September 13, 2015
Evening Service

Matt. 5:38-48

 

            This morning we looked at making an oath, or swearing an oath.  Jesus said not to do that, and we found out through other Scripture that the least we speak the better off we will be.    This evening we want to look at retaliation, and love.

 

Mat 5:38-48  Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 

·         Exo 21:24  Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

·         Lev 24:20  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.

·         Deu 19:21  And thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

·         It’s well worth to note that a lot of this type of penalty is still used today.

·         One of the oldest records of this law being in effect was in the code of Hammurabi, a Mesopotamian king who reign in Syria long before Moses wrote the laws of God.

·         I don’t know the extent of how much it is used today, but I understand it is used today.

Let’s see what Jesus has to say about this law of retaliation.

 (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. 

·         This is a very hard saying.  But it is not hard to understand.  Jesus is saying no retaliation, but do not strike back against evil. 

·         We call ourselves a Christian nation, but we haven’t attained to where Jesus has ask us to be.  What about all the wars that we have fought, the aggression of other countries?  Did we resist the evil, by not retaliating?  Did we turn the other cheek?  Or did we strike back, and fulfil what James said about mankind.  Jas 4:1-3  From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?  (2)  Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.  (3)  Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

·         And who is it among us that doesn’t want to protect his own property?  If someone has wronged us, and we feel like we don’t want someone to take advantage of us, don’t we do what we can to hold on to our own?  Sure we do.

·         We say, we have laws of the land that protects us from people that would take advantage of us, but this is not the Lord is telling us.

·         Yes, we are closest to being a Christian nation than anyone else, but we are not there yet.

·         Who of us wants to loan something to someone we know is taking advantage of a situation?  We would say no, but this stipulation is not in what Jesus is teaching us.

·         I have no problem at all understanding what the Lord is saying, but I have an awful time of doing it.  Sometimes I feel like the rich young ruler, walk away feeling defeated.

·         I NEED A SAVIOR.  BUT NO RETALIATION.

Then He speaks concerning love:

(43)  Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 

·         Lev 19:18  Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

·         Psa 139:21  Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?  Psa 139:22  I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.

·         David speaks the attitude of the Jewish race.  In so much that the Romans accused the Jews of hating all mankind.

 

But now notice:

(44)  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;  (45)  That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven:

·         When we do this, we are the children of our Father which is in heaven.

·         Most of the time we can do this, but even this sometimes becomes difficult.

The reason we should do this:

for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 

·         Jesus gives us a parable of the wheat, and the tares.  In it He is the One who separates them, not us.  We are to pray for them.

(46)  For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 

·         Here we see the attitude of the Jews toward publican.  The publicans were Jewish tax collectors for the Roman government.  Despised by the Jews.

(47)  And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?  

·         Again showing the disdain for the publicans.

·         The Lord expects His people to show love, and respect to all who deserve it.  Not just to our race, but all people.

THEN YOU WILL BE.   PERFECT.  OR COMPLETE.

(48)  Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

 

We understand that these magnifications of the law are goals to be sought after.  Many Christians, including myself have not attained to all of them, and I won’t until I receive my glorified body, and become immortal.  So looking forward to that day.

 

Eye hath not seen nor ear heard the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.

 

And the importance of you being in the assemble when you can, you are showing Him that you love Him, and want to go with Him when He comes after the church.  A small thing but so important.

 

LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, WE STAND BEFORE YOU COMPLETE IN YOUR SON JESUS, CLAIMING NO RIGHTEOUSNESS BUT HIS.  PLEASE CONTINUE TO HAVE MERCH ON YOUR SERVANTS, HELP US TO BE OVERCOMERS IN THESE LAST DAYS.    AMEN.