"Retaliation"

The prophet Isaiah records the Lord's declaration.

I will lead the blind by ways they have not known.

Along unfamiliar paths I will guide them.

I will turn the darkness into light before them

and make the rough places smooth.

These are the things I will do.

I will not forsake them.

Two great truths I trust every follower of Christ has experienced in this world.

We are mostly blind as we travel through this world

and we are well led as we travel through this world.

Are we not mostly blind as we travel through this world?

What do we know of the path that lies ahead of us,

around the corner and beyond our vision?

What have we understood of the significance of our path that lies behind us?

What do we really know of how the immediate steps before us will unfold?

These are things all veiled from our sight and understanding.

Ah, but are we not well led?

There is an almighty hand at the wheel of prophets.

The one who guides us knows the end from the beginning.

He ordains our destinations and he sustains us in every step along the way.

So yes, we have a sober truth.

We're largely blind.

But with it, we have a great consolation.

So we gather this morning confessing our blindness,

but rejoicing in that one who guides us all of our days in grace

until that grace fades into glory.

So let's stand, if you're able, and exalt our great God and guide

in heartfelt praise in the great hymn,

O Worship the King.

업

ave

His power and His love

Are should and repender

The ancient of days

For in on its splendor

Blandered and with praise

O tell of His might

O sing of His praise

Whose woe is the light

Whose candle He's made

His chariots of rock

The deep thunder hounds for

Dark is His path

On the wings of the storm

The earth with its storm

Of wonders untold

Almighty Thy power

Hath mounted a whole

Established with fast

By a changeless decree

The crowned path cast

Like a match of the sea

O'er God

Oh, yeah.

My bountiful care,

what tongue can recite.

It breathes in the air,

it shines in the light.

It streams from the hills,

it descends to the plain.

It's sweet, it extends in the deep.

Measureless high,

and the low,

angels delight,

to worship the above.

The whole earth creation,

the people now praise.

With true adoration,

so lost in thy grace.

Immortal, invisible,

God only wise,

in thy life,

in thy death shall come,

in thy eyes.

Most blessed,

most glorious creation of days.

Almighty,

almighty,

victory,

may we pray.

On resting,

on hasty,

and silent as fire,

nor wanting,

nor wasting,

thou rulest in mine.

thy justice,

thy mountains,

thy soaring above,

thy clouds,

which are mountains,

of goodness and love.

of goodness and love.

To all life,

thou givest,

to both great and small.

In all life,

thou liveest,

the true life of all.

We blossom and flourish,

as leaves on the tree,

and wither and perish,

but not change at thee.

Great Father of glory,

pure Father of life,

Thine angels adore thee,

all daily their shine.

All praise ye will render,

O help us to see,

tis only the splendor

of thine,

high and near.

O praise ye will render,

O help us to see,

tis only the splendor

of life, high and near.

Please be seated.

Do not be slothful in zeal,

be fervent in spirit,

serve the Lord.

Rejoice in hope,

be patient in tribulation,

be constant in prayer.

Contribute to the needs of the saints,

and seek to show hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you,

bless and do not curse them.

Rejoice with those who rejoice,

weep with those who weep.

Live in harmony with one another.

Do not be haughty,

but associate with the lowly.

Never be wise in your own sight.

Repay no one evil for evil,

but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.

If possible, so far as it depends on you,

live peaceably with all.

Beloved, never avenge yourselves,

but leave it to the wrath of God,

for it is written,

vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.

To the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him.

If he is thirsty, give him something to drink.

For by so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head.

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

This is the word of the Lord.

Amen.

O Lord, we are humbled by the example of Jesus,

who loved the sinner and the evildoer,

who was oppressed and afflicted,

yet did not open his mouth,

who did not seek fame or popularity,

but associated with those of low repute.

We consider his example

in the commands you give us in this passage,

and we are humbled by how short we fall.

We confess that we have followed after the pattern of the world

and have repaid evil for evil.

We have not sought the good of our enemies,

but have, in ways explicit and implicit, cursed them,

whether criticizing them to their face,

or grumbling behind their backs,

or maligning them online.

We have failed to show the world the example of Jesus,

who blessed those who persecuted him.

Moreover, Lord, we have failed to follow your example

of associating with the lowly.

We confess that we are drawn to those with social connections,

power, money, and education.

We resist those who seem to have nothing to offer us,

who seem to lack connections and influence.

We overlook them in our neighborhoods, our offices,

and the pews of our church.

O Lord, we are grieved by how short we fall of your commands.

We are truly sorry, and we humbly repent.

Let us take a moment to confess our sin to God in our hearts.

O Lord, we marvel at the starting, startling, countercultural example of the

Jesus, who loved his enemies and those who persecuted him.

For so once were we.

Thank you, Father, for relentlessly pursuing us in love,

even when we sin against you again and again,

and failed to model a Christlike example to the world.

We entrust ourselves fully, Lord, to the saving work of Christ on the cross,

and ask for your help, day by day, to live out our calling as your ambassadors in the world.

In Jesus' name we pray, amen.

Let us pray.

Brothers and sisters, hear this word of assurance for all of God's covenant people,

we who cast ourselves upon Christ our Savior.

The prophet Micah declares,

Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgressions?

Because you delight in steadfast love,

you will cast all of our sins into the depths of the sea.

People of God, we have a forgiveness as sure as God's unchanging,

steadfast covenant love, secured by the covenant blood of the Son.

Let us rejoice in that assurance.

Please stand as we continue to praise God in song as you're able.

I really we can tread for the peace in our actions.

Let usĩs will name the Church.

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Put our faith, hope it helps so elderlyly know that kind of peace

When I surveyed the wondrous cross

On which the Prince of Glory died

My riches gained, I count but loss

And pour contempt on all my pride

See from His head, His hands

His feet, sorrow and love

Prove me, go down

Dare such love and sorrow me

O'er thorns come pour so rich a crown

O the wonderful cross

O the wonderful cross

Binds me come and die

And find that I may truly live

O the wonderful cross

O the wonderful cross

All who gather here

By grace draw near

And bless your name

Where the whole realm of nature

Mild

That were an offering far too small

Love so amazing

So divine

Deep let my soul

My life, my all

O the wonderful cross

O the wonderful cross

Binds me come and die

And find that I may truly live

O the wonderful cross

O the wonderful cross

O the wonderful cross

All who gather here

By grace draw near

And bless your name

O the wonderful cross

O the wonderful cross

O the wonderful cross

O the wonderful cross

O the wonderful cross

Binds me come and die

And find that I may truly live

O the wonderful cross

O the wonderful cross

O the wonderful cross

O the wonderful cross

O the wonderful cross

O the wonderful cross

O the wonderful cross

All who gather here

By grace draw near

And bless your name

You may be seated

You may be seated

Well we come to a point in our service

Where we will speak a little bit

About some of the family matters

And things that are going on

And as we do

We'll be passing the offering plates

If you're a visitor here

We're just delighted you're here

Please feel no obligation to give

The ministries of the church here

Are happily supported by members

And regular attenders

But we are particularly glad

That you are visiting

And if we are

We'd love an opportunity

To get to know you a little bit

And discover something of

Some of your spiritual aspirations

And desires

And something of your story

And to that end

You should find a little card

In the pew stalls above you

Or in front of you

Where you could fill out your name

And there's also an opportunity

On the back of that

To indicate any ways

In which we can be praying for you

And of course all are welcome

To fill those out

Just drop them

In the offering plate coming by

Or in the boxes you'll find

At the entrances and exits

Of the church

Of the church

This upcoming Saturday

The 26th

Will be a church work day

From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

In Nehemiah

You remember that book

That's kind of all about

The people of God getting together

And doing a work project

It says

The people said

Let us rise up and build

So they strengthen their hands

For the good work

Well we are hoping on this work day

That many hands

Will kind of lighten the burden

Of the work

And also that a hearty breakfast

Copious snacks

And far famed New Haven pizza

Which will be on offer for lunch

Will help to strengthen the hands

For that good work

So we'd love to see you all

As you're able to come

And there'll be

There'll be tasks

It's really

The whole family

There will be tasks

Tapered to the capacities

Or incapacities of all and any

So don't let that exclude you

By any means

Beck

I wonder if you might come up

Thank you

And tell us something

About the exciting upcoming

Carol service

Good morning Church

My name is Beck Coburn

And I'm the music coordinator

Here at Trinity

And it's that time of year again

The nights are cooler

The leaves are turning

And I'm already getting excited

About our Christmas carol services

Last week

Pastor Nick announced a change

To how we do our carol service

At Trinity

In previous years

We have hosted just one service

But this year

We're going to be hosting

Two separate carol services

On Sunday December the 8th

The first will be a shorter

Family friendly service

At 4pm

This will include

The much anticipated kids item

The much anticipated kids item

Which will be directed by

Feifei Daniels this year

And the kids will rehearse for this

During the normal children's ministry

Time slot on Sunday morning

Starting in mid-November

And the second service will be

A longer traditional carol service

At 7pm

It won't have the kids item

But it will have some special vocal

And instrumental items

And longer Bible readings

Than a homily

Best of all

At both services

We get to sing carols together

And both services will include

The same carols

Which will be led by a choir

And an orchestra

Made up of congregants

From our church

So I am here to invite you

To get involved

If you enjoy singing

And would like to be a part of the choir

Which is normally about

20 to 30 people

Or if you play a woodwind string

Or brass instrument

And would like to be a part of the orchestra

Here's what you need to do

You can either come and speak to me

At the end of the service

I'll be standing up the front here

Or you can fill in a comment card

With your details

And your email address

And place it in one of the boxes

On the way out

Or there is information

And a link to a sign up page

In the Trinity newsletter

That is emailed out on Fridays

So check that out

Let me know your keen

And look forward to our carol service

See you then

Thank you Beck

Well let's turn to the Lord

In prayer

Our Father how acutely we feel

The road which we tread

In this pilgrimage of life

Is so often a path

As yet untraveled

Over the portal of each new wend

The inscription greets us

You have not passed this way before

And how prone we can be

Moving through such unknown territory

To anxieties and apprehensions

What storms lower on the horizon

What untold cloud-veiled afflictions await

What grim assailants lurk shadowy in our imagination

The fearful cries and alarms of fellow pilgrims

Ringing in our ears

Their trembling at times is contagious

Is contagious

But why these fears and tremblings

For you Jesus

Are our pilot

You not only know the way you have appointed it

And so consecrated it to our good

Mysteries may enshroud it

Sorrows may darken it

Sorrows may darken it

Tears may bedew it

Losses may pave it

But it is the path

Which you Lord

Have wisely and lovingly ordained

And

What a comfort is this

A path upon which you accompany us

Not simply with fellow travelers

That were a blessing

Nor even with angels

That were a marvel

But with your very self

What wonder of condescension and grace

I am with you always you tell us

There is a choice promise

Lord may we not hold it in slight esteem

Grant us to cherish your indwelling presence

By your spirit

Ever mindful not to quench your spirit's promptings

Or grieve your spirit's holiness

By conscious sin

Lord may we seek your face

Early

Earnestly

Always

And so come to know the sweetness

Of heart communion with you

May we forget our fear

In your face

Dissolve our anxieties

In your assurances

Drown our perils

In your promises

Lord

Forge us through your grace and truth

Into a people

Calm in the face of calamity

Lovers in the midst of haters

Firmly rooted

Amidst falling foundations

Servants among those self-centered

For the lost

Not against them

Bearing your words

Forgive them for they know not what they do

O Lord would you etch upon us as your people

Your likeness and your fragrance

By the deep renewing work of your word and spirit

And even now as we soon open your word

Walk among us and trim our wigs

And trim our wigs

That we may burn brightly in your name

We ask it Lord

That you may be lifted up in our lives

Just as you were upon the cross

And so draw many to yourself

Make your name great Father

Exalt the Son

Come Holy Spirit

Amen

Amen

It's time now for the children to be dismissed

To their classes

You can follow them and check them in

Here to your right

Through grades five

Please stand too as we continue in song

Hear the song

Amen

Amen

Amen

Amen

Amen

Amen

Amen

Amen

Amen

Amen

Amen

Amen

Come you weary heart now to Jesus

Come you anxious soul now to see

There is perfect love and comfort in your tears

Rest here in his wondrous peace

Oh the goodness, the goodness of Jesus

Satisfied me is all that I need

May it become what may

That may be

There is perfect love and comfort in your tears

Rest here in his wondrous peace

Oh the goodness, the goodness of Jesus

Come find what this world cannot offer

In the world cannot offer

Everything you hope has

Sadness is fulfillment in your tears

In my eternal life

That may Jesus

To make you peace

If there is great power now to see

In the goodness of Jesus

That may be grace

That may work now here in the goodness of Jesus

You know what that might die all tonight

These areние promises

are not offered.

Come and find your joy

here complete.

Taste the living water

and the thirst again.

Rest here in his

wondrous peace.

Oh, the goodness,

the goodness of Jesus

satisfying me is all

that I need.

May it become one way

that I rest all my days

in the goodness of Jesus.

Come and find your hope

now in Jesus.

He is all he said he would be.

Grace is overflowing

from the Savior's heart.

Rest here in his wondrous peace.

Oh, the goodness,

the goodness of Jesus

satisfying me is all

that I need.

May it become one way

that I rest all my days

in the goodness of Jesus.

Oh, the goodness,

the goodness of Jesus

satisfying me is all

that I need.

May it become one way

that I rest all my days

in the goodness of Jesus.

May it become one way

that I rest all my days

in the goodness

of Jesus.

Please be seated.

Good morning, church.

Would you turn with me

to Matthew chapter 5,

Matthew 5:38–42

verses 38 through 42.

I believe that's page 760

in the Pew Bible

if you'd like to follow along now.

Matthew chapter 5,

Matthew 5:38–42

verses 38 through 42.

Let me pray,

and then I'll read our text for us.

Father, what a wonder it is

that we here this morning

can sing and meditate

on the goodness of Jesus.

What a privilege it is

to know the one

who is supremely good.

Lord, our desire this morning

is to know more of him.

And we know that even

that desire within us

comes from your Holy Spirit.

God, I pray that you

as we approach your word

this morning,

we do so with much confidence

that you will continue

to make good on your promises,

to speak to us,

your people,

to draw our hearts

closer to you in love,

and to show us the way

in which we should go

that we might continue

to know and experience

this goodness for ourselves,

and to show it forth

in our life together.

So help us now

as we turn to your word.

Bless the reading and preaching,

we pray in Jesus' name.

Amen.

All right, Matthew 5,

38 through 42.

Jesus says this,

You have heard that it was said,

an eye for an eye

and a tooth for a tooth.

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.

And if anyone would sue you

and take your tunic,

let him have your cloak as well.

And if anyone forces you

to go one mile,

go with him two miles.

Give to the one

who begs from you

and do not refuse the one

who would borrow from you.

Well, as we consider this passage,

I want to begin by going back

to the Beatitudes

at the beginning

of the Sermon on the Mount.

In particular,

I want us to recall

the seventh Beatitude,

I believe it is.

Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called

sons of God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called

sons,

sons and daughters of God.

What does it look like

to be a peacemaker

and so to show forth

our identity

as God's sons and daughters?

Well, that's what Jesus

is going to show us

in these last two paragraphs

of chapter 5.

We're looking at

the first paragraph today.

We'll look at the second one

next week.

But in both,

Jesus is talking about

how we are to approach

our enemies,

those who insult us,

those who wrong us.

How do we act

in those most trying

of our relationships

such that we can be

peacemakers?

In verse 45,

in the second paragraph

of the end of chapter 5 here,

Jesus says,

there is a way

to respond

that will show forth

that we are sons and daughters

of our Father

who is in heaven.

And we see there

in verse 45

the connection back

to that seventh beatitude.

This is what it looks like

to be a child

of your heavenly Father.

This is the way

of peacemaking.

And what Jesus touches

on here

in this first paragraph

in verses 38 through 42

is that natural response

that arises

when we're offended

or wronged.

If someone insults you

or cheats you

or wrongs you,

how?

How do we naturally respond

in those moments?

Well,

we sort of want

to pay them back,

don't we?

You insult me,

I insult you.

You cheat me,

I cheat you.

You hurt me,

I hurt you.

I imagine we've all

experienced those feelings

and perhaps,

more often than we care

to admit,

we've at times

responded that way.

But of course,

the problem is,

the problem is

this sort of response,

it doesn't really solve

the problem, does it?

It just sort of

makes matters worse

because the circle

just keeps going

around and around.

And each time

we sort of respond

in kind,

it inevitably begins

to escalate,

doesn't it?

You insult me,

so I insult you,

so you insult me again,

but the next insult

is bigger,

a little bigger,

a little bigger

than the last.

Until suddenly,

people are saying

things of one another

they'd never dream

of saying

before that cycle

started.

And sadly,

this can happen

in even our

closest relationships.

Neighbors,

siblings,

spouses,

church members,

the cycles

go on and on.

And eventually,

these relationships

wither,

or maybe they even

die altogether.

other.

But what does Jesus

have to say

about all this?

How do we get out

of this cycle

and become

genuine peacemakers?

How,

as followers of Christ,

as people of His kingdom,

do we leave

in our wake

the aroma

of peace

instead of

the bitter

taste of revenge?

Well,

the first thing

we see here

in our passage

is that Jesus

begins

by sort of

subtly exposing

our attempts

at self-justification.

First,

Jesus exposes

our attempts

at self-justification.

Our passage

starts with Jesus

saying,

you've heard

that it was said

an eye for an eye

and a tooth for a tooth.

Now,

this legal principle,

an eye for an eye,

a tooth for a tooth,

comes straight

out of the Mosaic Law,

doesn't it?

So it would be easy

for those in Jesus' day

to say,

see,

there it is.

God's telling me

to be fair,

to be just.

If someone wrongs me,

it's only fair

that I balance the score,

an eye for an eye.

And for first century Jews

under Roman occupation,

you can see

how this would

quickly take

a revolutionary turn,

right?

The Romans offend us,

they take from us,

they wrong us.

Well,

we need to fight back.

We need to take up arms.

We need to win back

what's ours.

It's only right.

But what too often

was the result of that

in the first century?

More violence,

more injury,

more bloodshed.

But for most of us,

most of the time today,

it doesn't get that far,

does it?

More often,

it's much more personal,

more local,

more closer to home.

It's a relationship

with a co-worker

or a family member.

And yet,

we can still

justify our responses,

can't we?

We might not literally say,

an eye for an eye,

but we sort of say,

well, look,

I'm just standing up

for myself

and my rights.

Right?

But in the midst of this,

we have to step back

and ask,

well,

what was the point

of this Old Testament law

in the first place?

What was the point

of this principle

of an eye for an eye,

a tooth for a tooth?

Well,

when we consider

those passages

from the Old Testament

in context,

what we realize

is that this

eye for an eye principle

was actually meant

to do two things.

First thing,

it was meant

to prevent

severe or excessive

penalties for a crime.

Right?

If your neighbor

damaged your fence,

then you couldn't respond

by burning down

their fields.

Right?

No, no.

The punishment

had to be equivalent

to the wrongdoing.

It had to be balanced.

It had to be equal.

And often,

that balancing

was done

through compensation

to the victim,

not literally

doing the same thing

to them in return.

So what an eye

for an eye

meant in practice

is that

if your neighbor

damaged your fence,

then they had to pay

for your fence

to be repaired.

An eye for an eye.

But,

second,

this principle

was meant

to prevent people

not just

from exacting

excessive penalties,

but it was meant

to prevent people

from taking justice

into their own hands.

This principle

of an eye

for an eye

nearly always

comes in the context

of the Old Testament law

describing the legal system

of judges

and courts

and how you handle

these things

in public

through the appropriate

channels.

In other words,

this principle

was meant

to guide the courts

and the judges

in how to rectify wrongs.

It was never meant

to give individuals

permission

to exact

personal revenge

on their enemies.

Just the opposite.

It was meant

to say,

here's the fair standard

for the courts

to right the wrongs.

It was meant

to take

redressing wrongs,

it was meant

to take that desire

out of the realm

of personal revenge

and place it

into the realm

of justice

and fairness.

So the point is,

we can't go

to this Old Testament

principle,

an eye for an eye,

and find there

any justification

for our desire

for revenge.

It's meant

to guide

our public system

of justice,

not to stoke

the flames

of our desire

to get even

with those

who've offended

or wronged us.

Okay.

Well, how should

we respond?

Well, this takes us

to our next point.

Second,

we see that Jesus

forbids

retaliation.

In verse 39,

Jesus says,

but I say to you,

do not resist

the one

who is evil.

Okay.

Now,

on the surface,

doesn't that sound

like Jesus is saying

we should just

let evil people

do evil things

to us

and to others

and we shouldn't

do anything about it.

Don't resist

the one who is evil.

But clearly,

that can't be

what Jesus means

when we look

at the context

of the rest

of the New Testament.

For starters,

Jesus himself

is often standing up

against the corrupt

religious authorities

of his day.

Likewise,

in the rest

of the New Testament,

the apostles

are willing

to make appropriate

appeals to justice

and to the legal courts.

They're willing

to advocate

for their own protection

and for others.

Do you remember

when Paul and Silas

were publicly beaten

and imprisoned

at Philippi

in the book of Acts?

What happens?

Well, the next day,

the magistrates

send the police

to go let them go,

right?

So the police

come to Paul and Silas

and they say,

okay, you two,

you can leave town

quietly.

You see,

the authorities

just want to pretend

like nothing happened

and send Paul

and Silas away.

But what does Paul do?

In Acts 16,

37 through 39,

Paul says to them,

they've beaten us

publicly,

uncondemned,

men who are Roman citizens

and have thrown us

into prison,

and do they now

throw us out secretly?

No.

Let them come themselves

and take us out.

Then Luke goes on to say,

the police reported

these words

to the magistrates

and they were afraid

when they heard

that they were Roman citizens.

So they came

and apologized to them

and they took them out

and asked them

to leave the city.

So here's a very clear instance

where Paul is clearly

resisting evil, right?

Why?

Because Paul knew

that if he were to simply

let his mistreatment

and imprisonment

go unchallenged,

he would be leaving

the Christians in Philippi

in danger,

that they'd be susceptible

to the same sort of treatment.

So Paul forces the magistrates

to come themselves

and functionally,

publicly exonerate him

and Silas,

and in so doing,

Paul provides some protection

for the newly formed church.

It wasn't going to be okay

to just haul them off to jail.

They were Roman citizens.

They had appropriate rights

under the law.

So I think that's a good example

of a New Testament practice

where it's not just

let evil people do evil things

to you all the time.

So that's clearly,

clearly Jesus isn't saying

that we should just

let evil people

do evil things to us

and to others

and do nothing about it.

Okay, so what is he saying?

Well, it's very interesting

that one New Testament scholar

has pointed out

that the Greek of verse 39

could be translated,

not just the way

the ESV translates it,

which is do not resist

the evil person, right?

Do not resist the one

who is evil.

Do not resist the evil person.

But it could also

just as legitimately

be translated,

do not resist

by evil means.

The Greek there

just has the word evil.

So is Jesus saying,

don't resist evil people

or don't resist

in evil ways.

Grammatically,

it could be either.

And I think the rest

of the New Testament

would seem to favor

that latter reading,

don't resist

by evil means,

that is,

in revenge

or retaliation.

But I think even if we keep

the ESV translation,

which is perfectly

legitimate as well,

don't resist the evil person,

the word resist there

must have the sense

of retaliate

or take revenge

when we look at it

in the context

of the rest of the paragraph.

That's certainly

how the Apostle Paul

understood Jesus' teaching

in Romans 12,

17 through 21.

We read this earlier

in the service.

Paul says,

repay no one evil for evil,

but give thought to do

what is honorable

in the sight of all.

If possible,

so far as it depends on you,

live peaceably with all.

Beloved,

never avenge yourselves,

but leave it to the wrath

of God,

for it is written,

vengeance is mine,

I will repay,

says the Lord.

To the contrary,

if your enemy is hungry,

feed him.

If he's thirsty,

give him something to drink,

for by so doing,

you will heap burning coals

on his head.

Do not be overcome

by evil,

but overcome evil

with good.

Overcome evil

with good.

So what is Jesus teaching

in this verse?

He's not saying

that we simply let evil people

do evil things to us

and we do nothing about it.

No, he's saying

that when you respond,

when you find yourself

in that situation,

don't respond

with a spirit

of revenge.

Don't seek to

retaliate.

don't try to

even the score.

Now, in just a second,

we'll look at

some of Jesus' examples

of how to respond.

But first,

let me make two

observations here.

First,

if we understand

these verses rightly,

then they should

never be used

to justify

abuse

or to force people

to stay

in situations

of abuse.

Because the heart

of what Jesus

is saying here

is that we should

cast off a spirit

of revenge

and retaliation.

But that doesn't mean

that we should stay

in situations

of abuse

or violence.

Jesus

and the apostles

all took

appropriate means

to confront

and stop evil.

Removing ourselves

from abusive relationships,

even calling

the authorities

when necessary,

is not an act

of revenge

or retaliation.

It can often be

the greatest act

of love

because we're acting

to stop sin

and to protect

the weak

and vulnerable.

So that's the first thing

we need to be

very clear about.

These verses

are no justification

for abuse.

Second thing,

I don't think

these verses

can be used

in isolation

from the rest

of the New Testament

to develop

a Christian approach

to broader

ethical questions

concerning war

and nonviolence.

We can't just

take these verses

without considering

the rest of the New Testament

when we think

about those

very important questions

of war,

nonviolence,

police force,

etc.

It would be

an oversimplification

to just look at these

in isolation

from the rest.

It would be

an oversimplification

to do what

the Russian novelist

Leo Tolstoy

did with these verses.

He wrote in 1884,

it's impossible

at one and the same time

to confess Christ

as God,

the basis of whose

teaching is nonresistance

to him who is evil,

and consciously

and calmly

to work for the

establishment

of property,

law courts,

government,

and military forces.

Okay,

what's Tolstoy saying?

He's saying,

you can't really

be a Christian

and be all about

property and law courts

and government

and military forces.

Why?

Because they resist

evil

and return evil

for evil.

He says later,

Christ totally forbids

the human institution

of any law court.

Okay,

so I think

Tolstoy's an example

of sort of,

you know,

the absurdity

that we can get to

if we just take

these verses

in isolation

from everything else.

Okay,

so we can't just

take these verses

out of context.

For example,

if we turn to

Romans 13,

we see that

the Apostle Paul,

teaching with Christ's

authority as an apostle,

clearly has a place

for the government's

use of authority

to punish evil

and promote good.

Right?

So we can't build

an entire ethic

out of one verse.

However,

on the other hand,

we can't simply

ignore these verses

either.

we can't simply

cast them aside

and say

they're unrealistic.

We can't simply say,

well,

they only apply

on the personal level

and have nothing

to say about

public institutions.

And aren't we

a little more prone

to take that approach?

No,

we have to let

these verses

have their place

in the whole picture

of how the New Testament

would have us think

about law courts.

and government

and military forces,

as Toltois said.

Clearly,

the peacemaking principles

of our passage

are relevant

to all of life.

We can't just

relegate them

to a corner of life

over here

and then ignore them.

So the challenge

for Christians

in every age

is to discern

in prayerful wisdom

how they apply

and how we should

live them out

in each new context.

And of course,

as is often cited

in relation

to these verses,

think of the example

of the American

Civil Rights Movement

and Martin Luther King Jr.,

right?

The creative,

faithful application

of these verses

to a very real

social issue.

Okay,

so with those two things

being said,

let's return to the main point

of what Jesus is saying

in verse 39,

don't retaliate.

Don't take revenge

when someone wrongs you.

Instead,

Jesus says,

do this.

And this brings us

to the third main point

of our passage.

Jesus doesn't just

forbid retaliation,

but when we're wronged,

Jesus commands bold,

cycle-breaking good

in response.

Bold,

cycle-breaking good

in response.

And he gives four examples,

and these four examples

aren't meant to be exhaustive.

Rather,

they're meant to capture

the spirit

of peacemaking initiative

that is fitting

for the children of God.

First example,

if someone slaps you

on the right cheek,

turn to him the other also.

Now,

this isn't talking about

someone attacking

or fighting another person.

In Jesus' day,

to slap someone

on the cheek

was to publicly insult them.

It was the backhanded

swat that was aimed

at publicly shaming someone

and putting someone

in their place.

What do you do

when someone humiliates you

like this?

Swat them back?

No,

Jesus says.

Do something

even braver,

even bolder than that.

You don't have to cower

or run away,

but you don't have to

strike them back either.

Break the cycle

and turn your other cheek.

Let them know

that their insult

doesn't define you,

and it won't change

how you view yourself

or even them.

Second example,

if anyone would sue you

and take your tunic,

let them have your cloak

as well.

Now,

a lot of people

in Jesus' day

would have more than one tunic.

That was sort of like

our shirt and pants today,

kind of your basic clothing.

You'd have a few pairs

of those,

but most people

would only have one cloak,

right?

That was your heavier

outer garment.

That was sort of like

your winter coat,

as it were.

So what is Jesus saying here?

He's saying,

don't be afraid

to part with something

more costly

to break the cycle

of insult

and petty wrongs.

Bold,

cycle-breaking,

good.

Is someone trying to shame you

by suing you

for your shirt?

Okay.

Give them your coat too.

What will the judge do?

What will they do

in response?

It just might put an end

to the whole thing.

Third example,

if anyone forces you

to go one mile,

go with him two miles.

Now,

the historical context

is helpful here.

In the first century,

a Roman soldier

could conscript

any Jewish passerby

on the road

to help carry their baggage

for up to one mile.

That was sort of the law

that everyone

had to abide by.

And of course,

that would not just be

inconvenient and tiring,

but also shaming.

The Romans were the oppressors,

and here you were supposed

to carry their luggage.

But Jesus says,

rather than grit your teeth

and despise them,

thinking in your mind

what you'd rather do

with them in their luggage,

take it not just one mile,

take it two.

Show them

unexpected kindness.

Fourth example,

give to the one

who begs from you,

and do not refuse

the one

who would borrow from you.

Now, at first,

this example doesn't seem

to fit with the rest, right?

In the first three examples,

it seems like there's

some sort of insult

or some sort of wrong

taking place,

an insulting slap on the cheek,

an annoying lawsuit,

a tiring trek

with a Roman soldier's pack.

How is someone begging

comparable to that?

Well, it's not immediately clear,

but I think the connection

may be this.

In each of the first

three instances,

Jesus calls us

to do something unexpected.

Turn the other cheek.

Give the cloak as well.

Go the extra mile.

Now, here he's telling us

to give

to those in need.

Don't ignore

the person

who has a genuine need.

Treat them like a human

and help them meet the need.

Of course,

I don't think this means

you literally have to give money

to everyone who asks you

for money.

There may be other ways

that you can give your time

and money to help those in need.

Oftentimes,

simply giving someone money

on the street

isn't really the best way

to help them.

But even if you discern

that it's not wise

in the moment

to give them money,

you can still treat them

like a fellow human being,

be respectful,

politely decline,

maybe even engage them

in conversation.

Are you willing

to be associated

with those

who have a genuine need

and socially are put

in a situation

where they must beg

or borrow?

Are you willing

to enter into

a relationship with them,

show some solidarity

with them,

share your resources

with them?

Again,

you might find

what people need

is relationship

and community

more than they need money.

Can you provide that?

Are you willing

to be associated

with those

who have little

or no status

in the eyes of the world?

And I wonder

if that might be

the connecting thread

among these four examples.

In each instance,

Jesus is describing

a scenario

where we face

the possibility

not just of being

inconvenienced

or being set back

financially,

but we face

the very real possibility

of being shamed,

of losing face,

being proverbially

slapped on the cheek

with a public insult,

being taken to court,

having to play pack mule

for a Roman soldier,

associating with the poor,

possibly even being

taken advantage of

by them.

They all carry

a strong undercurrent

of social shame.

Where do we find

the strength

to act

with such bold,

cycle-breaking good

to those who wrong us,

to those who might

want to take advantage

of us,

when the deep

undercurrent

of shame

or humiliation

is so strong?

It's so much easier

to just strike back,

protect ourselves,

get even,

because then we can

save face, right,

and spare ourselves

the humiliation.

Where do we find

that sort of inner strength?

Where do we find

this sort of inner strength

that we read

that Hudson Taylor had?

Martin Lloyd-Jones

tells the story

of how Hudson Taylor,

the missionary to China,

was standing on a riverbank

one evening,

and he hailed a boat

to take him across the river.

And just as the boat

was drawing near,

another wealthy Chinese man

came up

who didn't recognize

Hudson Taylor

as a foreigner

because Taylor was kind of

wearing the native dress.

So when the boat came,

the Chinese man

struck Hudson Taylor

and thrust him aside

with such force

that Taylor

falls into the mud.

Hudson Taylor gets up,

however,

and says nothing.

But the boatman

refuses to take

his fellow countrymen on

and says,

no, no, no,

that foreigner called me

and the boat is his

and he has to go first.

Suddenly the wealthy

Chinese traveler

is sort of astounded

and embarrassed

when he realized

what he had done.

But Hudson Taylor

responds by

not complaining,

but inviting man,

but inviting this man

into the boat with him

and begins to tell him

what it was in him.

that made him behave

in such a manner.

Where do we get

the inner resources

to do something like that?

Where do we get

the inner strength

that someone like

Tom Skinner had?

As a young black man

living in New York,

Skinner was converted

to Christ

while he was the leader

of the largest

and most notorious

teenage gang

in New York City,

the Harlem Lords.

His conversion

was so real

that he left the gang

the next day

turning from a life

of fighting and violence

to preach the gospel.

And he tells a story

of how several weeks

after his conversion

he was playing

a football game

in which his assignment

on one play

was to block

the defensive end

while his own halfback

goes around

and scores a touchdown.

So that's what he did.

And as Skinner gets up

from the ground

and heads back

to the huddle,

the other boy

that he had blocked

jumped up in a rage,

slammed him in the stomach,

and as Skinner's

bent over from the blow,

hits him across the back,

and then starts

yelling racial slurs at him.

Skinner said that

under normal circumstances

the old Tom Skinner

would have jumped up

from the ground

and pulverized the white boy.

But instead,

he got up from the ground,

found himself

looking the boy in the face

and saying,

you know,

because of Jesus Christ,

I love you anyway.

Later, Skinner said

that he even surprised himself.

But he knew

that what the Bible promised

was true,

that he was a new creature

in Christ

and it was no longer

necessary for him

to operate

on the old level

of tit for tat,

of hate for hate,

or retaliation.

And moreover,

when the game was over

and that opposing player

had had some time

to think about it,

apparently he came

to Skinner and said,

Tom, you've done more

to knock prejudice

out of me

by telling me

that you love me

than if you would have

socked my jaw in.

where does the inner strength

come from

to live like that?

Well, friends,

this is where.

Whether it's Hudson Taylor

or Tom Skinner

or you

or me,

if we are in Christ,

then we are a new creation.

And as Skinner said,

it's no longer necessary

to operate

on the old level

of tit for tat,

hate for hate,

or retaliation.

Because the shame

of the world,

the humiliation

and shame

that drives

so much of the world

is not what rules us anymore.

How?

How?

Because we know

the one

who did something

even greater for us.

Very interesting

that the prophet Isaiah

saw

that when the Messiah

would come,

he wouldn't come

in honor or glory,

but he would willingly

be put to shame.

In Isaiah 50,

we read

the words

of the suffering servant.

I offered my back

to those who beat me,

my cheeks

to those who pulled out

my beard,

I did not hide

my face

from mocking

and spitting.

When Christ came,

he emptied himself

of glory

and turned his cheek

to those who insulted him.

The one who deserved

infinite glory,

infinite honor,

lowered himself

to be mocked

and condemned.

Why?

Well, friends,