Download Series: Sermon on the Mount

Series: Sermon on the Mount
CDOBC – beginning on 6/8/08
Title: “Practicing Grace”
Matthew 5:38-42 ~ September 28, 2008
OBJECTIVE:
To help us obey Jesus’ commands about how to respond in
difficult situations.
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Opening Prayer
Read 5:38-42
Like so many of Jesus’ teachings in this great sermon, this section
has been misunderstood and misapplied in a variety of ways.
Some have taught that Jesus commands Christian passivism. It has
been used to promote objections to military service or any military
action, and it has been used to promote lawlessness, anarchy, and
many other views. The Russian writer and philosopher, Leo
Tolstoy, after thinking about Jesus’ words in this passage, believed
that Jesus was commanding that we should eliminate police,
military, and all other forms of authority which are designed to
protect the innocent from evil.
However, we must never take one passage of Scripture and
interpret it in isolation from the rest of Scripture!
The O.T. has many laws and safeguards for the protection of the
innocent and the punishment of the wicked. Jesus said He did not
come to abolish the O.T. Jesus punished the evil He witnessed in
the Temple, Paul wrote in Romans 13 – and Peter wrote in 1 Peter
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2:13-14 instructions which validated governmental authority and
its use of force in opposing and punishing evil.
So, when we take in the whole view of Scripture, we know that
Jesus was not commanding any of the above views which either
took away legal authority or called for passivism in such matters.
So, what exactly is Jesus saying and commanding?
The O.T. teaching limited retaliation.
vs. 38
Ex. 21:24; Lev. 24:20; Deut. 19:21
Principle of lex talionis = Law (lex) of Retaliation (talionis)
This was a legal code dating back to at least 2,000 B.C.! The
earliest record of lex talionis is the Cod of Hammurabi, the
Babylonian King who lived about 100 years before Moses!
Two great things about lex talionis:
First, it was a deterrent to crime.
When caught, the criminal knew that the punishment
would be equal with his offense.
Second, it prevented excessive punishment.
It made sure the punishment would fit the crime.
However, this was a general principle, not meant to be the
absolute, solitary standard for applying judgment. For
instance, if I had a bad tooth that was knocked out by
someone – and in return, I demanded the court to take out
one of his good teeth. If I could hardly see out of an eye that
I lost in a fight – and I demanded a perfectly good eye to be
taken out of the guilty party.
It is for this reason that the context in the O.T. for these three
passages is the civil justice system. The lex talionis was a
guide – a principle – for the courts to use as they decided on
the most just – most fair judgment.
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Jesus, like He said in 5:17, came not to abolish the Law, but
to fulfill it. Jesus is not doing away with lex talionis – He is
not doing away with the O.T. passages that speak of fair and
honest judgments in the courts, but He is confronting the
false and evil practices of the Pharisees and others who had
abused these principles.
The Pharisees endorsed vigilante justice.
vs. 38
Instead of a guiding principle for the courts to use in
administering justice, the Pharisees took the judgment out of
the courts, and gave this “freedom” to individual citizens.
This was contrary to Mosaic Law which reserved the exercise
of lex talionis to the courts – not individuals!
We extend grace by denying ourselves.
vs. 39-42
Ultimately, Jesus is teaching the proper attitude we should
have toward ourselves. He is combating our human nature
which always puts ‘self’ first – and always looks out for our
own interests instead of the interests of others. As a
Christian, we should rid our life of selfishness – we should
rid our life of egotism – and give ourselves to others.
In vs. 39, the evil that Jesus is talking about is not evil as a
whole – He is not saying that the evil in the world should be
ignored by us – the Greek term is in the singular – not the
plural – and the context of the illustrations He gives tell us
He is speaking of an evil person who slaps you on your “right
cheek”. The “right cheek” is an important detail. Most
people are right-handed, so to slap someone on their “right
cheek” implies a back-handed slap – something that was very
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degrading in the Jewish culture. A back-handed slap was an
attack on a person’s honor and was a terrible indignity.
Your right to dignity.
vs. 39
When a person would be slapped in this way, the typical
reaction would be to retaliate – to slap back or to defend
ourselves and our honor – to “save face”. However, Jesus
says, “…turn to him the other also”. Turning the other cheek –
not defending your honor displays a non-avenging, humble
and gentle spirit that is the mark of a Christian.
This does not mean that we are never to defend ourselves or
never to appeal to justice. In fact, Jesus protested when He
was slapped during His trial. In John 18:23-24, we read “When
Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby struck him in the face. "Is
this the way you answer the high priest?" he demanded. "If I said
something wrong," Jesus replied, "testify as to what is wrong. But if I
spoke the truth, why did you strike me?" Then Annas sent him, still
bound, to Caiaphas the high priest.”
Jesus’ protest is not to save His own honor or to defend
Himself, but to save or honor the Law. He was not
concerned about Himself, but that the Law of God was
honored. This is why He prayed for God to forgive His
crucifiers not to avenge His mistreatment and murder! We
read in 1 Peter 2:20-23 “…if you suffer for doing good and you
endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called,
because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you
should follow in his steps.
"He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth."
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.”
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What Jesus is teaching and commanding is that we never
should defend ourselves or retaliate for our honor’s sake –
but we should trust God with His ultimate judgment and trust
Him with our status among our fellow man.
Your right to possessions – vs. 40
The assumption here is that the lawsuit brought against
you is a legitimate one – and the judgment of the court
is not in your favor – you are guilty.
The “tunic” was a garment worn next to your skin.
Under Mosaic Law, if a person had no money, their
clothing could be exacted as payment for their debt.
However, Mosaic Law required that their “cloak” or
overcoat – if taken in the lawsuit, must be returned to
the person each night.
Ex. 22:26-27
“If you take your neighbor's cloak as a pledge, return it to him
by sunset, because his cloak is the only covering he has for his
body. What else will he sleep in? When he cries out to me, I
will hear, for I am compassionate.”
Jesus is saying that when you are guilty, don’t cling to
all your rights and try to get away with as little payment
as possible. If they take your “tunic” – give them your
“cloak” also! Even though you can keep your “cloak”
by law, give it so that your debt will be paid more
quickly and so the conflict may be reconciled as soon as
possible.
Your right to freedom – vs. 41
In ancient times – and especially during the Roman
occupation of Israel at the time of Christ, Roman
soldiers could legally commandeer any citizen to carry
a burden for them – supplies or their own pack.
Legally, they could force this person to carry their load
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a million - a Roman mile which was slightly shorter
than our modern mile. (Matthew, By John MacArthur, p. 334)
This practice was hated by the Jews who not only lost
their freedom to the Romans, but also their freedom to
choose what they would or would not do!
Jesus commands to not only go beyond the legal mile,
but to double it! Go two miles instead of one!
Your right to finances – vs. 42
The spirit of generosity is what Jesus is commanding
here, not a spirit of financial stupidity. He is not
commanding that we give money to every person who
asks, but for us to have an attitude of generosity, not of
selfish hording. In fact, Scripture is quite clear that we
should be careful whom we give or loan money to, but
Jesus is not contradicting the wise guidance and
principles in Scripture, He is commanding us to help
those who have genuine needs as we are able.
Prov. 11:15
“He who puts up security for another will surely suffer, but
whoever refuses to strike hands in pledge is safe.”
Prov. 17:18
“A man lacking in judgment strikes hands in pledge and puts up
security for his neighbor.”
Prov. 22:26
“Do not be a man who strikes hands in pledge or puts up
security for debts…”
There is a healthy tension in Scripture between wisdom
/ stewardship with your money – and generosity. You
may decide not to give if you determine that is the
wisest, best, most loving thing – but if you’re reason for
not giving is selfish, you are not living up to the
Kingdom standards Jesus gives us.
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Application
Allow God’s strength to work in your life.
2 Cor. 12:9-10
“"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in
weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my
weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for
Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in
persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Attack selfishness by denying yourself
“The point of these questions is this: In these verses Jesus is
giving us a description of love that cuts to the depth of our
selfishness and fear. If selfishness and fear keep us from giving
and going the extra mile, then we need to be broken by these
words. But Jesus is not saying that passive compliance in
situations of injustice is the only form of love. It can be a form
of cowardice.”
John Piper
Close in prayer
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