How to Fix the Other Guy
Matthew 5:38-42
In Brazil, several Indians who had been refused an audience with then President Ernesto Geisel because they were not wearing ties told the press they would “insist that any government official visiting an Indian Village must wear a feathered headdress and body paint.” Reuters
It’s natural for us to want to retaliate. Tit for tat! Quid pro quo. What goes around comes around. Don’t get mad, get even! But we usually live by another saying, “Don’t get even! Get ahead!”
We’ve been talking about permanent fixes in our lives and I know sometimes we would love to permanently fix the other guy. This morning we’ll look at what Jesus says about dealing with “the other guy.” Matthew 5:38-42
You have heard that it was said, ’An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.
Jesus tells us how to deal with “an evil person.” That will be important. We often deal with our brothers and sisters in Christ with kindness and mercy, but feel justified in our unkind reactions to obviously evil people. Remember in all these examples that Jesus is talking about how disciples should respond to evil people.
But we are getting ahead of ourselves. First Jesus addresses what we have heard. You have heard an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. He was quoting from the Old Testament. Exodus 21:23-25 says, “But if any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.” Leviticus adds, “fracture for fracture.” This law was intended to prevent unlimited retribution. You know how people are. If you hit me once, I’m going to hit you twice for good measure. This law was designed to limit revenge. It was also only in the context of the court system, not personal revenge. It was a guideline for judges. They were to be fair. And that’s what this law was all about – being fair. Jesus essentially says, You have heard that life is fair. His very next word should give us a clue where he is headed. Our teenagers already know where he’s going with this point. Every time they’ve ever complained about something not being fair, they have gotten this response. Jesus essentially says, You have heard that life is fair, but I say to you. Who told you life was fair? Life is not fair. Judges have to be fair, but life is under no such rule. Life is most certainly not fair.
To look at this verse in context, we need to make some necessary notes. I hate giving notes – it sounds too much like school, but we have to know a few things before we dig into this passage.
First, Jesus says, whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.
This passage has been used to justify non violent protests for years. But it doesn’t deal with physical violence. The slap that is described was the highest form of personal insult known to that culture. Even today, slapping a man across the face is the greatest insult you can give in many Middle Eastern countries. It is not a call to fight nor does it refer to throwing punches. It refers to an insult to one’s personal character.
Second Jesus speaks of tunics and cloaks, neither of which we use any more. Some translations talk about shirts and coats and that comes closer. The tunic was a light undergarment that everyone had several of. The cloak, however, was a heavier outer garment. Only rich people would have more than one of these. It was much more expensive than the tunic. It is this cloak that the old Testament said could not be taken away from a fellow Israelite. If he borrowed from you and secured the loan with his cloak, you had to give it back to him before nightfall in case that was all he had to keep warm. [Ex 22:26]
Third Jesus speaks of being forced to go one mile and offering to go two. Again, this is not a situation that happens to us today. You are probably all familiar with the immediate history behind this saying. The Romans were ruling the Jews at this time and a Roman soldier always had the right to force you to carry his pack for one mile. Now a Roman mile wasn’t like one of our miles, it was 1000 paces, but it was still tough to do.
Ok, enough history lesson notes. Now let’s talk about us for a minute. No one is going to come along and take our horse to deliver the mail, we aren’t likely to be forced to carry a soldier’s pack for any length of distance at all. Not one of us owns multiple cloaks or tunics for that matter and a slap is a little different today, too. So what in the world does all this mean?
I think the key is in that overarching phrase at the beginning: Do not resist an evil person. How do we deal with evil people? What should our response as Christians be?
Let me first say that this passage in no way means the Christian should be careless or ignorant. Howard Vos says, “Christ’s injunctions are not intended to be applied mechanically . . . or with foolish blindness which loses sight of the true purpose of love. Love is not to foster crime in others or expose our loved ones to disaster and perhaps death. Christ never told me not to restrain the murderers hand, not to check the thief and robber, not to oppose the tyrant, or by my gifts to foster shiftlessness, dishonesty and greed.” These instances are rare, however. Much more often, I am confronted with someone who infringes on my rights and I have to decide how to respond. To respond to an evil person I must do four things.
First, I must take insults with grace. Grace, you will remember, is getting what we don’t deserve. When someone insults you, it’s not fair. And Christ has told we are to respond in a way that isn’t fair, either. We are to respond with grace. I won’t let an insult get me off track of talking with you about your soul. I won’t let your insult affect my opinion of you. I still hope you’ll go to heaven. I won’t stand up for my rights and demand an apology. I’ll just let it go. I must take insults with grace.
Second, I must accept attacks with mercy. Sometimes people move beyond just insults. Perhaps we have done something to offend them, maybe it just looks that way, but regardless of the reason, sometimes people will come looking for us. They are after us specifically and they want to get all that they can. They want the shirt off my back. Jesus says, give it to them. You see, when someone attacks me, my first inclination is to defend myself. I may even attack back. Jesus says to accept attacks with mercy. Don’t give them what your first inclination is. Rather, give them more than what they are demanding. Someone accuses you of owing money to them. Pay it and put a little on top. Make sure that there is no way they can ever speak ill of Christians and of the church because of what you did. You are representing something bigger than just your personal rights. You are a representative of God and it is always worth it to represent Him well.
Third, I must do more than is expected. This is the principle of second mile Christianity. Go above and beyond the call of duty. Always do more than the bare minimum.
Fourth, I must treat requests with generosity. Be known as a generous person. Not a gullible person, but someone who is generous with what the Lord has given you.
Why should I go the second mile in my Christianity? Three quick points that aren’t on your outline, but write them in.
1) Going the second mile will break the hostility cycle. By responding in a loving and calm manner, we can change a situation. As we respond by turning the other cheek and giving more than is expected, as we go the second mile and show grace and mercy and generosity to people, their hostility will disappear. Folks, this stuff really works! It works in traffic when someone cuts you off. It works when you are interrupted at work. It works when someone gives you a harsh word. If you lash out in anger, you only escalate the hostility. But if you respond by not defending your own personal rights, you can defuse many situations.
2) Going the second mile will touch others with the true gospel of Jesus. Jesus said, in John 13:34-35
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." When we show love to others, we show them Christ. If anyone had a right to their rights, it was Jesus, but he emptied himself of his rights and came to seek and save the lost. He came to serve others. When we love people in the face of unloving actions, we show them a love that is not like anything else they have ever known and it will bring them into contact with the gospel.
3) and last, Going the second mile will fire up our walk with God. It will free your heart from its burdens. You can get rid of the baggage of bitterness and anger, even hatred. You can shed the shackles of depression. You can even beat the blahs if you will serve someone else. And when your heart is free, no one can touch you. Go the extra mile because that is what Jesus would have done.
And that is really what this lesson is about. You see, Jesus knew that insulting slap. He lost his tunic and his cloak. He walked those long steps up to Calvary carrying a burden and he was forever being asked to give of his time and talents and he always complied. Jesus hasn’t asked us to do anything he hasn’t already done. He is our master and we are his servants. He is our example.
Perhaps this morning you’ve been considering following Jesus. Take a good look. This is the man you would name your savior. He’s not like any other man, but his teachings can set your free. Just confess him as your Lord and be baptized for the remission of your sins. Maybe you’ve been hurt by evil people and are nursing a grudge. Get over it. Simply put, Christians have a greater love than they should have. If you need to release that pain, love the person that gave it to you. If you need to make that forgiveness public, this is your time. If you really want to fix the other guy, fix yourself.
