The Right to Not Fight
Notes
Transcript
The Difficult Sayings of Jesus
The Difficult Sayings of Jesus
We come to the last sermon in this sermon series:
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.
Radical - you will see that this passage is not as difficult as it is radical..
Jesus is teaching us:
Radical Humility
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.
Matthew 5:
Is Jesus teaching us not to stand against evil?
For one I am sure that Jesus did not mean for us to not resist evil.
In another translarion the NASB it says: “Do not resist an evil person”.
It does not make the saying any easier, for one I am sure that Jesus did not mean for us to not resist evil.
Bible says we should resist evil personified, who is evil personified, the Devil - Satan himself.
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
So what does Jesus mean?
Notice that Jesus did not say “do not resist evil” He said “do not resist one who is evil”..
In another translation the NASB it says: “Do not resist an evil person”.
Well it doesn’t make this any easier for us.
“...But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.”
What in the world do you mean Lord? Do I just let someone hurt me like that? You are telling Me Jesus, that not only should I not do anything when someone slaps me, I should offer my other cheek to and let that person slap me more!
What is the Lord telling us here?
I am gonna start with what Jesus is not talking about here. Jesus is not talking about self-defense. I’ll explain.
Notice that the Lord was very specific on which cheek was slapped. Which one?
The right cheek. What difference does it make? It is important, when Jesus says something we should listen to the details.
“.. if anyone slaps you on the right cheek..”, this means that unless the one who slaps you belongs to the 10 percent of the world’s population that are left handed, for a right-handed person to slap you on the right cheek means to slap you in a back-handed way.
You see, being slapped with the back of one’s hand is a great insult in that culture.
What Jesus is teaching us here is the matter of how to respond to personal insults.
Responding to Personal Insults.
If someone attacks and the attack is directed at us as a personal insult, here is the principle that we can learn from Jesus.
Don’t retaliate.
Repay evil with Good.
Leave the justice to God.
So first Jesus is teaching us:
17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 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.
So first Jesus is teaching us:
Don’t Retaliate to an insult.
When Jesus said turn to him the other cheek also, it is a metaphor to not retaliate or seek personal vendetta.
Not getting back at someone for hurtful words or actions inflicted on us is one of the hardest things to do.
There is a human tendency to exact vengeance or retribution. People are after sweet revenge!
You know the saying: “Don’t get mad… get EVEN!” Hasta La Vista, Baby! Robert Kennedy said the first one and the other was the terminator.
The word is retribution.
There is a common fear of retribution in the workplace, that is why now, companies have ways for employeesto voice out their opinions or complaints anonymously because of this fear.
ret·ri·bu·tion
ˌretrəˈbyo͞oSH(ə)n/
noun
punishment inflicted on someone as vengeance for a wrong or criminal act.
There is a common fear of retribution in the workplace, that is why now, companies have ways to voice out their opinions or complaints anonymously because of this fear.
The reality is we fear retribution because vengeance against those who wronged us is also a natural tendency.
We see it everyday. Nowadays because of the way we are connected through social media.. people retaliate by venting on Facebook.
Jesus is telling us don’t retaliate.
2. Repay Evil with Good.
2. Repay Evil with Good.
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.
Matthew 5:
Sounds easy Lord.
What about my rights Lord? What about my feelings? Don’t You care?
Of course Jesus cares for us and that is why He wants us to learn this principle.
Personal vendetta will not truly satisfy, it only hurts the one who carries it.
Jesus cares enough to spare us of both the 1) pain and the 2) sin of getting caught up in personal vendetta.
Just to give you a common situation. Somebody spoke some words of insult to you. The moment the words were said you knew it was wrong, it was directed at you and meant to hurt you like a dagger.
What happens most often than not is that the person receiving the insult does not respond right at that instant. Not because He or she is following Jesus’ principle of non-retaliation, but because he wasn’t ready for it. It could be a hurtful joke that you did not have a comeback for. But there is an initial shock, that deadened your brain, that all you can say is the very sharp, loaded and very witty...
“Excuse me?”
Then driving home, flashback of the incident runs through your mind and you cannot let go, and all of the sudden your mind is filled with all the right comeback words. Man, i should have said this.. and that.. and then you begin to plot a retaliation.
If you choose to retaliate..
The most painful part of retaliation is the delay.
You are playing out scenarios in my head on how to get even. You have an answer to every possible verbal attack, the next time I won’t be such a pushover. Then you start to waste your time and energy thinking of these things...
So you begin to plot, which is wasteful.
But what if you don’t get your chance? The person just pulls back and there was no new opportunity for the same kind of conversation to take place?
Then you begin to be resentful, which is harmful.
Then you begin to be resentful, which is harmful.
Harmful to who? The other guy? No, to you.
Resentment is like a deadly poison, it consumes you slowly that without noticing it you degenerate into a totally different kind of person.
There is a constant build up in you you have held this back for so long that one day, you would suddenly burst and you will do something that you don’t typically do. You will take the offensive and be on the attack.
Then you will trade insults, which is shameful.
You see there is a progression from being wasteful, harmful and shameful, but through all of that the whole process is sinful.
Before you know it you have been overcome by evil because you choose to retaliate.
What does the Bible say?
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Instead of plotting to return harm with harm, evil with evil, return evil with good.
So Jesus says if they take your inner garments or your undershirt, let them take your coat too. In that time that is a big deal because people back then only have two pieces of garments, the inner and the outer.
Give it to them, it’s not worth the fight!
If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles!
Did you know that the expression “go the extra mile” came from Jesus?
Very typical at the time of Jesus during the Roman occupation of Israel for a Roman soldier to force a Jew to carry his heavy equipment. But Jesus was telling them if someone forces them to do so, go the extra mile!
Why pastor? Is Jesus promoting injustice here?
Another thing that Jesus is not teaching here is “to not stand against or even promote injustice.”
Remember, firstly He is not talking about self-defense and secondly he is not talking of not standing against injustice.
But what He is teaching us is:
God’s justice is better, trust and wait.
3. Leave the justice to God.
When it comes to personal insults. We are not told to not defend our homes and families from threats, it has nothing to do with it.
Jesus is not talking about pacifism, or just peaceful nonviolence. We are to oppose injustice in society.
Jesus is not talking about government not punishing crime. Paul said in that the government authorities are an “avenger” who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer and that we are to be subject to governing authorities.
But “don’t put justice into our own hands”
Jesus was not weak, when defending what was right He stood strong, remember when he cleansed the temple He overturned the tables, He even made a whip of cords and drove them all away.
He stood for His disciples, when he was arrested in the garden, Jesus told His captors let these men go.
Jesus is not for injustice.. He is reminding us today that
Justice is God’s and not Ours. God is the Supreme Judge.
Don’t retaliate against personal injustice. God’s justice is better and it will come.
What about the saying..
“Justice delayed is justice denied”?
That applies to the legal system. The government has the responsibility to carry out justice swiftly.
Personal justice delayed, is God’s justice that is to come.
Trust God. He will vindicate and fight for you. This is especially true when you are persecuted for being a follower of Christ. Most of the disciples that Jesus taught in this sermon became martyrs and did not fight back.
They followed the way of Jesus.
The greatest insult and injustice ever perpetrated in the history of mankind is for the supreme judge of the universe to be subjected to a mockery of a trial.
Bible says,
23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.
Entrust yourself to the One WHo will judge rightly. Oh but that will take too long I will have to wait until the person dies and then He’ll go to hell.
Jesus said go the extra mile. Even love your enemies, bless those who curse you, pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.
Do this, and if your enemy does not repent, God’s justice will come not only in the afterlife. Even in this life.. the Psalms.
Follow the way of the Master..
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.
verses.
Isaiah 53:
How do we respond against personal insult?
How do we respond against personal insult..
Learn the Way of the Master.
Don’t retaliate.
Repay evil with Good.
Leave justice to God.
17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 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.
Romans 12:17
Overcome evil with Good..