Rights when Wronged

Introduction: We tend to look at the world through a lens of our own self-interest.

Imagine your favorite team is playing and a questionable penalty or call goes against your team.

We tend to think that the refs were against our team.

Or one call is made against us but the same call is overlooked later on.

We scream it’s rigged.

But we ignore the countless calls that went our way. Or we think that the bad call at the end of the game someone influenced the outcome and not the rest of the game our team not being able to make a play.

Even in sports we have a weird insistence upon justice and fairness.

And then we think about how this applies in our everyday lives.

The truth is we often think about truth and justice as important when we are wronged.

When we are the wrong, we expect mercy and grace.

But something that Jesus says here and throughout the NT, life is not fair. Things won’t always turn out they way you want them in this life. But there is a promise that in the end, all accounts will be settled. And here is the truth. God will not mess up. No one will be in hell who doesn’t deserve to be there. And no one in heaven will be there who hasn’t received mercy. Sooooo

“if you want God’s mercy, you must be first ready to give it others.”

Transition to the Text: Turn with me in your Bibles to Matthew 5:38-42.

For much of the sermon on the mount, it deals with our own personal responsiblity. From our role in sinning to how we keep our marriages strong. And a lot of times, there is the assumption that in those cases we are wrong and need to make amends.

Today we take a different turn and look at how we respond when we are wronged or at a minimum inconvenienced by others.

I don’t think it’s just a coincidence that Jesus dealt with our responsibility when we sin first before dealing with what happens when we are sinned against.

Because when we know that we are sinners who have received mercy and grace, it should motivate us to be merciful to others.

Lest we forget this idea, Jesus will return to in a little later in Matthew 6:14-15

Matthew 6:14–15 ESV

14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

BUt the truth is many of us want mercy when we sin, and justice when we are sinned against.

But Jesus has called us to something better.

Introduce:

Big Idea: PEACE, MERCY and GENEROSITY matter to God.

Read: Matthew 5:38-42

Matthew 5:38–42 ESV

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42 Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

Big Idea: PEACE, MERCY and GENEROSITY matter to God.

An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth is a direct quote from the OT that Jesus seems to be saying, like the other laws He’s mentioned was misunderstood.

Exodus 21:23–25 ESV

23 But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

In a sense, the lawyers saw this as the mandatory minimum sentencing but Jesus was saying this is the maximum a person should pay for the wrong they have done.

Mercy and grace is and always has been an appropriate response to meeting out justice.

As citizens of the kingdom of God, the kingdom is more important than our worldly rights, especially when we are wronged.

So how can our lives be characterized by Peace, Mercy and Generosity?

First…

1. Do not RETALIATE. (Matthew 5:39)

Explanation: Matthew 5:39

Matthew 5:39 ESV

39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

In our culture talks a lot about justice and fairness. We even insist on the rule of law.

But it is often divorced from personal interaction and relationship. Even our own judicial system often takes us as the wronged party out of it in terms of criminal proceedings. We turn it over to the courts and they make the judgement. That’s not how it was in the nation of Israel during Jesus day.

I think we first need to understand that Jesus is talking about the Jewish law here. And the law of Moses was not just a moral code but a national constitution. And it dealt with how a government was to lead a people to be a godly nation.

And one of our biggest challenges is not reading our own judicial system back into them.

The judicial system in Israel was far more participatory. The wronged had a hand in meeting out justice in much more hands on ways.

So when we read things like, and eye for an eye or a tooth for a tooth, Jesus is clear you don’t have to demand this.

This is just the limit.

The judge’s or the council’s role is to determine guilt. And they would then turn to the person who was wronged and ask, “what is your demand to make this right” up to “an eye for an eye or a tooth for a tooth?”

Something I think is interesting is that in the case of the death penalty in the OT, the execution was the wronged party. The role was called the avenger of blood. The truth is most people do not have the ability to take a life, so mercy was often extended.

Mercy did not come from a judge it came from the wronged.

Which is why Jesus told us back in Matthew 5:25

Matthew 5:25 ESV

25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison.

Jesus wants us to practice mercy because we have received mercy.

Illustration: Matthew 18:23-35

Matthew 18:23–35 ESV

23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

Application: Practice mercy and grace when you are wronged. Don’t always insist on justice and punishment when you are wronged.

Jesus calls us to remember that we have received mercy and grace and therefor ought to extend it to others.

2. Go ABOVE and BEYOND. (Matthew 5:40)

Explanation: But what happens when we are wrongly sued?

Matthew 5:40

Matthew 5:40 ESV

40 And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.

There was a jewish law that you could not sue someone for their cloak. Because it functions also as their blanket as well. But Jesus is expounding this to say, if you are wrongly sued, go ahead and give them your cloak as well as your judgement upon them.

Because if they accept it, they have heaped up condemnation upon their own head.

As followers of Jesus, we have been prepared by Him to accept that in this world we will face trials, persecution and mistreatment. You cannot avoid this.

2 Timothy 3:12 ESV

12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

People will wrongly accuse you and the courts will side with them.

How will you respond? Will you just be a victim or will you take back the power?

Giving them your cloak as well is taking back the power they have over you by turning a bad situation into a teaching moment.

On the one hand, you may diffuse a situation by showing that person just how rediculous their lawsuit against you is. Help them put into practice what Paul writes to the Corinthians:

1 Corinthians 6:7 ESV

7 To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded?

Or on the other hand, while you may be cold at night while you are trying to sleep, they will probably not sleep either as they will contemplate your actions which will hopefully lead them to repent of their sin.

This what Paul means when He says Romans 12:20

Romans 12:20 ESV

20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”

Heaping burning coals on someone’s head can lead them to Jesus.

Application: At the end of the day, our focus need not be on our present circumstances but on eternity.

And as people who have received mercy we need to help others see that their actions are keeping them from an eternity with Jesus.

So Go above and beyond when you are persecuted not for yourself but for their sake as an act of love that points them to Jesus.

3. Go the EXTRA MILE. (Matthew 5:41)

Explanation: Matthew 5:41

Matthew 5:41 ESV

41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.

In the time of Jesus, a roman soldier could make any person carry their gear for no more than one mile. In a sense, while it seems to us to be an unjust law, it was that soldier’s right to do so.

It was inconvenient and burdensome.

So Jesus says don’t balk at it. Just do it. And then go an extra mile.

Why?

It goes along with going above and beyond, but in this way you you regain your power and volition in a seemingly unjust situation.

We had to go the first mile, but we can choose to go a second mile. This will heap some coals on the soldiers head.

And then you can use that second mile to tell him why you are going the second mile.

You can tell him about Jesus.

Illustration: I’ve been struggling to find a reasonable comparison to this in our day. There are some laws where police can commandeer our vehicles to chase criminals but I’ve only ever seen or heard about that happening in movies.

The truth is most of us won’t have to go an extra mile.

But it does speak to how we can choose how we respond to any and all circumstances.

We can aways respond with peace, mercy and grace.

We read Romans 12:20, let’s read 19-21 as well.

Romans 12:19–21 ESV

19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Application: Overcome evil with good. As citizens of the kingdom of heaven, we can only control what we can control and that is our own response.

Respond in every situation with grace and mercy.

4. Be GENEROUS. (Matthew 5:42)

The last one doesn’t seem to fit here. Because it’s less about justice and more about when someone asks something from us.

And more and more these days we are asked for things. Money on a street corner

Explanation: Matthew 5:42

Matthew 5:42 ESV

42 Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

I really struggle with this because we don’t know the people on street corners. But when we can help we should help. Not necessarily with money but perhaps food or clothing.

But when we are talking about people in the church, we have a relationship and we are much more capable of helping when we know the person.

Generosity is an act of mercy.

Illustration: I don’t know where the original story started but I’ve heard the principle over and over.

A comfortable family was living next to a poor family. And the poor family was often too proud to ask for help.

So the mom or dad of the comfortable family would go over and ask to borrow simple things like sugar, an egg, or salt. Even though they already had them in the house.

When the children asked why they would ask to borrow things they already had.

The mom and dad would respond that if we ask to borrow things that are simple and easy, they are more likely to ask to borrow things they truly need.

Luke 6:30–36 ESV

30 Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. 31 And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. 32 “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. 35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

Application: Just be generous and kind and that will go a long way.

Response: Do PEACE, MERCY, and GENEROSITY characterize your life?

Summation:

Big Idea: PEACE, MERCY and GENEROSITY matter to God.

1. Do not RETALIATE. (Matthew 5:39)

2. Go ABOVE and BEYOND. (Matthew 5:40)

3. Go the EXTRA MILE. (Matthew 5:41)

4. Be GENEROUS. (Matthew 5:42)

Closing Illustration: This all comes back to our attitude in life. How do we respond to the mercy we have received.

Because if you are hearing this, you have received mercy and grace even to hear the words of Jesus.

The question is what will you do with them?

Will you receive the gift of salvation that was paid for at the cross?

Will you repent of sin and turn to Jesus for life?

And then will we use that gift of salvation to make sure everyone else knows we are better than them and condemn the non-Christian to an eternity in hell?

Or will we allow God’s grace on us to shape how we respond to every circumstance we come across.

For we have peace with God because of the cross of Christ.

2 Corinthians 13:11 ESV

11 Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.

As people who have received mercy let us remember the beatitude:

Matthew 5:7 ESV

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

And finally be Generous.

2 Corinthians 9:6–7 ESV

6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

And that is the question, do we do these out of compulsion and reluctantly or have we been so changed by God’s peace, mercy and generosity to us, that it becomes just who we are now.

Let’s do that.

Let’s pray.