Let’s jump into our passage for today in Matthew 5.

• Matthew 5:38-42
  38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 39 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. 40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. 41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. 42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
• What does it mean an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth?
  • That is talking about revenge, justice or equality.
  • If you punch my tooth out, I’m going to punch your tooth out!
  • You hurt my eye, I’m going to hurt your eye as well!

Notice that the passage actually starts with “Ye have heard that it hath been said.” Jesus is quoting from somewhere. Where is He actually quoting from? Well there’s actually two places.

• Exodus 21:22-25
  22 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. 23 And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, 24 Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
• Leviticus 24:19-20
  19 And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him; 20 Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again.
• Both times, this is Moses that is giving the law. You see, it was the laws that would govern the nation of Israel when they were coming out of Egypt. And this was necessary. It was important. All nations need to have laws.
• This type of law even still applies today in all the countries of the world. If you do something bad or wrong to your neighbour, there are repercussions, there are consequences.
• Does it mean that the world is just all wicked today because we shouldn’t be doing this? Absolutely not! We need these types of laws.
• But you see, at the time this was spoken in the Old Testament, God’s people were still a nation. But at the time that Jesus is speaking now, God’s people were no longer a nation. They were only a religious body. They were under Roman rulership and so they didn’t have power to execute any judicial or civil laws.
• Even the priests knew that in order to kill Jesus, they would have to bring Him to the Romans to judge them. Although they had already judged Him and said He was guilty, they needed the power of Pilate to sentence Him to death.

What offences are these texts in Exodus and Leviticus applied to specifically? Was Jesus dealing with the same issues that were mentioned there?

• The offences that were mentioned in Exodus and Leviticus were referring to such that killed a person or that permanently destroyed a person’s goods or that caused a blemish on the person.
• But Jesus was dealing with something totally different. He was dealing with someone that slapped them on the cheek, or took their coat, or told them to run a mile.

So how were people treating this command from the Old Testament based on what Jesus was saying?

• They would retaliate at the smallest of things.
  • Slapping of a cheek.
  • The taking of a coat.
• OK, I mean they aren’t that small. But you haven’t lost your tooth. Or you haven’t lost your eyesight. No one has died.
• But what they were doing was they were quoting the law as the reason why they could take revenge. Their heart was wrong already.

But on the other hand, it sounds like Jesus is saying that it’s ok to let people take advantage of you.

• It really makes us feel silly or used right?
• Don’t resist evil. If they sue you, give them more than they asked for. Or if someone slaps you, let them slap the other side. Someone forces you to go a mile, go two instead!
• Wow, it seems like we should let them have more than they asked for in the beginning.
• What does Jesus really mean by all this? Should we really let people take advantage of us like that?

Actually, Jesus is not saying we should let people take advantage. Of course not. But He is contrasting it to something else.

• You see at the beginning, if someone pokes out your eye, our normal behaviour is to poke out their eye also. We seek for revenge, for justice.
• But Jesus is saying, instead of seeking revenge, we should humble ourselves, be meek and not do to them what they have just done to us.
• So when someone slaps you, don’t slap them back. Turn to give them the other side.
• Christ is focusing on our reaction.
• When someone takes your coat, don’t go all out to try and take their coat. Don’t fight them for it. Just give them your cloak as well.
• And when someone forces you to run a mile, don’t fight to force them to go a mile as well. Just run two instead.
• Christ is more concerned about your reaction to the incident rather than who was in the right in the first place. Because when we react the same way that they did, we are just as bad as they are. This is obvious in the first example – someone slaps you and you turn around and slap them back.
• Two wrongs don’t make a right.
• Remember, Christ is not saying it’s OK to let people take advantage of you. When people come knocking at your door, do you have to lend everything to them? Do you have give them whatever they asked? Of course not. That’s the wrong context.
• How do you react? What is your response to what people do to you?

Look at the actions though:

• Smite.
• Sue.
• Compel
• Ask.

The question isn’t so much the situation as Jesus can’t cover it all in one go. The question more is more about how we respond.

• When someone smites you, what should you do? Turn.
• When someone sues you? Let him.
• If someone compels you to go a mile, what should we do? Go!
• And if someone asks from you? Turn not away.

As far as possible, we should help those that are in need. Yes, even at the expense of ourselves.

• Not that you should mortgage your house just so you can lend to someone
• But if you can, don’t harden your heart to turn away from them.

So where the context of what we have studied so far in Matthew 5.

• Beatitudes at the beginning.
• Matthew 5:13-16 – be salt and light of the earth.
• Matthew 5:17-20 – Christ establishes the law.
• Matthew 5:21-26 – don’t hate your brother, that’s like killing.
• Matthew 5:27-32 – don’t lust in your heart, that’s like committing adultery.
• Matthew 5:33-37 – make clear your communication, if not, it’s like lying.
• Matthew 5:38-42 – don’t retaliate.

How does this last one fit in with the theme of what we have been looking at so far?

• It’s basically the last 6 commandments that Jesus have been pointing us to.
• How we treat others.
• How can we be salt and light to others – it’s in how we treat other people.
• Look don’t misunderstand me. The first 4 commandments are very important.
  • Jesus uplifts them throughout His life and other parts of His preaching and teaching.
  • But here in Matthew 5 so far, He has been pointing us to the last 6 commandments.
  • Love to man.

Our love for God will be evident in our love for others.

• This is how we can be a blessing to the rest of the world.
• The Pharisees were religious. Don’t misunderstand me. That is important.
  • Going to church. Not cursing. Keeping the Sabbath holy.
• The Mark of the Beast is connected with the Sabbath – no other commandment.
  • It is the commandment that identifies who God is – He is the CREATOR.
  • Satan hates that one above all.
• But these last 6, is our love to our neighbour.
• How do you treat others? And it’s not just the letter of the law but the spirituality of the law.
• Christ has been showing us that these commandments encompass more than what we just see at face value.

But in this case, how do you treat this group of people that are coming after you?

• They hit you. They want to sue you. They are compelling you to go 1 mile.
• What does this mean?
• You see, Roman soldiers could come up to the Jews at that time and force them to carry their baggage for 1 mile.
  • What a shock!
  • Jesus is meant to be the deliverer and here He is teaching them to submit to their authority. Don’t fight them!
  • You can imagine that this sermon really did not sit too well with those that were listening and awaiting the Messiah.
• And then borrowing?
  • We should be as generous as we can?
  • Let’s not harden our hearts against those in genuine need.

So how do you treat this group of people?

• At least 3 of them, the first 3, have certainly evil intent in their hearts.
  • They want to hit you.
  • They want to sue you.
  • They are compelling you, forcing you to do something.

So how should we treat those that treat us this way?

• 1 Peter 2:23
  Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
• When we commit ourselves, it means to surrender, to yield, to intrust ourselves to that person
• We got to trust God that He will work it out for us in due time.
  • It takes faith to trust God like that.
  • Our health.
  • Our wealth.
  • It takes a lot of faith!
• God says there will be a day that He will avenge.
  • Revelation 6:10-11
    10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? 11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
• There will be a time coming for vengeance. But Christ says to the saints, rest. Now is not the time.
• Yes we can pray for it. But how should we react? We should allow God to do it in His time and not ours.

Here is some clear counsel about how we should react in times of injustice and hatred.

• Proverbs 20:22
  Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee.
  • We are counselled to wait on the Lord. We are to have patience. We are to have trust that God knows what He is doing. But is not for us to retaliate, to revenge.
  • But it’s so interesting we are told here that we are to wait for God to save us, not wait for Him to revenge us!
• Proverbs 24:29
  Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work.
  • We are to tell ourselves that we are not to do to that person and treat that person the way that he/she has treated us.
• Romans 12:20-21
  20 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. 21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
  • This is actually quoted from Proverbs as well.
  • If our enemy is hungry, we should feed him. Thirsty, give him water to drink.
  • And in doing this, we will heap coals of fire on his head – not literally but figuratively. You will make him to think why are you doing this?
• If someone really slaps you and you turn the other cheek, not in an arrogant way, but turn and not slap back, that person will be in amazement that you actually did that. Most of the people in the world would turn around around and slap you back.
• It’s not about being right but being righteous.
  • The right thing to do is slap back. The right thing to do is to do back to them what they did to you. But that is not often the righteous thing to do.

I want you to consider a story in the Bible. King Saul hated David. He hated him because he was jealous of him. David has not done anything against him personally. But it didn’t matter, his hatred had no bounds. So he began to hunt David to kill him.

• David was a fugitive for many years. And throughout that time he had two opportunities to kill King Saul.
• Once it was in a cave where David was hiding and King Saul took rest. And the second time David actually crept into his camp while they were sleeping and took his spear and bottle of water. Two times!
• But instead of doing what was right and taking vengeance, he waited patiently on God and His timing to take care of Saul.
• David knew that he would be king someday, but he didn’t know when. He had been anointed by Samuel long before King Saul ever knew about him.
• What patience he needed to trust in God that He would work out His plan at the right and perfect time.
• But in order to have this sort of patience, we really need to commit ourselves fully to God. We really need a full trust in the God that we serve and follow.

You know, there is coming a time when people will do evil to you even when you are doing good, even when you are obeying the law of God. Even Matthew 5 talks about this time.

• Matthew 5:10-11
  10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
• How are you going to react then?
• You haven’t done anything wrong. You haven’t done something worthy of their hatred except that they were maybe envious of your or jealous of you or seeking for their own reputation.
• That is exactly happened with Christ as well. All He ever did was live a righteous life. Yet the Pharisees and Sadducees and Scribes all hated Him so much!
• And His trial they were throwing lies out just to try and condemn Him.
• But how did He respond?
• Matthew 26:59-63
  59 Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; 60 But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, 61 And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days. 62 And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? 63 But Jesus held his peace…
• He was just quiet. He didn’t retaliate. He didn’t call out their falsehood.
• We need this same faith in the face of persecution.
• Anything short of that will not get us through to the end.

Revelation 14:12
Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

We need the experience of the beatitudes. We need the experience of all that Matthew 5 has taught us so far! We need His law written in our hearts and our minds, the spirit of the law and not just the letter.

Our experience today must be more than that of just a form. We need a real and living experience with Christ. It does not come by accident. It requires effort, perseverance and a strong will to push forward with Christ. To spend that time in prayer. To spend that time in His word.

Then our fruits will show that we have spent that time with Christ. Then our lives will testify to the fact that we are more than overcomers through Christ. Then we can be a salt and a light to everyone around us.

It won’t be easy. But we can claim that promise in Philippians.

Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

May God help us to be like Jesus today!