Strength Under Control (Matthew 5:38-42)
Strength Under Control
Matthew 5:38-42
We live in a nation today that is very concerned with our rights.
We know that there are certain ways in which we have the right to live.
There are certain things that we have the right to do.
And if someone infringes upon those rights,
We only have to turn on the television and hear some lawyer say,
“You may be entitled too…”
Our system of government is even built upon certain unalienable rights.
We are all familiar with the constitution and the “Bill of Rights”
And don’t get me wrong, it is a tremendous blessing
To live in a nation that goes so far to guarantee the personal freedom
Of those who live in her.
Freedom is a good thing.
Even in Scripture freedom is a good thing.
Galatians 5:1 “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.”
But as we studied last Sunday night, freedom can become CORRUPTED.
There are some who can take their freedom or their “personal rights”
To a level that God never intended.
For example, those same Galatians that Paul declared “free”
He turns right around and says this:
Galatians 5:13-15 “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.”
While Paul did declare the Galatians free,
Paul immediately warned about the dangers of pushing freedom too far.
And freedom or “personal rights” are corrupted
When they become the chief concern and aim of a person.
In other words, if all a person is concerned with
Is making sure they are free and no one steals their rights from them,
Then that selfish mentality can actually turn freedom into a bad thing.
The end result is fighting, bickering, lawsuits, and wars.
In fact Paul likened corrupted freedom to a sort of cannibalism.
“But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.”
Instead, freedom must be balanced with love.
“do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”
In fact that is why Scripture also teaches that freedom
Must also work hand in hand with submission.
1 Corinthians 7:22 “For he who was called in the Lord while a slave, is the Lord’s freedman; likewise he who was called while free, is Christ’s slave.”
And we are reminded, that as Christians we are free,
But that is something we willingly forsake for the glory of Christ.
Remember all the teachings about not eating meat sacrificed to idols?
1 Corinthians 8:9 “But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.”
Romans 14:19-21 “So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another. Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense. It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles.”
In fact, Paul was even a walking testimony of a man
Who sacrificed his own personal rights and freedoms.
First Paul listed the freedoms and “rights” that are his.
1 Corinthians 9:1-7 “Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. My defense to those who examine me is this: Do we not have a right to eat and drink? Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? Or do only Barnabas and I not have a right to refrain from working? Who at any time serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat the fruit of it? Or who tends a flock and does not use the milk of the flock?”
But then listen as Paul speaks of willingly forsaking those “rights”
1 Corinthians 9:15 “But I have used none of these things. And I am not writing these things so that it will be done so in my case; for it would be better for me to die than have any man make my boast an empty one.”
1 Corinthians 9:19-23 “For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.”
AND WE COULD GO ON WITH ILLUSTRATIONS
So we quickly understand that while freedom is a good thing,
Freedom is not the only goal.
We are not those who are looking to make sure we never get cheated,
Or that we never lose our rights, or that someone infringes upon us.
Instead we are those who would willingly surrender our freedom
If it means glorifying God and building up another person.
That is exactly what this portion of the Sermon on the Mount is about.
I titled this sermon “Strength Under Control”
By now most of you know that this is the definition for “meekness”
Matthew 5:5 “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.”
To be meek does not mean to be weak.
In fact before you can be meek you first have to be strong.
Meekness is someone who willingly submits even though they have the power not to. (A horse is a great example of meekness)
And of course ultimately Jesus is the greatest example of meekness.
Hanging upon a cross, being taunted by men,
When all He had to do was call 10,000 angels.
And therefore we know that meekness is a Godly attribute,
And one that the truly righteous must live and walk in.
However, meekness is generally a lost attribute in most of our lives.
• Most of the time we are focused on our rights.
• Most of the time we want to make sure no one cheats us.
• Most of the time we are concerned that no one takes our freedom.
And most of the time there is heck to pay if anyone tries.
Well friend this morning that is the concept we deal with,
And our text not only reveals us to the wrong way of thinking,
But even offers us the benefit of a real simple true / false test.
So lets study this 5th “You have heard…but I say” sermon.
#1 THE OBSERVATION
Matthew 5:38
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’”
Now before we do any digging as to what this command really meant,
Just take a moment and ask yourself what it sounds like it means.
It sounds like a Biblical mandate
To make sure no one ever gets the better of you doesn’t it?
It sounds like a biblical mandate to protect your freedom through revenge.
Now, before we even go to the Old Testament,
We know this is not the case don’t we.
WHY?
Romans 12:19 “Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord.”
So we know that even though it sounds like a right to get even,
We know it isn’t, for revenge belongs strictly to God.
Furthermore Scripture doesn’t teach
That we do unto others as they have done unto us.
Matthew 7:12 “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”
So we know that this command doesn’t promote or even permit revenge.
However, because that is all of the command most Jews knew
That is exactly how they were interpreting it.
They saw it as a bonified right to call the nearest lawyer and make sure that “That Sucker Pays for what he did to me”.
And because that is all of the passage they knew
They thought it was important to protect your personal rights at all cost.
But lets look at the passage in the Old Testament that say this
And see if we can discern exactly what God originally meant.
Exodus 21:22-25 “If men struggle with each other and strike a woman with child so that she gives birth prematurely, yet there is no injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman’s husband may demand of him, and he shall pay as the judges decide. “But if there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.”
There the command is given to the local civil judge,
In order to give him a guideline as how to punish an offender.
If someone wrongs another and you don’t know how to punish them,
Then deal out a judgment that fits the severity of the crime,
“life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.”
And we see it other places as well.
Leviticus 24:19-20 “If a man injures his neighbor, just as he has done, so it shall be done to him: fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; just as he has injured a man, so it shall be inflicted on him.”
Deuteronomy 19:16-21 “If a malicious witness rises up against a man to accuse him of wrongdoing, then both the men who have the dispute shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges who will be in office in those days. “The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is a false witness and he has accused his brother falsely, then you shall do to him just as he had intended to do to his brother. Thus you shall purge the evil from among you. “The rest will hear and be afraid, and will never again do such an evil thing among you. “Thus you shall not show pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”
There is a similar command, only with a twist.
This time a person has not been wronged, but he was about to be,
And God intervened in order to dissuade men from being evil.
And so reading those three commands
We can easily deduce God’s point in the Law.
1) TO DETER EVIL
We just read in Deuteronomy “thus you shall purge the evil from among you. The rest will hear and be afraid, and will never again do such an evil thing among you.”
And that is obviously understood.
If you think that you will have your hand cut off for cutting someone else’s hand off, you will think twice before you do it.
This command was meant to deter evil from taking place.
2) TO PROMOTE JUSTICE
In other words, to make sure the punishment fit the crime.
God did not want you killing a man for bruising someone.
God laid down an ordinance that made sure the punishment
Was only as severe as the crime that was committed.
And in all cases the judgment and sentence was carried out
Through the local civil authority, never by the hands of the victim.
And so we know that God was promoting justice.
However, by conveniently failing to read the entire command,
The Jews had come to read that command as a license
To get even and protect your own personal rights and freedoms.
The slogan of the day was:
“No one has the right to walk on me, or I’ll do the exact thing back to them. After all, ‘an eye for an eye’”
They had taken God’s commands about justice
And used them to promote their own selfish interests.
I think we can understand this concept in our society.
Our judicial system may have been invented
To interpret the law and punish offenders.
But today it is much more than that.
We have judges with television shows
And lawyers who chase ambulances.
We all are familiar with the phrase, “I’ll see you in court”
It is the slogan of a society that wants to make sure that above all
They do not get cheated, wronged, or anything else.
Some even use it as a means to get more than they deserve,
And so it has even promoted greed.
It sounds a lot like Corinth.
1 Corinthians 6:1-8 “Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life? So if you have law courts dealing with matters of this life, do you appoint them as judges who are of no account in the church? I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not among you one wise man who will be able to decide between his brethren, but brother goes to law with brother, and that before unbelievers? Actually, then, it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded? On the contrary, you yourselves wrong and defraud. You do this even to your brethren.”
It was certainly how the Jews were living,
And they thought they were biblical in doing so.
After all, I have to protect my rights and my freedoms.
That was Jesus’ observation.
#2 THE EXPLANATION
Matthew 5:39a
“But I say to you, do not resist an evil person;”
That is really all the explanation that Christ gives
In regard to the command, and He says enough.
He commands the exact opposite of what was actually occurring.
But not only did Jesus say don’t go after them with revenge,
But He went further than that.
Don’t even resist them when they try to cheat you.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
It’s one thing to say I can’t get even and make them pay for harming me,
But You are actually saying I can’t even resist them when they try.
It is no doubt that Jesus here is
Speaking of a mindset that is foreign to ours.
• He is speaking of a person whose last concern is their own personal rights and freedoms.
• He is referring to a person who the last thing they think about is whether or not it is good for them.
• He is referring to a person who really doesn’t take self into the equation, and in fact may not even realize he is being cheated, because being cheated wasn’t even something he was concerned about.
WHAT KIND OF A PERSON ACTUALLY LIVES AND THINKS LIKE THAT?
Philippians 2:5-8 “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
Or do you prefer this passage?
1 Peter 2:23 “and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;”
Or do you prefer this passage?
Isaiah 53:7 “He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth.”
Or do you prefer this passage?
Matthew 26:39 “And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.”
Or do you prefer this passage?
Luke 23:33-35 “When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves. And the people stood by, looking on. And even the rulers were sneering at Him, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One.”
• And should we continue about His willingness to live poor on the earth?
• Should we talk about His submission on the day He was arrested?
• Should we talk about the way He took the humiliation of Pilate & Herod?
We may find it hard to believe that anyone could ever live their life
With so little concern for their own personal rights and freedoms,
But we know one who did.
You see this mindset is foreign to us,
But that only reveals how unlike God we really are.
It is not just about not taking your own revenge,
But it is about having such a loving mindset that
When an evil person comes to take advantage of you,
Your last thought is to protect yourself.
That is meekness.
That is strength under control.
That is God-like-ness.
Now comes the third point.
Here comes the test.
If at this point, you think you are what Jesus just described,
Then let’s take this little four question true / false test.
#3 THE APPLICATION
Matthew 5:39b-42
Jesus gives you 4 scenarios, and you get to evaluate your life
By these four scenarios, and simply answer TRUE or FALSE.
Jesus allows you to come in contact with four types of people.
We know that because Jesus just told us not to “resist an evil person”
That all four types of these people are seen in an “evil” connotation.
So Jesus lets you on any given day come across one of these
Four evil people and asks you how you would respond to them.
So let’s take the test and look at these four scenarios
And see what true meekness looks like.
1) THE MOCKER (39b)
“but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.”
• We get up in the morning and go to Allsupps for caffeine.
• When we get out of our car, we see the mocker.
(Not physical violence, even apostles fled)
• This man humiliates us with a slap on the face (done in evil)
• They say something or do something that humiliates you in front of everyone.
HERE IS THE TEST, HOW DO YOU RESPOND?
I can tell you how your preacher too often responds – I fire right back.
(It is actually a curse to always know what to say, because too often I say it)
Instead of letting them get the last laugh,
I make sure that by the time we both get into Allsupps,
They are the one who is humiliated, not me.
Just like Jesus right?
Wrong – “when reviled He did not revile in return”
And so by defending my dignity, I tossed meekness out the window.
I was more concerned with what people thought of me
Than with what people thought of Christ, and I failed the test.
SO YOU MARK A “T” OR AN “F” ON YOUR PAPER
Now let’s move on in our day.
• You leave Allsupps a little annoyed at the scene.
• You get to work and in the parking lot a courier catches you to serve you papers.
2) THE GREEDY (40)
“If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat as well.”
This is something big.
Exodus 22:26-27 “If you ever take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge, you are to return it to him before the sun sets, for that is his only covering; it is his cloak for his body. What else shall he sleep in? And it shall come about that when he cries out to Me, I will hear him, for I am gracious.”
The coat was a serious thing to a Jew.
• So this guy is suing you for something important.
• Apparently he is allergic to pecans, and he wants all your pecan trees removed.
• Furthermore he wants emotional damages for all the sneezing in the sum of $5,000
Cleary he is exploiting you.
To which you respond “Over my dead body”
Just like Jesus would have right?
Wrong – He left His home in heaven and let men gamble for His tunic.
Jesus would offer the wood from those pecans
As free firewood for you neighbor.
SO YOU ANSWER “T” OR “F” ON YOUR TEST
So our day is going pretty rough.
I had a bad encounter and now I am being sued.
So now I finally make it to work.
3) THE FORCEFUL
“Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two.”
• This is my boss (and remember in an evil connotation)
• This guy is a slave driver.
• Without asking, he demands that I work through lunch and stay late.
The Roman centurion could demand you to carry his load for one mile.
(Why Simon had to carry the cross of Jesus)
• Now like that centurion your boss is demanding you to work late.
To which you respond…
“No I’m not” or “You’re paying me extra” or “Why don’t you do something”
Just like Jesus right?
Wrong – He willingly walked the extra mile to the cross.
Jesus would actually volunteer tomorrow’s lunch hour too.
JUST MARK A “T” OR AN “F” ON YOUR PAPER
• But now I finally get off work.
• I’ve already had that encounter.
• I’m being sued.
• I’m tired from working late, and I make it to the grocery store just before they close.
4) THE LAZY (42)
“Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.”
• I’ve worked hard for my pay.
• This guy sits at home all day watching The Dukes of Hazzard.
• He doesn’t work at all.
“Can I have $20 for some groceries?”
To which I say – “Get lost” or “I don’t have it”
Just like Jesus right?
Wrong – He gave His righteousness to sinners who didn’t earn it.
Jesus says give it to him anyway.
JUST MARK A “T” OR AN “F” ON YOUR PAPER.
NOW, HOW DID YOU SCORE?
We know how Jesus did.
How about you?
And you see once again the point is made to us,
That despite what we like to think about ourselves,
We are not like God.
We do not measure up.
Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”
And therefore the only hope for us is to be forgiven
And made righteous through the credited righteousness
That Jesus provides.
Again we see our need to run to Him and be forgiven.
Again we see our need to run to Him and be made righteous.
That is the point.
2 Corinthians 5:21 “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
This morning I again encourage you to give your life to Jesus
And not only receive His forgiveness, but also His Holy Spirit,
That you may begin to be transformed into a Holy person.
Let Him begin to work in you.
If you are a Christian let me just remind you that
Selfishness and personal freedom were never part of the deal.
Walk like your savior and lay those “rights” down
So that you may look like Christ in a fallen sinful world.
And as you do, enjoy the blessings of a life of meekness.
Matthew 5:5 “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.”
