Matthew 5:38-42
What is amazing about Jesus’ words is that they were NOT taken the way that they were originally intended to be taken. Has that ever happened to you? You gave your kids a command, or you questioned your spouse about something, or you asked a co-worker a question. Somehow, what you intended was not understood in the way you intended. In those awkward moments, what do you do?
As the Jews were hearing the Old Testament command about retribution, they took it beyond its intention. It was meant to “limit retaliation.” It was meant to keep someone from having the mindset of: “I’m not getting even, I’m getting ahead!” It didn’t happen. The “eye for an eye” had a noble expectation. You were not supposed to take the injustice that had been levied against you to a ridiculous overreaction. Unfortunately, that is exactly what was happening.
It’s just human nature to want to “give it to someone worse than what he or she gave to you!” For instance, when I was a youth pastor, the teenagers and my rebellious youth leaders ? were always TPing my house. It got so bad that even my neighbors began to get upset as the loose sheets of toilet paper eventually flew into their yards. So, I, especially in the early years, would always retaliate. Of course, my goal was to get them back worse than they had gotten me. I learned real fast that was a bad idea, as there were a lot more of them than there were of me. Except the one time, I got the police to go get them ?, and that’s another story for another time. For now, realize the error of retaliation. It’s NOT what a Christian should be doing.
Jesus took the legalistic law and added the heart to it. He challenged his true followers to see the bigger picture – Gospel influence. That is why he challenged his disciples to set aside their “rights” and be willing to go through persecution for the sake of influence. Jesus gave four different illustrations of mercy for the mission:
1.Impact OVER Insult - “turn the other cheek” (vs. 39)
2.Mission OVER Materialism - “let him have your coat” (vs. 40)
3.Help OVER Hate - “go the extra mile” (vs. 41)
4.Give OVER Get - “freely offer” (vs. 42)
In these instances, Jesus challenged his disciples to be willing to embrace insults, materialistic losses, “above and beyond” effort, and generous offerings. He wanted his disciples to realize that their role as leaders was intended to influence others toward the Kingdom of God.
I’ve said it many times before: NOTHING IS MORE IMPACTFUL FOR THE GOSPEL THAN KINDNESS IN PERSECUTION. It is so countercultural. Our culture will have no idea how to handle such unexpected kindness.
As we come to a conclusion, we realize that Jesus was NOT a pacifist; he was a strategist. Everything he did was to point people to the Kingdom of God. He wanted his disciples to have the same sacrificial spirit.
It will never be easy to lead with kindness when you have been unjustly treated. Remember, for the 1st century Jews, they were looking for a Messiah who would lead a revolt against Rome, reestablishing their power and prosperity as a nation. It’s the opposite of what Jesus came to do. Jesus offered to them and to us a new, radical response to injustice: GIVE UP YOUR RIGHTS FOR GREATER GOOD!
So, where you read an “eye for an eye,” it’s not what you think it means. In fact, it’s the opposite. Instead of looking to “get even” or to “get ahead,” let’s look to “take a step away” from our rights. Let’s do the “heavy lifting” of kindness, grace, and forgiveness for the greater good of the Gospel. Jesus was NOT a pacifist, and neither should you be!
What is amazing about Jesus’ words is that they were NOT taken the way that they were originally intended to be taken. Has that ever happened to you? You gave your kids a command, or you questioned your spouse about something, or you asked a co-worker a question. Somehow, what you intended was not understood in the way you intended. In those awkward moments, what do you do?
As the Jews were hearing the Old Testament command about retribution, they took it beyond its intention. It was meant to “limit retaliation.” It was meant to keep someone from having the mindset of: “I’m not getting even, I’m getting ahead!” It didn’t happen. The “eye for an eye” had a noble expectation. You were not supposed to take the injustice that had been levied against you to a ridiculous overreaction. Unfortunately, that is exactly what was happening.
It’s just human nature to want to “give it to someone worse than what he or she gave to you!” For instance, when I was a youth pastor, the teenagers and my rebellious youth leaders ? were always TPing my house. It got so bad that even my neighbors began to get upset as the loose sheets of toilet paper eventually flew into their yards. So, I, especially in the early years, would always retaliate. Of course, my goal was to get them back worse than they had gotten me. I learned real fast that was a bad idea, as there were a lot more of them than there were of me. Except the one time, I got the police to go get them ?, and that’s another story for another time. For now, realize the error of retaliation. It’s NOT what a Christian should be doing.
Jesus took the legalistic law and added the heart to it. He challenged his true followers to see the bigger picture – Gospel influence. That is why he challenged his disciples to set aside their “rights” and be willing to go through persecution for the sake of influence. Jesus gave four different illustrations of mercy for the mission:
1.Impact OVER Insult - “turn the other cheek” (vs. 39)
2.Mission OVER Materialism - “let him have your coat” (vs. 40)
3.Help OVER Hate - “go the extra mile” (vs. 41)
4.Give OVER Get - “freely offer” (vs. 42)
In these instances, Jesus challenged his disciples to be willing to embrace insults, materialistic losses, “above and beyond” effort, and generous offerings. He wanted his disciples to realize that their role as leaders was intended to influence others toward the Kingdom of God.
I’ve said it many times before: NOTHING IS MORE IMPACTFUL FOR THE GOSPEL THAN KINDNESS IN PERSECUTION. It is so countercultural. Our culture will have no idea how to handle such unexpected kindness.
As we come to a conclusion, we realize that Jesus was NOT a pacifist; he was a strategist. Everything he did was to point people to the Kingdom of God. He wanted his disciples to have the same sacrificial spirit.
It will never be easy to lead with kindness when you have been unjustly treated. Remember, for the 1st century Jews, they were looking for a Messiah who would lead a revolt against Rome, reestablishing their power and prosperity as a nation. It’s the opposite of what Jesus came to do. Jesus offered to them and to us a new, radical response to injustice: GIVE UP YOUR RIGHTS FOR GREATER GOOD!
So, where you read an “eye for an eye,” it’s not what you think it means. In fact, it’s the opposite. Instead of looking to “get even” or to “get ahead,” let’s look to “take a step away” from our rights. Let’s do the “heavy lifting” of kindness, grace, and forgiveness for the greater good of the Gospel. Jesus was NOT a pacifist, and neither should you be!
Posted in Devotional