Stop Resisting!
Inside Out: The Pursuit of Genuine Christianity • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 7 viewsNotes
Transcript
In Judith Viorst’s children’s book I’ll Fix Anthony, the younger brother complains about the way his older brother Anthony treats him:
My brother Anthony can read books now, but he won’t read any books to me. He plays checkers with Bruce from his school. But when I want to play he says “Go away or I’ll clobber you.” I let him wear my Snoopy sweatshirt, but he never lets me borrow his sword. Mother says deep down in his heart Anthony loves me. Anthony says deep down in his heart he thinks I stink. Mother says deep deep down in his heart, where he doesn’t even know it, Anthony loves me. Anthony says deep deep down in his heart he still thinks I stink. When I’m six, I’ll fix Anthony …
When I’m six, I’ll float, but Anthony will sink to the bottom. I’ll dive off the board, but Anthony will change his mind. I’ll breathe in and out when I should, but Anthony will only go glug, glug.… When I’m six my teeth will fall out, and I’ll put them under the bed, and the tooth fairy will take them away and leave dimes. Anthony’s teeth won’t fall out. He’ll wiggle and wiggle them, but they won’t fall out. I might sell him one of my teeth, but I might not …
Anthony is chasing me out of the playroom. He says I stink. He says he is going to clobber me. I have to run now, but I won’t have to run when I’m six. When I’m six, I’ll fix Anthony.
Most of us know the feeling of Anthony’s brother. The Bible calls it revenge.
As we continue our series “Inside Out: The Pursuit of Genuine Christianity”, we come to a section of Jesus’ Sermon on the mount that focuses on the subject of revenge. It is easy to be righteous on the outside like the Pharisees and Sadducees, but we have learned that this is not good enough fro God.
For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
In our passage this morning Jesus explains how we can take the Biblical principle of governmental justice as a license for personal vengeance. As we look at this often quoted, and often misunderstood passage we will see that Jesus gives us 5 specific commandments to help us to discern if our motives are vengeance or justice.
Do Not Resist Evil
Do Not Resist Evil
Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
matt
O.T. Law is set up to deal with evil doers.
O.T. Law is set up to deal with evil doers.
If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman’s husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.
And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,
Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
NT law gives the Government a mandate to deal with evil doers.
NT law gives the Government a mandate to deal with evil doers.
Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:
For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
Some have taken that as permission to exact personal vengeance.
Some have taken that as permission to exact personal vengeance.
An Internet entrepreneur discovered that revenge can be popular. Mat Carpenter started a website where patrons can order an envelope with a folded up piece of paper filled with glitter and send it to people they don’t like. He says the idea for sending glitter came from personal experience. Glitter gets everywhere and never seems to come out. He added, “It reminded me of a few relatives over the years who used to send small amounts of glitter with their birthday of Christmas cards and how it annoyed me.”
When Carpenter launched the site, it became so popular so quickly that he had to beg people to stop buying his product because he couldn’t keep up. Carpenter plans to reopen the site as soon as he can catch up.
—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell1
1 Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell, “Taking Revenge with Glitter,” in 300 Illustrations for Preachers, ed. Elliot Ritzema (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2015).
Jesus commands us not to resist evil (those that perpetrate evil)
Jesus commands us not to resist evil (those that perpetrate evil)
King James Version Chapter 5
But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil
An Armenian nurse had been held captive along with her brother by the Turks. Her brother was slain by a Turkish soldier before her eyes. Somehow she escaped and later became a nurse in a military hospital. One day she was stunned to find that the same man who had killed her brother had been captured and brought wounded to the hospital where she worked. Something within her cried out "Vengeance." But a stronger voice called for her to love. She nursed the man back to health. Finally, the recuperating soldier asked her, "Why didn’t you let me die?" Her answer was, "I am a follower of Him who said, ’Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you’" (Luk_6:27). Impressed with her answer, the young soldier replied, "I never heard such words before. Tell me more. I want this kind of religion."
(From a sermon by Jeremias Fababier, fruitfulness comes from the heart, 5/29/2012)
Turn the Other Cheek
Turn the Other Cheek
King James Version Chapter 5
but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
The first results from a slap on the right cheek. To slap another’s cheek was a serious insult (; cf. ) for which legal redress could be claimed (the code of Hammurabi deals with this too, in paragraphs 202–205, with penalties ranging from a small fine to the cutting off of an ear, depending on the social standing of the two parties involved), but to slap the right cheek required (if the assailant was right-handed) a slap with the back of the hand, which was far more insulting and would entail double damages (m. B. Qam. 8:6). This is more a matter of honor than of physical injury, and honor required appropriate recompense. Yet Jesus tells the disciple to forgo the financial benefit to which he is legally entitled, to accept the insult without responding,143 and even to offer the left cheek for a further, if less serious, insult. Such a response follows the model of God’s servant who “gave my back to those who struck me and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard (LXX has “to slapping”); I did not hide my face from insult and spitting,” . In a culture which took honor and shame far more seriously than ours, this was a paradoxical and humiliating demand.1451
1 R. T. France, The Gospel of Matthew, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co., 2007), 220–221.
**Illustrate a right hand slap to the right cheek***
Sir Walter Scott had difficulty with the idea of “turning the other cheek.” But Jesus’ words took on special meaning one day when Scott threw a rock at a stray dog to chase it away. His aim was like a baseball pitchers and he hit the animal and broke its leg. Instead of running off, the dog limped over to him and licked his hand. Sir Walter never forgot that touching response. He said, “That dog preached the Sermon on the Mount to me as few ministers have ever presented it.” Scott said he had not found human beings so ready to forgive their enemies.
Give More Than You Have Been Forced to Give.
Give More Than You Have Been Forced to Give.
And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.
The second illustration is even more clearly located in the law-court, with the opponent suing for possession of the disciple’s “shirt.” To forfeit the shirt would be bad enough, but the disciple is to voluntarily give up his “coat” (the himation, the larger, heavier and more valuable outer garment) as well. Whatever the legal rights with regard to the shirt (perhaps claimed as pledge for the payment of a debt), there could be no question of legally forfeiting the coat, since this was explicitly prohibited on humanitarian grounds in the OT law (; , showing that the himation could double as a sleeping blanket). What the opponent could not have dared to claim, the disciple is to offer freely, even at the cost of leaving himself with nothing to wear or to keep warm with. Cf. Paul’s exhortation to be wronged and defrauded rather than to institute a law-suit ().1
1 R. T. France, The Gospel of Matthew, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co., 2007), 221.
Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?
Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.
I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?
But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers.
Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?
If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.
I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?
But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers.
Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?
I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?
But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers.
Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?
Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?
"The Jumbo Shrimp Gospel" was inspired by a conversation I had with my 7 year old. I read her the part of Jesus’ sermon on the mount where Jesus talked about turning the other cheek and getting undressed when someone takes your shirt (yeah, that’s what he said). After I explained it to her, she said, "Dad, that’s stupid!"
And she’s right.
The life of an agent of the kingdom of God goes against the grain of everything we hold dear. We desire safety, security, and comfort. The gospel of the kingdom of God calls us to risk, danger, and suffering. It doesn’t make sense, but it’s divinely brilliant.
From Aaron Saufley-
Go The Extra Mile
Go The Extra Mile
matt
And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
The third illustration takes up a specific grievance of subject people under the Roman occupation. “Dragoons you as a porter” is an attempt to capture the military force of angareuō, a rare term originally used for the stages ridden by officers in the Persian postal service, but in first-century Palestine referring especially to the Roman soldier’s right to enlist a member of the subject population for forced labor, in this case presumably as a porter for his equipment; the only other NT use of the verb is for Simon of Cyrene forced to carry Jesus’ cross (27:32). This oppressive practice was of course deeply resented by the people of occupied Palestine, but it was a Roman legal provision and they would have no choice about complying up to the limit required (“mile” was a Roman, not a Jewish measure). But Jesus calls on the disciple not only to accept the imposition but also to volunteer for a double stint. To do this for anyone would be remarkable, but to do it for the enemy was unheard of. This cameo thus serves not only to illustrate Jesus’ demand to renounce one’s rights, but also prepares us for his equally revolutionary command to love one’s enemies (v. 44), and suggests that Jesus advocated a response to the Roman occupation which not only full-blown Zealots but even the ordinarily patriotic populace would have found incomprehensible.1
1 R. T. France, The Gospel of Matthew, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co., 2007), 221–222.
If you are forced to perform a task against your will… or at least against your want, rather than resisting the evil doer by doing the very minimum, do more than is required.
Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Lend Even When It is Against Personal Interest.
Lend Even When It is Against Personal Interest.
Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
The point they are making is that in the kingdom of heaven self-interest does not rule, and even our legal rights and legitimate expectations may have to give way to the interests of others. It is for each disciple to work out for themselves how this principle can most responsibly be applied to the issue of giving and lending in the different personal and social circumstances in which we find ourselves.1
1 R. T. France, The Gospel of Matthew, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co., 2007), 222–223.
So as we endeavor to let our righteousness flow from the inside out, let us surrender to do the following: Quit resisting the evil doer. by exacting revenge. Instead let us turn the other cheek even when publically insulted and humiliated. If we are forced to give our shirt, let us give our coats too… blowing the mind of our civil litigant. If we have been forced by a boss, ruler, or even law enforcement to go one mile, let us, out of love for Jesus go two. If someone wished to borrow something, let us lend even we are not convinced of their good intentions.
There was a little girl who had a very large collection of dolls heaped on her bed. A guest in her room one day asked herd "Do you love dolls" Then, with tender loving care, she spread out the whole collection for the guest to inspect and admire. The guest asked her, "Which doll do you love the most?"
She hesitated, then said, "Promise not to laugh if I tell you." He promised. She picked a ragged doll with a broken nose whose hair had mostly come off, and one arm and leg were missing. "This is the one."
"Why?" the visitor asked.
"Because if I didn’t love this one, nobody else would."
(From a sermon by Tim Zingale, "An Encounter with God" 1/19/2009)