Revenge
You have heard that it was said, “Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.” But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
Jesus, Matthew 5:38–42
These verses, from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, are among his best-known words. At the same time, they are surely among the most ignored. Some think that they're impractical. Others think that Jesus must surely have been using hyperbole. Many sermons I've heard have (in my view of the sermons) tried to explain away their clear meaning. But, few people have ever said that they are a call to an unworthy or destructive way of life. Most of us think that they are simply too high and lofty ever to attain. They seem unrealistic. So, in the message this weekend, I have quite a challenge. I will try to convince us that these words are the only lasting hope for human society. Can you imagine this as a topic for the presidential debates going on? "Discuss how you think Jesus' instructions in Matthew 5:38–42 provide the only lasting hope for the future of our society."
Let me give you a few clues to consider as you prepare to hear God's Word:
Clue #1 Jesus is not talking about
- being a "carpet" and letting evil people walk over you,
- always giving to professional beggars and thereby furthering a hopeless way of life,
- letting anyone sue you for any reason and giving in without a defense, or
- failing to stand up for others who are being treated unjustly.
Clue #2 Jesus is giving specific applications of God's greatest commands.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. Matthew 22:37–40
To God's Glory,
Dr. Greg Waybright
Senior Pastor
