Jesus and the Law - Part 6
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Welcome, introduce self...
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 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. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.
“Eye for and eye” comes from Exodus 21, Leviticus 24, and Deuteronomy 19.
These laws were created to guide justice. God is just, and living in a just society is a good thing.
For I will proclaim the name of the Lord;
ascribe greatness to our God!
“The Rock, his work is perfect,
for all his ways are justice.
A God of faithfulness and without iniquity,
just and upright is he.
But the Lord sits enthroned forever;
he has established his throne for justice,
and he judges the world with righteousness;
he judges the peoples with uprightness.
We have, as part of our nature, a desire for justice… [explain, that’s not fair, or sports analogy]
We have, as part of our fallen nature, a desire for retaliation.
When we are injured, we want to at least get even if not get ahead.
Jesus aim was to combat the Pharisees’ view on vengeance.
The Pharisees had turned this “eye for an eye” concept into a personal license for revenge.
“Jesus strongly resisted evil that was directed against others, but did not resist by personal vengeance any evil directed at himself.”
Jesus resisted evil directed towards the Father (drove money changers out with whip)
We are instructed to resist the devil
We are repeatedly instructed to protect the widow and orphan
Christians are called to be champions of protection, justice, and the resistance of evil in this world.
Jesus establishes a basic principle:
[SLIDE]
“Do not resist [ἀνθίστημι (anthistēmi)] the one who is evil”
[SLIDE]
resist [ἀνθίστημι (anthistēmi)] Means “resist” or “be hostile toward” or “oppose” or “set one’s self against”
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Then four basic human rights are used to illustrate the principle of nonretaliation: dignity, security, liberty, and property.
Dignity
Dignity
[SLIDE]
“But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also.”
This was a matter of respect.
Security
Security
[SLIDE]
“And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well”
1-2 shirts, 1 coat/cloak
Liberty
Liberty
[SLIDE]
“And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.”
Roman law allowed soldiers to force a civilian to walk a mile and carry his pack.
Property
Property
[SLIDE]
“Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.”
Jesus is the ultimate example of one who gave up his dignity, security, liberty, and property.
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.
We are called to dispense grace and trust justice, judgement, and wrath to God.
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.”
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.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
We must trust God to be just.
Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things.
Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God?
Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?
But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.
Justice is good...
Justice is good...
Mercy and grace are good...
Mercy and grace are good...
How are these things reconciled?
How are these things reconciled?
The cross.
The cross.
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.
It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Giving grace always comes at a cost.
Jesus was the ultimate example of setting aside a claim on justice in the interest of another
For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God.
For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 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.
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.