Retaliation

The heart of God is giving even to the point of being taken advantage of

Uncomfortable

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.

Surely we don’t have to do this, right?

Bruised cheeks, naked, worn out from caring others' burdens and broke.

But if we did an eye for eye the whole world would be blind.

Old Testament passages eye for eye

Exodus 21:22–25 ESV

22 “When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined, as the woman’s husband shall impose on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine. 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.

Deuteronomy 19:16–21 ESV

16 If a malicious witness arises to accuse a person of wrongdoing, 17 then both parties to the dispute shall appear before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who are in office in those days. 18 The judges shall inquire diligently, and if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely, 19 then you shall do to him as he had meant to do to his brother. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. 20 And the rest shall hear and fear, and shall never again commit any such evil among you. 21 Your eye shall not pity. It shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Understanding the OT

Example Law not an exhaustive list

Not encouraging extreme but limiting extreme

Matt 5:38-42

Don’t resist the person who is evil?

Slaps you on the face

Takes your clothes

Forces your labor

Takes your money

The heart of God is extraordinarily giving even to the point of being taken advantage of

Personal or public?

Pacifism is nonviolent resistance, not nonresistance

(peacemaking)

Protection of the vulnerable - Good Samaritan protects the traveler?

If yes not more than needed, but Jesus pushes us.

In order to be like Jesus, we must place justice and judgment in God’s hands.

Jesus says - don’t let your Jewish Right supersede your kingdom obligations

Today to you - don’t let your American Rights supersede your kingdom obligation

Retaliation = human justice

Faith = God’s justice

I want to be like Jesus

Turned over tables, cared about the woman at the well, strongly told the disciples to let the kids come to him,

and

Christians with a bruised face, naked, worn out from caring for others' burdens and not earthly possessions look like Jesus on the Cross

Isaiah 53:4–6 NLT

4 Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! 5 But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. 6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.

True discipleship is not comfortable

But When God Rests On Us We Can Be Like Him