Give back, not payback

Open:

KC’s are to maintain the proper distinction between civil justice and personal matters

Explanation: Jesus begins His teaching on retaliation with a quotation from OT case law as found in three places: Exodus 21:24, Leviticus 24:20, and Deut 19:21. The phrase, “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” is a partial quote from these three passages and Jesus’ original audience would have known the context for the phrase. The category of law under discussion is the law of retaliation.

The law of Retaliation served two broad purposes in that it restricted the punishment to fit the crime and it served as a deterrent to further crime. The restriction was so that the offending party would pay back in a manner that fit his or her wrong-doing. If a man stole a sheep, he would have to pay back the cost of the sheep plus damages; he would not be executed for the crime of theft

Argument: The Law of Retaliation was (and is) a good thing. The punishment should fit the crime. Why then is Jesus bringing a corrective towards the teaching of the Pharisees? Once again, the Pharisees were teaching the letter of the law, but they were disobeying it in practice. The text does not give the details, but the Pharisees had taken what rightfully belonged to the court system (established form of government for justice) and brought it into the realm of personal relationships.

Illustrate: A modern equivalent - a motorist is speeding through your neighborhood and endangering others with reckless driving. Calling the police with a description and license number is in order, along with the expectation that the law will handle the situation in an appropriate manner. What is NOT permissible is taking out your rifle and shooting his tires as he zooms past your house!

Application: Kingdom Citizens are to respect the laws of the land. We are citizens of two kingdoms, and we have the responsibility to obey our government unless it directs us to actions that conflict with God’s commands (cf Acts 5:29). Human governments are established by God (Romans 13:1) and have authority over civil matters. Much could be said about the abuses and injustices of government, but that is a topic for another day. The main focus of the passage at hand deals with matters of a personal nature as opposed to civil matters. With that thought, we move to the main point:

KC’s are to yield personal rights in order to give a good witness (Matt 5:39-42)

Explanation: The following four verses have generated a good deal of conversation and quite a bit of conflict. John MacArthur states, “no part of the Sermon on the Mount has been so misinterpreted and misapplied as 5:38-42.) The MacArthur NT Commentary, Matthew 1-7, by John MacArthur, Jr., p. 329.

Context is crucial. Jesus is NOT telling Christians that we are simply to roll over and take whatever comes our way. Following Jesus does NOT mean that we become doormats for the world to walk on.

The Bible is a coherent book with a supernatural author. That means that one part of the book does not contradict another part of the book. We are commanded to resist the devil (1 Peter 5:9, James 4:7,) and Jesus cleared the Temple with a whip (John 2:15-16, and blasted the Pharisees (Matthew 23). This command is not directed at spiritual issues that require a settled response based on conviction stemming from the Word of God. Rather, these responses are for opposition resulting from our identity as a Christ-follower.

Jesus gives responses to four general situations that KC’s encounter as they live out their lives in a fallen world.

1. Responding to an insult - turn the other cheek Being slapped in the face was a huge insult in the ancient culture, as it still is today. The blow to the right cheek would probably come from a backhanded slap from the left hand of the opponent. A backhanded slap was not for knock down, but as a calculated insult. Jesus states that the correct response is to turn the other cheek, NOT to deck him with an atomic elbow to the head!

2. Giving up security and trusting God. The outer garment (cloak) was a valuable personal item and doubled as a covering for sleep time. It was such a valuable item that the law forbid a collector to keep a person’s cloak overnight. Jesus is telling His followers to give up their right to keep the cloak and trust God to provide, thereby giving witness of trusting God.

3. Going the extra mile. When faced with an unpleasant task that is forced, a KC is called to go beyond the minimum. Israel was an occupied Roman state at the time of Christ, and under Roman law a soldier could require a Jew to carry his pack for a single mile. Jesus is telling His people that instead of grudgingly acceding to the compulsory task, to double it with a good attitude.

Illustrate: high school classmate who had to write a 100 word paper and then read it to the class. He stopped reading in the middle of a sentence and said, “that’s a 100 words.”

Christ-followers are not to be so rigidly legalistic in carrying out unpleasant duties. We are to have the reputation as the employee who goes above and beyond expectations - and to fulfill the task with a good attitude

4. KC’s are to be generous to those with legitimate needs. This is in the context of personal relationships, so there is no compulsion (you don’t have to give). Jesus, however, tells us to give to those in need. This is an area of life that requires wisdom because every request is NOT legitimate, but we should be known for being generous, not miserly.

Illustrate: Disaster relief in Gulfport following Hurricane Katrina. We were fueling up in the Church van and were approached by a man who asked for assistance - claimed he had not eaten in 3 days. Brian Walker took him across the street to a BK and offered to buy him anything he wanted. He got mad and walked off.

Yes, we need to have wisdom, but our approach should not automatically be: “how can I get out of helping this person?” Instead we should remember that everything we have is a gift from God and we are called to steward His resources for His glory. As Jesus told the disciples, “freely ye have received, freely give.” (Matt 10:8b)

Conclusion: This portion of the Sermon focuses on what we often describe as “taking the High Road,” which basically means we are not going to be petty or mean-spirited towards others, especially when it is within our right to do so! Jesus is so much more than just our example (Savior, Lord, Master, High Priest, etc.), but He IS our example. He had every right to destroy those who betrayed, lied, spit, mocked, and beat Him. He had the authority to call down the angels and blast all of them, but He did not.

When Jesus was mocked and physically assaulted He did not repay in kind (Isaiah 53:7, 1 Peter 2:23)