Loving the Unlovable

Introduction:

Hello everyone, we are diving into our series

Welcome and tune-in to our message called “Loving the Unlovable” from our sermon series Counter-Culture. Christ’s people uproot the values and morals of the world for the ethics of Jesus. So far we’ve been exploring Matthews account of counterculture of the kingdom of God which brings out a community of people who demonstrate Christian virtues such as forgiveness and reconciliation over anger, faithfulness and oneness against total separation, speaking truth over swearing in general.

However, before we get any farther, I want to ask you the viewer something personally, If ever, do you remember a time when you have ever seen or heard something so intolerable or so displeasing that it made you stop in your tracks to think. And you said to yourself, “Are you serious?”

Possibly you witnessed inappropriate public behavior that made your body cringed. Or you heard someone speak vulgar words that would even make a sailor blush. Or perhaps you read some ridiculous news article online and you wonder where are they acquiring the sources.

What if I’m about to tell you something that is not easy to swallow and it perhaps will make you think this is correct. I’ve have read in the new testament

When we see these things, we shout, “Are you serious?”

Sometimes when I read the bible I experiences this emotion of doubt and frustration, because often I go into the bible and I encounter a huge dilemma to my faith. So I begin reflecting and I say to myself, “is this command serious?” Does it apply to my life or is this for a different people and time.

Right now, we are exploring Matthew’s gospel account and culture

Which is why you’re going to jump into this dilemma boat with me. If you have you’re bible go ahead and open it to Matthew chapter 5 verses 38-48.

Here, we encounter our situation. At this moment in history, Jesus led his disciples up a tiny mountain off from the distance near the sea of Galilee and he begins with overarching problem all society in their time and ours today.

Here, we encounter our problem, thankfully Jesus is willing to addressed himself. At this moment in history, Jesus led his disciples up a tiny mountain off from the distance from the sea of Galilee and he begins overarching problem all society in their time and ours today.

Verses 38 & 43

Jesus says, “You have have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, and You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’

Did you catch it? No, I’m not talking about the cronia virus, I’m talking about problem of violence and hatred.

This is the problem in the text, the people of the 1st century where living in a culture that believed it was appropriate and acceptable to fight back in retaliation against anyone and to only love certain people, like their neighbors who share many similarities with them.

That’s why Jesus started out the conversation with “you have heard it was said”, he was addressing where they even heard of these ideas of the first place. Now to be clear, they didn’t hear strangers or distant foreigners, but these words were kept and spoken orally to the Jews since it first came directly from the mouth of God, whom gave them commandments for the whole nation of Israel to follow.

God was raising the standards back when he saved his people from Egypt. Rather when your neighbor inflicts damage upon you, you’re only allowed to do the same back rather than taking their life. The other loving your neighbors is explicitly commanded, but we don’t find any case of God commanding his people to hate their neighbors, so the Jews might of added that phrase in to emphasized who they were to only love. Speaking of violence and selected love, we living a world which feeds on it.

Didn’t you see the video of customers at walmart decking each other just for a case of toilet paper and people swarming the stores to purchase everything and in the process care little about the other people buying supplies for their home. If you haven’t saw the videos, I know you had to seen all the memes on facebook. Toilet paper and hand sanitizer is the drugs of today. Everyone wants them! And we’re to the point that it’s perfectly normal to act like animals and take more than we need out of fear of not having enough to endure this season of isolation.

When it comes to selective love, I think it’s most prevalent between people with differences in politics, race, ethnicity, social class, and demographic even at us who root for our local school, we live in a little towns with rivalry and that in our minds gives us a reason not to like certain people. I believe it because we gravitate to love those who are like us and then we turn our backs on caring for people who are slightly.

Now with the problem in mind of retaliation and favoritism, let’s see how God’s Son teaches us on how to overcome our predicament. Starting with the issue of eye for eye. We will notice how Jesus is not elevating the letter of the low, but the spirit.

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.

Matthew

Matthew 5:38-

To understand Jesus and his teaching it beneficial to know our ancient audience the Jews who had to deal with the soldiers of Rome oppressing them and also the tax collectors exploiting them for more money. Each party is not looking out for the interest of the foreigners of Rome, but look for opportunities to do carry out their evil against them. Jesus commands all his people in all eras to with stand evil by doing good and loving them.

However he charges his church with these words. Do not resist the one who is evil.

When we are abused and suffer for righteousness, give them another shot at you because we demonstrate Christ’ kindness. (illustration of not resisting evil in jr. high)

It’s about having a heart of generosity for everything belongs to God.

Our servitude will outperform our enemies hatred for us. 1,000 paces equals one Roman mile = 4,854 feet

Jesus addresses the outer-sphere of our life on how we are to respond to our enemies. Now Jesus takes it up another step and finishes the conversation with our heart.

Matthew 5:43–48 ESV

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 5:43-

Christ charges us his church with the next commandment. Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

Pray for their salvation and to find hope in

What makes us countercultural is the way we care for our enemies and also how we treat them in our heart. For God shows no partiality, neither can we.

What's the purpose of loving our enemies and no retaliating again those who hate us? We do so because of the purpose of representing our God (gracious, merciful, slow-to-anger, abounding in steadfast love) and knowing he will reward us according to his grace for being obedient to his commandments.

Praying for our enemies and their salvation (illustration Patrick of Ireland)

Living like Christ so we can be perfect. (Overcoming anger, lust, swearing, violence and hatred)

Luke 10:25–37 ESV

25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” 29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

English Standard Version Chapter 10

25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”

29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

Luke 10:25-

Is is possible to overcome retaliation and favoritism? Yes, through the power of the Holy Spirit and emulating the life of Christ from birth to death. We are equipped to follow the kingdom's way of nonresistance and love, and God graces us to do this by his gospel.

And it’s by the good news of Christ that he save his enemies (you and I) by dying on a cross for them. While he was abused, he loved us. So that we could love and follow him. Christ is calling his church to die for our enemies so that they can find God too.

The countercultural kingdom displays a presence when we practice enemy love with nonresistance to evil.

Who will you love this week? Be generous, kind, and loving to your enemy because the hope is for all to come to Jesus for eternal life.