The Commands of Christ
Sermon # 7
“Going the Second Mile”
Matthew 5:38-48
“In our relationships with others, often what passes for love is little more
than a neat business transaction. People are kind to us, so we repay them with equal
consideration. When they threaten us unjustly, our negative response is really what they
asked for. Everything is so balanced, so fair, so logical with this eye-for-an-eye and
tooth-for-a-tooth kind of justice. But Christian love never settles for only what’s
reasonable. It insists on giving mercy as well as justice. It breaks the chain of logical
reactions….” [Our
Daily Bread. www.bible.org/
illus/nt/nt/Matt 5:44]
We are introduced to the thought of this new section in verse twenty-eight
where we read, “You have heard that it
was said, "An eye for
an eye and a tooth for a tooth.”
Even people who
don’t know the Bible often quote this standard of justice, "An eye for an
eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But in most
cases they completely misinterpret its meaning. They think that it gives them the right to
retaliate for injuries against themselves and there loved ones. But this law as it was
given in Deut 19:21 was intended by God to limit vengeance. Under Old Testament law
retributions were limited to that which was equivalent to the loss. Given an opportunity
to retaliate for hurt done to them, people will over-retaliate.
The seventh
command in our Commands of Christ Series actually occurs in Matthew five, verse
forty-one, “And whoever
compels you to go one mile, go with him two.” The verb translated, “go” (hupage)
is an imperative present active.
In this section
of the Sermon on the Mount (5:38-48), I believe that the Lord is calling us to a new level
of response to our fellow man. I want you to notice how we are told to respond to personal
slights. Look with me at four postures and four responses.
The First Posture –
“Don’t Mess With Me!”
The Christian Response - We Are To Take Insults With Grace (v. 39)
“But I tell you not to resist an evil person….”
First we are told that we are “not
to resist an evil person” but what does
that mean? “Jesus’ illustration and personal
example depict not the weakling who offers no resistance….They depict rather the
strong man whose control of himself and love for others are so powerful that he rejects
absolutely every conceivable form of retaliation.”
[John
Stott. Essential Living:The Sermon On the Mount. (InterVarsity Press, 1978) p. 107]
I think that Paul words found in Romans 12
(v.17, 21 ) are a commentary on this teaching
of Jesus, “Repay no one evil for
evil… (21) Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”
“… But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the
other to him also.”
Surely this is
one of the most misunderstood and misinterpreted passages in the Bible. We have probably
all heard it paraphrased this way, “The Bible says when someone
slaps you on the cheek to turn the other cheek, but if he slaps you again, it does say
what you have to do then.” That of course is missing the point
entirely!
People have used
this justify everything from pacifism to non-violent protests. But at it core this passage
does not deal with physical violence at all. The slap that is described here was the
highest form of personal insult known to that culture.
Even today, slapping a man across the face is the
greatest insult you can give in many Middle Eastern countries.
In fact it is
not just a slap, today we would call it a “backhand.” Since
the blow is to the right cheek, and since most of the world is right handed, the blow if
it were meant to hurt you, would be to left cheek. So a blow to the right cheek, without
some unusual contortions would have to be delivered with the back of the hand. The
intention was not so much to do bodily harm, but was a deliberate effort to deflate, put
down or belittle someone. According to Jewish rabbinic law to hit a man with the back of
the hand was twice as insulting as to hit him with the flat of the hand.
It is designed
to be an blow that is intended to be an insult to one’s character. What Jesus is talking about is our response to a deadly,
calculated insult.
But How Are To React? Proverbs 15:1 says, “A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word
stirs up anger.”
“This
principle really works in a variety of situations we all face regularly. It works when
someone cuts you off in traffic… It works when someone gives you a harsh word. You
see, if you lash out in anger when you are in any of these situations you only escalate
the conflict. If you respond by being kind and generous, which is the unexpected response,
then you catch your antagonist off guard and they, not knowing quite how to respond, calm
down a bit.
This works in a marriage relationship. When
This works in the workplace when unreasonable bosses are flexing their irritating muscle. It works in the school situation when demanding and implacable teachers, who think their class is the only one that counts, give you unreasonable assignments. You can become bitter or better by how you respond. [J. David Hoke. Sermon entitled “Thinking Biblically About ..Loving Enemies.” www.horizonsnet.org/sermons/ tba06]
But in contrast a desire for revenge and a an attempt to retaliate often
backfires. I heard a story that I think is a
classical illustration of this. Many years ago there was a radio series called the “Amos
and Andy Show.” In one of their routines Andy was particularly exasperated over a
certain fellow on the street who, as Andy walked by him on his way to work each morning,
would slap Andy on the chest and say hello. Andy complained to Amos about the situation
and told him that he had resolved to do something about it. He said that on the next
morning he would strap some dynamite to his chest and when the annoying fellow slapped it,
he would blow his hand off. I think you see so obvious difficulties with Andy’s plan
for revenge, it would cost him as much or more than his enemy. Revenge often does!
The Second Posture – “Don’t Infringe On My
Rights.”
The Christian Response - We Must Learn To Move Past A Concern For
Our Rights (v. 40)
“If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him
have your cloak also.”
We live in a
society very much concerned with maintaining our rights.
We hear about human-rights, women’s-rights, children’s-rights,
worker’s-rights, gay-rights, criminal’s-rights, victim’s-rights and on and
on. People believe that they have rights and are in many cases, not only pleading for them
but demanding them.
As Christians we
also think that we have rights, don’t we? Many think they have the right to
Nevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all things lest we hinder the gospel
of Christ…. (19) For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to
all, that I might win the more.” Paul
here declares that he willingly gave up his rights for the sake of reaching others with
the gospel.
The Third Posture –
“Don’t Cost Me My Time.”
The Christian Response - We Must
Be Willing To Do More Than Is Expected Of Us (vv.41-42)
“And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him
two.”
As we considered Jesus’ words we must first of
all need to remember that Palestine in the days of Jesus was an occupied country…
Rome enforced its rule over the people of Israel by maintaining garrisons of Roman
soldiers stationed throughout the country. According to the law (Roman law) a Roman
soldier could require a Jewish citizen to carry his pack for him for a distance of one
mile. The law obligated them to this first mile of servanthood.
An obvious
Biblical example of this is Simon of Cyrene (Matt. 27:32), the man who was made to carry
the cross of Jesus.
There are two
ways to obey being commanded by a soldier to carry his pack; (1) Grudging Acceptance and
(2) Gracious and Cheerfully. Grudging acceptance is like the little boy who was told to go
sit in the corner and as he sat there with his arms crossed he said, “I may be sitting on the
outside but I am standing on the inside.” Or you could do what you have been asked to do
graciously and cheerfully.
First mile
things are obligations – ordinary things, but the second mile was to be seen as an
opportunity. The Lord was teaching that as you and I go down the road of life we are to
look at the tasks we are given --- even the unfair ones –as opportunities to serve
others cheerfully as we reflect the love of Christ even in our attitudes.
The Fourth Posture –
“Don’t Ask Me For My Money.”
The Christian Response –
Don’t Hesitate to Give To Those In Need. (v. 42)
Verse forty-two tells us
that we are not to turn aside from those who ask to borrow from us. “Give to
him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.”
Does this mean that we should give money
to every panhandler who asks us for money? Are we to give money to individuals who we
strongly suspect will use the money to buy alcohol? No, but it may mean that we should
actually buy them something to eat.
There are few
things in life that reveal as much about us as what we are willing to allow to part us
from our money.
Jesus continues his teaching in verse forty-three, "You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' (44) But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.
C.S Lewis the
Christian author explained the principle found in these verses when he wrote, “The
rule for all us is perfectly simple. Do not waste your time bothering whether you love
your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this we find one of the great secrets.
When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him. If you
injure someone you dislike, you will find yourself disliking him more. If you do him a
good turn, you will find yourself disliking him less… The difference between a
Christian and a worldly man is not that the worldly man has only affections or likings and
the Christian has only charity. The worldly man treats certain people kindly because he
likes them; the Christian, trying to treat every one kindly, finds himself liking more and
more people as he goes on – including the people he could not even have imagined
himself liking at the beginning.” [C.S.
Lewis. Mere Christianity. (New York: The MacMillan Company, 1958). pp. 101-12]
Jesus summarizes his teaching in beginning in verse forty-five, “that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. (46) For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? (47) And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? (48) Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
According to
Jesus the test of perfection, that is the test of maturity, is the capacity to love those
who do not love you.
Conclusion
So then we are to
move past mere posturing – and
1. We Are To Take Insults With Grace.
2. We Must Learn To Move Past A Concern For Our Rights.
3. We Must Be Willing To Do More
Than Is Expected Of Us.
4. We are not to
Hesitate to Give To Those In Need.Click on the BACK button to return to the "The Commands of Christ" page.