July 16, 2023
Matthew 5:38-48 (READ AS WE GO)

The title of the sermon is "The Great Righteousness."¹

We are working our way through the Sermon on the Mount. The most powerful words of discipleship ever spoken. In these words, recorded by Matthew, we have Jesus raising the bar on His audience in the first century, and He begins instituting the NT commands for His people. His audience had been living the Mosaic Law for over 1500 years, but they were called towards a life filled with “the greater righteousness.” This same righteousness, should have been the target for all Christians everywhere throughout these two millennia, but instead the Church has often soften these words by “interpreting them” away and ignoring them outright. But in these few words that we will read this morning, and we will see Jesus’ standard of holiness for His people. ¶ These commands, in this part of the Sermon, seem beyond us, out of reach --and they are. But we know from John’s account that if we remain in The Vine. That is through Jesus’ power we can do all things related to the kingdom. So we will see Jesus continuing this morning, explaining, commanding, compelling, and willing us into His holiness, into the greatest righteousness until we look, exactly like Him.

READ | Retaliation
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42 Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

Two Caveats here:
#1 Jesus is not commenting on the appropriateness of judicial laws in societies, but instead sets a new standard for the people of God.
#2 Christians and carry permits.

• 38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’
• The OT rule of “an eye for eye” is decommissioned right here for the people of God.
• 39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil.
  • But … The contrasts continue.
  • Jesus gave a simple summary statement that encases His illustrations that follow: “Do not resist the one who is evil.” (Emphasis mine)
  • Almost all English translation went with the English word “resist” here as the ESV did.
  • Resist: "to set oneself against, oppose (Thayer). I like the LSJ’s “match with, compare.” So, don’t make behavior. Our behavior should not compare to the one who is mistreating us.
  • The CEV translation is helpful here aslo: “But I tell you not to try to get even with a person who has done something to you.”
  • and the GNT: “But now I tell you: do not take revenge on someone who wrongs you.”
  • Here Jesus sets a new bar, and “Jesus’ position is shockingly radical: not only no retaliation, but even no resistance to one who is admittedly ‘bad.’” (France, The Gospel of …, p 217)
  • Jesus’s teaching “contrasts radically” with all others of his day in emphasizing the need break the “natural chain” of retaliative reactions "that characterizes human relationships.“⁴⁸” (Bloomburg, p 113)

To make sure His audience was clear Jesus ILLUSTRATES AND APPLICATION

• Jesus sets a new standard in verse 39b But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
  • Believe me, the commentators will line up to deaden the application of do not resist the one who is evil.
  • But we are suppose to be the one’s who stop the cycles of violence.
  • Do we know of anyone who could fight evil back but didn’t? Who is our supreme example?
  • Were not the words of Isaiah 50:6 fulfilled at Jesus’ trial, “I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting.”

In the world’s system, an act of wrong is met with another act of evil and wrong and the cycle continues.

• Some of it is obvious and much of it is called passive-aggressive. Aggression, retaliation, and vindictiveness done in ways that are more subtle but just as unchristian as a slap.
  We are in the a unique time period (or dispensation) that is unique. God’s people are to model live like Jesus here and now.

Sadly, the much of the Church has not adopted the Sermon on the Mount commandments. Instead, we find ways to diminish Jesus’ commands of change and therefore diminish the commands to become exactly like Him.

• Inside of us all is enough retaliation to become a society of Hatfields and McCoys. >>
• But we cannot become like Christ if we will not fully embrace His commands.
• The Jesus living calls for citizens of the kingdom to adopt a loving passivity towards evil behavior.
• In Jesus’ standard, retaliation has no place in the lives of the kingdom’s members. Repaying evil for evil is forbidden.

40 And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.

• “Under Mosaic Law, a person’s outer cloak was something that he or she had an almost inalienable right to retain (Exod. 22:26-27; Deut. 24:13).”
• Here we see Jesus give a new standard.
• 41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.
  • In the first century, Roman soldiers may have commanded civilians to carry their packs up to one Roman mile. “This imposition … infuriated” many Jews. (cf. Constable)
  • Jesus’ command: go two.
  • Barclay said it well, "don’t go a [forced] mile with bitter and obvious resentment; go two miles with cheerfulness and with … good grace.’
  • “‘Don’t be always thinking of your liberty to do as you like; be always thinking of your duty and your privilege to be of service to others’”[565] (Constable)
  • Most of the time, we really don’t want to wash feet.
• Constable spoke of the wisdom needed well: “Though Jesus allowed His enemies to lead Him as a lamb to the slaughter, He did not cave in to every hostile attack from the scribes and Pharisees. Likewise, Paul claimed his Roman citizenship rather than suffering prolonged attack by the Jews. Disciples may stand up for their rights, but when they are taken advantage of, they should always respond in love.[572; emphasis mine]” ³

Jesus continues, v 42 Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

• Gore wrote, “Indiscriminate charity is not enjoined, but a self-sacrificing generosity is.”[567; p. 96]
• Giving should never be to encourage the lazy, drunkard and drug addict.
  • Begging in the 21st Century compared to the 1st is different.
  • Begging = people in need of help.
  • Borrowers are to be accommodated too.

Assault, lawsuits, forced labor, giving to beggars and borrowers.

• What a broad set of instructions for Jesus’ followers.
  • Assault? Turn the other cheek.
  • Lawsuit? Take more!
  • Forced work? Give double.
  • Beggars and borrowers of money ? Give.
• Jesus teaches in such a way as to make sure His audience has little wiggle room regarding what He meant.

TRANSITION

Now that we have dealt with the easier part of the Sermon, let’s more on to the more difficult part of the Sermon for redeemed people with a sin nature to apply.

Love Your Enemies
43 “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 and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is 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 do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

• 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
  • Leviticus 19:18 commanded God’s people. It reads, “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.” (Emphasis mine)
  • “Hate your enemy” is not found in the Law of Moses. But the concept is easily arguable from many Old Testament passages.
  • For instance, the Jews had (we still have) Psalms that curse, or include a “prayer or invocation for harm or injury to come upon one” or a group of people. The technical definition is imprecatory Psalms.²
  • Let me read a couple of examples:
    • Psalm 10:15, “Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer; call his wickedness to account till you find none.”
    • Psalm 35:7-8, Let destruction come upon him when he does not know it! And let the net that he hid ensnare him; let him fall into it—to his destruction!
• Jesus sets a new kingdom standard in v 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
  • Love your enemies.
  • These three little words the Church finds difficult to the uttermost. We readily ignore and leave these words unapplied.
  • But in these three little words, we find the highest ideas in Christianity.
  • Jesus’ reasons and explanations begin in v 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.
• We represent God well when the fruit of the Spirit is flowing through us. The first fruit of the Spirit is love.
• For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
• Harrington rightly wrote, “It urges that love include even enemies and uses the example of God’s care for all creatures to challenge us to avoid restricting love only to those who can benefit us or already love us.” (p 92)
• 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
• 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others?
• “Here more than anywhere in this section, we need to remind ourselves that Jesus’ aim in not to establish a new and more demanding set of rules to supplant those of the scribes and Pharisees. It is to establish a “greater righteousness” …” (France, p 218)
• Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
  • Restrictive and reciprocated love is earthly, common, and is will not be rewarded. Why not rewarded? It’s not holy. Common is the opposite of holy.

ILLUSTRATION

David Augsburger’s book Dissident Discipleship is the best discipleship book I have ever read. In it, he explains his ideas regarding how people approach their religious commitments.

• “Monopolar spirituality” = What Augsburger calls a “designer spirituality” (p 11) and a “I am a church of one, of me” (p 15). This is the current narcissistic self worship that our culture esteems highly.
  • Monopolar plus is when a person worships a "little “g” god who is a mirror of self. This is where people make a god in their mind --an idol-- in their own image believing that, “My god and I fulfill my life.” "These believe that, god thinks like me and acts like me!
• “Bipolar spirituality” is the lowest form of Christian spirituality = I realize God is other than me. And “I know [my] true self as I know God.” I call this the me and God level. It’s just me and God, me and God.
  • Many a Christian are content here. They ignorantly see no correlation between the way they treat people as correlating directly to treating God.
  • Many Christians find the better path at the next level, what I will call bipolar plus. Described as “Benevolent Self that Serves God” and “As I love God, I care for others.”
  • These are the ones that realize that how they treat fellow people they treat God; for people are made in God’s image.
• “Tripolar spirituality” = Augsburger writes that the goal of discipleship is “Spirituality of radical agape and enemy love.” Augsburger for this level, “I love God only as I love enemy.” (p 15)
  • This is a realization of : “It’s not about me at all!” “My life becomes a service to the lives of all others” --including my enemy.
  • This is what Jesus did.
  • This is what Jesus commands.

APPLICATION

• I am convinced that we Christians generally do not enjoy hearing these words much less do we like living them out. This shows how much we enjoy living in the flesh.
  • We prefer to “love” in a plastic way, it looks good, but our hearts cherish evil thoughts towards others as we pretend like children do.
• We must understand that we are in sin when we refuse to love our enemies.
  • We must know that, you and I don’t demonstrate agape’ love when we withhold love from those who do not love us. This is the type of love that flows through Christians from our God who loves His enemies. The greater love.
  • The Sermon of the Mount and the Sermon on the Plane in Luke 6 both stress: not loving our enemies is to not fully respond to the world the way Christ did and would have us do.
  • Remember Paul reminded the Church at Rome, that the Church was an enemy of God and he saved us in that state according to Romans 5:10. Listen to it: “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.”
• To love enemies to to be Christ-like. To love your kids is common. Who doesn’t love their children? Unless people are on drugs or are mentally ill, all people love their children.
  • Blomberg wrote, “The true test of genuine Christianity is how believers treat those whom they are naturally inclined to hate or who mistreat or persecute them. Whatever emotions may be involved, ‘love’ here refers to 'generous, warm, costly self-sacrifice for another’s good.'⁵²” (p 114 f; emphasis mine)

Another broad application is found in v 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

• You know what message I like instead of perfection? The grace message. I love to hear, “Grace, grace, God’s grace.”
• Don’t I wish that I would emphasize Jesus’ message of perfection at least as much as I emphasized His teaching on grace?
• Be perfect = not responding to the world in common ways = be holy.
• Be perfect = showing love when our flesh screams, We shouldn’t.
• Be perfect = identifying every area of sin.
• Be perfect = care about the deficiencies in my life that do not bring honor and glory to God.
• This is other than human stuff. This is God stuff working through us.
• You and I have no shot at this Sermon of the Mount with its kingdom principles if we are not relying on the Lord and walking in the Spirit of God.
• This kind of character is done by God only through having confidence and commitment to God.
• A “greater righteousness” is in view. (France, p 218)
• Will we reach for it?
• Jesus is calling His people to live life like Him in every situation and relationship.

Notes

^{Notes from above may not be in numerical order.}

¹ Title adapted from R. T. France’s, The Gospel of Matthew (W. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2007) p 218.

² Imprecatory examples include, Psalms 5, 10, 17, 35, 58, 59, 69, 70, 79, 83, 109, 129, 137, and 140.

³ Constable wrote, “See Lloyd-Jones’ helpful exposition of this section in Studies in …, 1:271-98.”

Works Cited

Scripture quotations [unless otherwise noted] are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Click here to access the works cited web-page for this document, save those marked as “Notes” or “Other Works Cited”–if any. Most of these cited works correspond to the verses they are outlined with. In the case of general background information and references, one will find cited material with the Bible books the citations are associated with. ¶ Furthermore, there may be numbered notes that are URL linked; these are usually retained numbered notes from Thomas Constable’s, “Dr. Constable’s Expository (Bible Study) Notes.” These links are preserved “as is” at the time of this work’s formation and I usually include other citation information from Constable as well (e.g. author s’ names).

Other Works Cited

^{Note: Not all of the resources below were used in this particular sermon outline.}

Augsburger, David. Dissident Discipleship. Brazos Press, 2006.

Blomberg, Craig L. Matthew. New American Commentary, vol. 22, ed. David S. Dockery, et al., Broadman Press, 1992. May be sourced from archive.org.
(https://archive.org/details/matthew0000blom)

________. Preaching the Parables: From Responsible Interpretation to Powerful Proclamation. Baker Academic, 2004. Sourced from archive.org.
(https://archive.org/details/preachingparable0000blom/page/82/mode/2up)

Bruce, Alexander Balmain. The Training of the Twelve. Ed., A.C. Armstrong and Son, reprint 1984, Kregel Publications, 1971 edition.

Chambers, Oswald. My Utmost for His Highest. Our Daily Bread Publishing, Online ver.

Chan, Francis. Crazy Love. David C. Cook, 2008.

Evans, Craig A. The Bible Knowledge Background Commentary: Matthew-Luke. Victor, 2003. Sourced from archive.org.
(https://archive.org/details/bibleknowledgeba00crai/mode/2up)

France, R. T. The Gospel According to Matthew. W. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1985.

France, R. T. The Gospel of Matthew. W. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2007. Sourced from archive.org.
https://archive.org/details/gospelofmatthew0000fran/page/n6/mode/1up

Harrington, Daniel J . The Gospel of Matthew. Sacra Pagina Series, vol. 1, A Michael Glazier Book, Liturgical Press (publ.), 1991. Sourced from archive.org.
https://archive.org/details/gospelofmatthew0000harr/mode/1up

Hendriksen, William. New Testament Commentary: Exposition of the Gospel According to Luke. Baker Book House, 1984.

Phillips, John. Exploring the Gospels: John. Loizeaux Brothers, 1988.

Platt, David. Follow Me. Tyndale, 2013.

Yancey, Philip. The Jesus I Never Knew. Zondervan, 1995.

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