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Home News “WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU ARE WRONGED”

“WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU ARE WRONGED”

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MATTHEW 5:38-42

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 an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue and take your shirt, let him have your coat as also.

“Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.”

INTRODUCTION

As I stated from the beginning of our series on the Sermon on the Mount, the key verse for the entire Sermon is found in Matthew 5: 20, ?For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses (exceeds) that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.?

Jane Vajnar tells this true story: ?My friend’s four boys were young and bursting with energy, especially in the church. But the sermon her minister preached on turning the other cheek got undivided attention. The minister stressed that no matter what others do to us we should never try to get even. That afternoon the youngest boy came into the house crying. Between sobs he told his mother he had kicked one of his brothers, who had kicked him in return.

?I’m sorry that you’re hurt,? his mother said. ?But you shouldn’t go around kicking people.? The tearful child replied, ?But the preacher said he wasn’t supposed to kick me back.?

Why is it so easy to pay others back in the same coin? Why is it so easy to seek revenge and hard to forgive and let go? Let’s talk about ?What to Do When You Are Wronged.?

I. THE PRESCRIPTION OF THE LAW OF RETRIBUTION V. 38

Jesus quotes this passage from the Old Testament as recorded by Moses in Exodus 21:23-25; Leviticus 24:19-20; and Deuteronomy 19:21. This principle was wider and most widely recognized than the Mosaic Law. This principle of proportionate retribution was found in the code of Hammurabi (18th century B.C.) with the same emphasis on an eye for eye, and a tooth for a tooth. While this law sounds severe to us, in its time it set guidelines against what may have been escalating vendettas among people. This principle of retribution, lex talionis, gave judges a formula for dealing with crime. In other words, this law was established in order to discourage the practice of personal or private revenge. The judges were compelled by this law to ?Make the punishment fit the crime.? This law limited vengeance and helped the court administer punishment that was neither too strict nor too lenient. It is similar to the laws here in the United States. Here in the United States when a person kills your relative, you cannot just go and pull your gun and shoot that person in retaliation. That is why we have police officers and judges who administer justice. However, sometimes justice is not served in such cases, but this is better than ?the law of the jungle.? The law of the jungle permits you to do whatever you want to another person who hurts you, a friend, or a brother. In such countries laws don’t work and anarchy is the order of the day. People still try to excuse their acts of revenge by saying, ?I was just doing to him what he just did to me.? Jesus says that His disciples are not and must not do that if they are to be a part of His Kingdom.

II. THE COMMAND OF JESUS AGAINST PERSONAL REVENGE V. 39.

When someone hurts you, often the first reaction is to get even. That is the natural human instinct. Instead, Jesus says you should do good to those who wrong you. Instead of keeping score, you should love and forgive. This is not natural; it is supernatural. Only God can give you the strength to love as He does. To clarify the command against personal vendettas or vindictiveness, Jesus offers four illustrations.

Jesus teaches us to offer non-resistance to an evil person v. 39. Many Christians have mistranslated and misapplied this imperative of Christ. Jesus is not saying that we are not to resist evil. Jesus is not commanding us not to resist evil in the abstract. Neither is He teaching that we are not to resist the evil one that is the devil. This would be a compromise with sin and Satan. The Bible impels us to submit to God and resist the devil and he will flee from us. The Bible also teaches us to eschew every form of evil. What Jesus forbids us to resist is an evil person, one who is evil, or one who wrongs you. Jesus does not deny that such a person is evil. Jesus does not ask you to pretend or condone that person’s evil behavior. What Jesus does not allow is that you retaliate. In other words, do not take revenge on someone who wrongs you. The first illustration that Jesus offers has to do with personal physical abuse (v. 39b). Not only does Jesus command against ?getting back? at someone physically but He also commands against getting back by any other means.

A slap on the right cheek was literally a blow from the back of another person’s hand. This is an act that even today shows the greatest possible contempt. A person who slapped another in this way was giving that person a great insult. According to the Jewish law the one who slapped another faced punishment and a heavy fine. Thus the law was on the side of the victim, and the victim would have every right to take this offense to a court of law. Jesus says to His disciples not to take the legal channels, however, but to offer the other cheek for a slap as well. Jesus does not ask His followers to do what He would never do. In fact, Jesus Himself received such treatment and did as He commanded (Matt. 26:67; see also Isaiah 50:6; 1 Peter 2:23). Jesus wants His followers to have an unselfish attitude that willingly follows the way of the cross instead of the way of personal rights. We should entrust ourselves to God who will one day set all things right. Jesus focuses on the attitudes of His disciples when dealing with evil individuals. I have often said it many times that the measure of your faith and your spiritual maturity is not determined by how eloquent you pray, not the tongues you speak, or the reputation you have, but the attitude you demonstrate, especially when you are under pressure. For when you are under pressure what you are in the inside will definitely come out. The world advocates getting even, looking for yourself, and protecting your personal rights. In Africa and the United States some will hire a hit man to carry justice for them. In Africa some would go to the witch doctor to seek vengeance on someone who has really hurt them. Some too would place a curse or spell on you to get back at you. Jesus’ disciples, however, are to hold loosely to our ?personal rights,? preferring to forgo those rights for the sake of being witness to the gospel and the kingdom. Being willing to set aside your personal rights does not mean that you have to sit passively while evil goes unhindered (Acts 16:37: 22:25; 25:8-12).

Jesus’ teachings were offensive to many of the Jews. Any Messiah who would turn the other cheek was not the military leader they were expecting to revolt against Rome. To a large degree that was part of the reason they rejected Jesus as the Messiah. The Jews were under Roman oppression and they wanted retaliation against their enemies whom they hated vehemently. But Jesus offers a new radical response to injustice. Instead of demanding rights, give them up freely! According to Jesus it is more important to give justice and mercy than to receive it.

In the face of human dilemma of injustice and hatred, Jesus proposes a better way, the radical response of love. Jesus’ standard is not an attack on the necessity for justice. Rather, Jesus is presenting a practical, rational, and holy way to deal with personal conflict and offense. This teaching on the Sermon on the Mount shows us that we cannot generate love and forgiveness, but to rely on the supernatural power of Christ, that is the person of the Holy Spirit for help to carry out the teachings of Christ. Rely on the Holy Spirit to enable you to do what does not come natural.

The second illustration has to do with legal matters (v. 40). Under God’s law, no one could take a person’s cloak (Exodus 22:26-27). The cloak was a most valuable possession. In those days they did not have clothing manufacturing companies as we do today. Therefore, many people made clothes themselves. It was difficult and time-consuming event. Consequently, cloaks were expensive, and most people owned only one. A cloak could be used as a blanket, a sack to carry things in, a pad to sit on, a pledge for a debt, and of course, clothing. In this case the person was suing for the tunic, an inner garment worn next to the skin. Today it could be the shirt that some of us wear. It could also be an athletic T Shirt that we wear before we put on our shirt. Jesus says you are to let the person take the shirt and the coat or jacket as well. Jesus once again focuses on our attitude as His disciples. In effect He is telling us to hold our possessions loosely. I told you a story about a man who was attacked by an armed robber. The arm robber demanded, ?Your wallet or your life.? The guy said, ?I am praying about it.?

The third illustration is forced labor. As I shared with you in my introduction to the Sermon on the Mount, I said that Israel was under the control of the Roman Empire. Therefore, there were Roman soldiers placed in various parts of the Empire to curb rebellion and to enforce Roman rule. The Roman soldiers could force the ordinary citizens to carry their loads to a certain distance (one mile, thus a term for thousand spaces). The Jews hated this law because it compelled them to show their subjection to Rome. Yet Jesus said to take the load and willingly go not one mile but two miles. Jesus calls for a serving attitude, which He Himself demonstrated throughout His life. For He said, ?The Son of Man came to serve but not to be served? (Matt. 20:28). Jesus’ statement in this verse probably shocked His hearers. Most of the Jews expecting a military Messiah, would never have expected Jesus to issue a command of non-retaliation and cooperation with a hated Roman Empire. By these teachings Jesus is revealing that His disciples belong to a different kingdom. The disciples of Jesus need not fight against the Romans as did the Zealots (one of Jesus’ disciples was Simon the Zealot). The disciples of Christ are to work on behalf of God’s kingdom. If this meant walking an extra mile carrying a Roman soldier’s load, then that is what a disciple should do. The Christian life is a radically transformed life. And until we live this radically transformed life, we cannot attract others to Christ. There are several biblical examples of the spirit which Jesus commends in this passage. First is Abraham who rushed to the rescue of his nephew Lot, though Lot had proven to be greedy and covetous (Gen. 14:14ff.). Second is Joseph who forgave his brothers who had treated him with cruelty (Gen. 37:18-28; Gen. 50:19-21); and third is David, who twice spared the life of his pursuer King Saul. David could have killed Saul in each of these two occasions but he spared his life (1 Sam. 24, and 26); and finally, Stephen who interceded for those who stoned him to death (Acts 7:60).

The last illustration is about a generous spirit. Jesus commands us to have a generous spirit. Because you and I hold loosely to our personal rights and possessions, we can freely give when the need arises and won’t turn away from the one who wants to borrow. This does not mean that some Christians should become full time beggars, going around begging fellow believers for money and other personal effects. Christians are commanded to work with our hands so that we can give to those who have legitimate needs. This calls for the spirit of discernment. While you should not blindly give away your possession, the Book of Proverbs speaks about this; see Proverbs 11:15; 17:18; 22:26). Jesus illustrates the heart attitude that He expected of His followers. You must willingly put others’ needs before yours and others rights before your own. Even in the Christian community people most often give their junks to others. When Jesus says, ?Give to him who asks of you? He is not saying that give your leftovers or your junk.

As I conclude I would like you to listen to this story:

Paul Harvey’s broadcast (11/22/95) shared this insight.

The Butter Ball Turkey Company set up a hot line to answer consumer questions about preparing holiday turkeys. One woman called to inquire about cooking a turkey that had been in her freezer for twenty-three years! The operator told her it might be safe if the freezer had been kept below 0 degrees the entire time. But the operator warned the woman that, even if it were safe, the flavor had probably deteriorated, and she wouldn’t recommend eating it. The caller replied, ?That’s what we thought. We’ll just give it to the church.?

I would like to warn you before you do, the church does not want your garbage. The church does not want your junk. Don’t bring anything you will not use in your own house as a gift to the church. In fact, if you are to give something to the church it must be the best because the church is the bride of Christ. Give your best to the church and the people of God. Have a generous spirit and reap the blessings of God in your life.

By: kennedyadarkwa@sbcglobal.net.

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