Love Your Enemies

Matthew 5:38-48

Welcome:

Good morning and welcome to City Line Church! If we haven’t yet met, my name is Pastor Ryan, I’m the pastor here at City Line. It is so good to be with you all this morning, whether this is your first time here, or you’ve been coming to City Line from the beginning, I’m glad you are here with us this morning.

You are joining us towards the beginning of a new sermon series. This series will run all the way through the Spring and we will be walking through the most famous sermon in the Bible…perhaps the most famous sermon in history. The Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew.

Jesus has just begun his public ministry and has called some of his earliest disciples to follow him. He began preaching and healing people and he was beginning to draw bigger and bigger crowds. Then Jesus stops and delivers the sermon in Matthew chapters 5-7.

Jesus is interested in what it means to be a person in the Kingdom of God. If we are Kingdom of God people then how should we live? The Sermon describes what true human life, flourishing, and loving community look like when they come under the gracious rule of God.

We are in a section of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus is saying, “You’ve heard that it was said, but I say to you…” He is taking common religious teachings of his day and forcing his followers to go deeper. To go beyond exterior righteousness to a righteousness that begins with heart transformation. In Matthew 5:38-48, Jesus is teaching about something very hard. How we treat our enemies.

Before we come to this difficult teaching from Jesus, let’s turn to the Lord and ask for his help as we come to his Word this morning.

Let’s pray.

Prayer:

“Almighty God, in you are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Open our eyes that we may see the wonders of your Word; and give us grace that we may clearly understand and freely choose the way of Your wisdom, peace, and wholeness.

When we fail to keep your law, point us again to your son Jesus, who fulfilled the law perfectly on our behalf. Lord, open the eyes of our hearts and illuminate our minds by the power of your Holy Spirit, that as the Word is proclaimed that we may hear with joy what you say to us today and put it to practice in our lives. In Jesus’ mighty name we pray. Amen.”

Introduction:

We’ve had a number of births in our community recently. The Zotts, the Bergers, the Lei’s. It so beautiful. And only the Zotts are first time parents.

BUT, it is always a shock to first time parents. It’s a shock realizing how much you love your child. It’s a shock how little sleep you get. And as your baby becomes a toddler, it is always a shock when your little bundle of joy and happiness begins to play with other kids. It is is always a shock to see one little bundle of joy haul off and wack another little bundle of joy because they are fighting over a toy. Those of you with kids will be familiar with this phenomena.

One toddler hits another and the other immediately hits back and before long both are crying. And watch out when a sibling comes along! The tit for tat hitting and bickering becomes an all out family feud!

There is something in our human nature, even from a very young age, that says, “you hit me, and I’m going to hit you back!”

For many of us, as we grow and mature, we my not resort to physical violence as much, or be confronted by physical violence as much, but the basic violent ethic and tendency often still remains the same in our hearts.

If you are going to come after me and sue me the courts, I’m going to counter-sue you. If you make fun of me, I’m going to make fun of you. If you start undermining me at work at I’m going to start undermining you. You hit me, and I’m going to hit you back!

In our passage this week, Jesus presents an alternative ethic to live by. An ethic that forces us to think differently when we are attacked, an ethic that forces us to think differently about our rights. An ethic that forces us to think differently about our enemies.

So, this morning, we’ll actually look at two, “You’ve heard that it was saids” and again this week both are related to one another. And this will be my two points this morning. First we’ll look at what Jesus thought about the old idea of an “eye for an eye” and then we’ll turn to what Jesus thought about, “love your neighbor, but hate your enemies.” So, 1) An Eye for an Eye and 2) Love your neighbor, but hate your enemy.

Body:

1. An Eye for An Eye

So, first let’s look at verses 38-42. Jesus begins in verse 38 and says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’”

This idea is found in at least 3 different places in the Old Testament. The main intent of this Mosaic law was to control excess punishment, and this literal punishment of “an eye for an eye” was to be carried out by the courts of Israel, by what we would think of as the government.

But, the legal punishment must not exceed the crime. If a person, in a bar fight, causes another person to lose an eye, then the state has the right and obligation to take an eye from the person who caused the loss of an eye of another. This is assuring a right to equal retribution, to strict justice.

It was the judges of Israel who were to see to it that it was an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth and no more. The legislation of this law in the Old Testament was for courts, not for private individuals. The idea was to prevent a private individual in Israel from escalating violence.

It was meant to try to stop that man who lost his eye from taking revenge and escalating violence and killing the other man. If he knew the courts would be just, then maybe, just maybe he would show some restraint.

By the time of Jesus, these laws had taken on slightly different connotations for the religious scribes and Pharisees. By this time, they had come up with elaborate measures for how much an eye or a tooth was worth financially. So, if an eye was taken in a bar fight, the individual could demand “eye-money” of the person who took the eye.

Rather than a justice issue for the courts, it became an interpersonal weapon in relationships and it had moved beyond physical violence. “You caused me to lose my job by making me talk with you, therefor you owe me money.” The tit for tat, eye for eye culture, had become a litigious and relational nightmare by the time of Jesus.

Jesus takes aim, even in his following examples, of interpersonal eye for eye and tooth for tooth taking in every day situations. Situations where normal people would demand to have their rights respected.

But instead of demanding our rights, Jesus is teaching that for his Kingdom people, our interpersonal relationships and daily interactions are to be based on love, not strict justice. Our duty towards people who have wronged us is not retaliation, but, and this is really hard, the acceptance of individual injustice without plotting revenge or demands for our rights to be respected.

Jesus uses four practical examples to combat this, tit for tat, eye for eye, tooth for tooth kind of living in everyday life. Four situations where Jesus’ people shouldn’t demand their rights.

The first situation Jesus describes is in verse 39. He says that if someone slaps you across the face, instead of hitting back, you should turn to him the other one also. Instead of demanding the right to retaliate, instead of physically hitting back, or demanding financial restitution for the slap, we are to turn the other cheek.

Christians, followers of Jesus, don’t stand around demanding the right to equal retribution, the right the retaliate with violence. Instead of insisting on our rights, we give them up. Instead of an eye for an eye or tooth for a tooth, we turn the other cheek.

We are to follow the example of our savior who lived what he preached here. In 1 Peter 2:22-24 we read, “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. “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”

When Jesus was taken to court unjustly, he did not revile in return. When he was beaten, he did not hit back. When he was hung on the cross, though he had the power to rain down destruction on those putting him there, he endured the cross and bore our sins so that we might live to righteousness and that he might heal us.

When we, as Christians, think about this non-retaliatory ethic, we need to think carefully and biblically. There are Christian traditions that have taken this interpersonal ethic and pushed it to mean that civil governments also don’t have the right to retaliation or justice keeping.

Following Jesus’ teaching, Paul in Romans 12 teaches that individual Christians don’t have the right to retaliation or vengeance, but then he moves onto chapter 13 and teaches that vengeance and justice is the prerogative of God, not man. “Vengeance is mine says the Lord.”

According to Paul, God’s purpose is to express his wrath or vengeance now through the law courts and governments and finally and fully at the day of judgement. There is a difference of God-given function between the two ‘servants of God’ - the state is to restrain evil and to punish the evildoer justly, the individual Christian does not repay evil with evil, but overcomes evil with good.

So, the Bible teaches that civil governments have the right to punish evil-doers justly, but individuals do not. Jesus demands that his followers have a personal attitude towards evildoers of mercy, not justice. A personal attitude which renounces retaliation so completely as to risk further costly suffering.

If your concept of personal justice is to make sure that everyone gets “what they deserve,” you are going to have a hard time getting along with Jesus. This is the very kind of interpersonal justice that Jesus, in our passage this morning, stands against and came to save us from.

Retributive justice has the horrible tendency to degenerate into my justice. And my justice is inevitably someone else’s injustice. This is not the justice that saves—this is the justice that kills.

As Christians, we follow the example of Jesus, and give up the right to retaliate. We turn the other cheek.

The second example of a right to be given up that Jesus gives is the right to our things in verse 40. The right to our stuff. He says that is someone comes and demands your shirt, give him your coat as well.

When Jesus says give up your coat or some translations use the word “cloak,” he was talking about a the warmer, more expensive outer-garment. You can think of this like a really nice warm coat. There were actually laws on the books, explained in Exodus, about how you are not able to go to someone who owes you money and take their coat because then they wouldn’t have something to keep them warm through the cold night.

For someone who was poor back then and today, their cloak is likely the most important thing they own. Jesus says if they come asking for your white T-shirt, give them your nicest, warmest, most expensive coat as well.

For the modern person what does this mean? Well it at least means our clothes, our homes, our food, our other things….all our stuff is not our own. These things are not ours to hold and guard jealously. All that we have comes from the Lord and is meant to be used to glorify Him.

This may mean willingly and freely giving up what is rightfully ours, for the sake of someone else. This is really hard for us Americans because we love our things, but what Jesus is teaching is that we really don’t have the right to our stuff.

The third example, or third right is the right to our time in verse 41. Jesus is describing a situation which would have been all to common in the Roman Empire. Remember, Israel was a conquered people, controlled by Rome. A Roman soldier could demand, by law, that a conquered person carry his gear up to one mile.

Think about the indignity of this. You are going about your busy day, getting done what you need to get done, and a soldier from an army that is ruling over you demands that you carry his heavy equipment for a whole mile. And Jesus teaches, don’t just carry it one mile, but carry it an extra mile!

To us this means we are not to be resentful when people take up our time and energy. We perhaps value time above all else, because ingrained in us, is the idea that time is money. And even if we break from that kind of thinking, we value our down time, our “me” time. I know I value that time immensely. So what happens when someone calls, texts, or drops by, demanding that I give up that “me” time?

What happens to us when we become used to having “me” time before kids, and are suddenly challenged with having no “me” time? Do we get angry and frustrated? Well, likely, yes. But, what is Jesus asking? He is asking that we give up the right to our time, go the extra mile, and do it cheerfully as unto the Lord.

Don’t hear me say that we shouldn’t have healthy boundaries in life and ministry. We should. But we should also hear this challenge from Jesus plainly that our time is not our own. We should allow our selfishness to be challenged by Jesus.

The fourth right that Jesus asks his followers to give up is the right to our money in verse 42.

We are a people who work hard for our money. We work hard to have enough money to support our families, have homes over our heads, food to eat, tithes and offerings to give….and these are all good things. We feel, because we have worked so hard for this money, that we have a right to it.

But Jesus says in verse 42, “Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”

Again, the needs of others comes before our own convenience. Sometimes, it’s family, or friends, or people that we don’t even know that well, that come to us asking for money. Jesus wants us to be ready and willing to wisely help with the money he has given us. This is a radical expression of a Kingdom persons unselfish concern for others.

So, rather than eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth, Jesus want his Kingdom people to give up our right to retaliation, the right to our things, the right to our time, and the right to our money! Really hard stuff to give up!

These are radical demands for those who want to follow Jesus, but as he often does, he is going to take it a step farther. More than just give up our rights, He is going to challenge the idea of love your neighbor, but hate your enemies. This is my second and final point.

2. Love Your Neighbor, But Hate Your Enemy (43-48)

The second “you’ve heard it was said” in our passage is, “You shall love your neighbor, but hate your enemy.” The “Love your neighbor” teaching makes sense and is also rooted in the Old Testament. Lev. 19:18 says that you must “love your neighbor as yourself.”

The “Hate your enemy” part isn’t as clear, but it is an inference which was easily drawn from the clear Old Testament distinction between the attitude required towards fellow-Israelites and the attitude towards foreigners.

Around the time of Jesus, there was a group of Israelites who were separatists, who started a commune type community in the Qumran hills outside of Jerusalem.

In some of those caves many of their writings and Old Testament manuscripts have been found. In one of their ethical writings they said ‘that they may love all the sons of light …, and hate all the sons of darkness.’

They thought, “You love the insider, but it’s ok to hate the outsider.” This seems to be the common prevailing religious teaching of the day. AND also the common prevailing thought in American political life. Love those who are like you, and hate those that are different. Love your political alley and hate your political opponents.

But Jesus says, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

And Jesus ties this love for your enemy to the love of God the Father. We love like our Father in heaven loves. His love causes rain to fall on the just and unjust. This is a beautiful divine love.

James Montgomery Boice wrote about this saying of Jesus, “This love is one that loves without variableness. It loves even when the object of the love is hateful or unlovely. You might say that it is love for no reason at all, or love even when there are ample reasons to discourage it. It is God-like love.”

Friends, pure and simple, we see the love of God for his enemies when Jesus went to the cross. Because of sin, because of the fall of Adam, we were all enemies of God. But Jesus, demonstrated God’s love, when he died for his enemies.

Conclusion:

As I wrap things up, here’s a quick thought experiment: Who would you die for? Just imagine that you are a lifeguard down the shore. And as your there on your lifeguard stand, you see a small child caught in the under-current and taken out to sea. Would you would risk your life to save that child? I’d like to think most of us would. Now imagine if that person was a convicted murder. A vile and awful human being. Would you do the same?

Romans 5:7-8 says “Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Remember, we all were the enemies of God, caught in the under-current of sin and death and the love of God sent Jesus to the cross, where mercy and justice kissed. If we are going to follow Jesus and be conformed to his image, you no longer have the right to hate your enemy AND you now have to love them.

And if you find this whole business of giving up your rights and loving your enemy difficult, join the club. This is no easy task, but C.S. Lewis gives some helpful advice in Mere Christianity. He says don’t waste time fretting over loving your neighbor and enemy, just go out and act as if you do love them. When you behave like you love someone, you will start disliking them less every day. Shortly, by God’s Grace and Spirit at work in you, love emerges.

In this divisive, hate-filled, everything ratcheted it up season in American life. Once again, Jesus calls us to keep Christianity weird. He calls you as his follower to be weird. To love those that hate you. To be kind in a world of anger.

Brothers and sisters, take the step, give up your rights, give up the tit for tat lifestyle, and instead love your enemy. Always remember, you where loved first when you were an enemy of God, so you now go and love your enemies.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Let’s pray as we come to the Lord’s Table.

Final Prayer

Our Father, we ask for your Kingdom to come on Earth as it is in Heaven. Help us to be people who are willing to give up our rights and love our neighbors and our enemies. May we be known as people who love “just because.” We want to be your peaceful and loving kingdom people in a world full of distractions, power, hate, enemies, and violence.

Help us believe that you have the power and authority to take us and others out of the kingdom of darkness and into the Kingdom of Light. Lord Jesus, thank you for dying in our place, living the life we could not live and dying in sacrifice that we couldn’t provide for ourselves. We worship you and bless your name, the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end, the author and finisher of our faith, you who deserve all praise, glory and majesty forever and ever. It’s in your name we pray Amen.

Communion 1. Introduce the table

We come now to celebrate the Lord’s Supper together. This is one of two sacraments instituted by Jesus Christ and in it we acknowledge the broken body and shed blood of Jesus Christ on our behalf.

It is through faith in Jesus that we are invited into His Kingdom, but not just his Kingdom, we are also invited to sit at his family table. We are invited as sons and daughters of the king.

So, we come now, to the family table. It’s furnished with bread and wine, in our case we have both wine and juice AND regular and gluten-free bread.

The wine is darker red and juice the lighter color. These elements signify the once-for-all sacrifice for sins that Christ made with his body and his blood on the cross.

Until he comes again, he nourishes us here at His table while we wait for that one day where we will eat and drink with him in the new heavens and the new earth. Eating and drinking at this table actually strengthens and encourages our faith until that day.

2. Fencing

In light of what we believe from Scripture concerning the Lord’s Supper:

I want to remind you, brothers and sisters in Christ, to not take the bread and the cup in an unworthy manner. Lest we eat and drink judgment on ourselves. So, examine your hearts and if you need to do some repenting before coming this morning, you should do that.

But, if you have faith, even if you feel like it is hanging on by a thread, if you are a Christian who has been baptized and are in good standing with a church that teaches the Gospel, you are welcome to receive communion with us. Come and be strengthened this morning!

If you are here this morning and you aren’t a Christian, if you don’t believe in this Jesus, who is the living God who died for you, first of all we are glad that you are here this morning. You are welcome here. But this part of the service isn’t for you. We wouldn’t want you to violate your own conscience by coming forward.

So, if you don’t yet have faith in Jesus, I’d encourage you to stay in your seats and not receive this bread and wine, but instead consider faith in Jesus, the true substance that these signs and seals points us to. There’s a prayer up on the screen for you to reflect on during this time.

3. Words of the Institution

So, with that, hear these words of the institution:

The Lord Jesus Christ on the night He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it, gave it and said, “this is My body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.” (break bread)

In the same way He took the cup after supper saying, “This cup is the new covenant of the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me” (hold up the cup)

For As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes again.

I’m going to pray for us one more time, and as I do, can those helping with communion please come forward and prepare the elements. [Pray]

God strengthen and encourage our faith at this family meal this morning. May we remember your body and blood, broken and shed for us. Meet us here and grow us in Grace this morning. Amen.

4. Invitation to Come

In a moment you can come forward row by row starting in the back and once you’ve received the bread and the cup, please return to your seats hold onto the elements and return to your seats and we’ll partake of them together once everyone has been served.

Come now and feast on Christ by faith.

(Communion Assistants: Meredith Dyson and Catherine Getz; Tiff Huang and Steve Leiby)

5. Receiving the Meal

This is Christ’s body, take and eat. This is Christ’s blood, shed for the forgiveness of sins. Drink of it all of you.

6. Let’s Stand and sing

Song(s) of Praise

I do urge you to run to our Lord and Savor Jesus Christ, who, while you were yet his enemy loved you enough to die for you so that you might be free to love others.

Benediction

“Now, look up and receive this final benediction:

Leader: May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. And may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. And may the God of peace be with you all. Amen. (Romans 15:4-6, 13, 33)

All: Amen.

Leader: Go in peace and serve the Lord!

All: Thanks be to God!