And He voluntarily took our punishment
`“when they hurled their insults at him he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly” 1 Peter 2:23
Not only did Jesus suffer, we ought to find joy in suffering like JESUS!
“But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.” 1 Peter 4:13
How are we to respond when taken to court?
“And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well.”
- Matthew 5:40
Christians fighting each other is not a new thing:
It isn’t necessary, it’s a sin
The point here is that if someone wants to fight you
If someone wants to sue you, rather than fight back
Surrender, let them have the shirt right off your back
“The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? 8 Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters. 9 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God?”
1 Corinthians 6:7–9
In matters of opinion and earthly matters:
Let someone else have things their way
We can adjust, especially if it means keeping unity
We don’t have to have things our way
Philippians 2:3
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,”
---------
How should we respond when we are forced to work
“If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.”
Matthew 5:41
In those days a Roman soldier:
Could force a Jew to carry their gear
And you had to do it, but legally you only had to carry the gear for a mile
Then you were free
Jesus says “go a second mile”
Instead of insisting on our rights, be willing to do more than is required.
How should we respond when someone asks us for assistance?
“Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” - Matthew 5:42
This is a call to generosity, and especially to the poor:
God has a tender spot in His heart for the poor
And we are wrong if we are tightfisted towards those in need
Help others, not to get repaid, but in obedience to the Lord
Christians ought to have a generous heart and a desire to give (X2)
Some thoughts…
We always want mercy, and sometimes we want justice.
When we find out someone slandered us, we want that fixed and fixed now.
Someone needs their feet held to the fire.
We want our pound of flesh
But when we say more than we ought to,
We say, it’s no big deal “get over it”
We can explain it, justify our behavior
We can be so conservative with our love and
liberal with our criticism, liberal with our wrath.
Jesus instructs us to give mercy, and mercy always goes to those who don’t deserve it.
No one deserves mercy.
If you deserved blessing instead of punishment, it would not be mercy.
The cross is the our biggest reminder that we are to operate out of mercy.
We are most Christ like when we treat others better than they deserve
Justice is God’s domain and not our jurisdiction
“Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.” Romans 12:19
God can balance the scales of right and wrong:
He has a plan in place to punish sin and reward faithfulness
We can trust that God will judge rightly and punish accordingly
God’s character demands that sin be paid for:
On the day of judgement each of us will give an account to the Lord
And if you don’t know it, we’re all gonna come up short
On our own good behavior we’re sunk, we don’t have a shot
So no offense, on that day - when I stand before the Lord
I have my own sin to take care of
You have your own sin problem,
We need not try to play
JUDGE, JURY AND EXECUTIONER - that only brings more sin
Here is a scripture that should thrill and terrify us:
“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” Hebrews 4:13
Be thrilled with this verse because: Nothing is going to slip past God:
He will right the wrongs
He will reward the faithful
If you have been mistreated, trust God to handle that
If we are outside of Christ this text should terrify us:
We will all give an account of our lives
Every sinful action, every sinful thought
Lies, lust, theft...we’re all sunk without Jesus
God’s justice demands that every sin be paid for:
When you stand at the pearly gates… “Why should God let you in?”
Tell him how good you are, well sorry you are not good enough
The only one’s getting in are coming through the blood of Jesus
INVITATION:
Why not make today the day:
Gary prays...
