June 15, 2008 • Pastor
Randy Smith
A holy man was engaged in his morning meditation under a tree whose roots stretched out over the riverbank. During his meditation he noticed that the river was rising, and a scorpion caught in the roots was about to drown. He crawled out on the roots and reached down to free the scorpion, but every time he did so, the scorpion struck back at him. An observer came along and said to the holy man, “Don’t you know that’s a scorpion, and it’s in the nature of a scorpion to want to sting?” To which the holy man replied, “That may well be, but it is my nature to save, and must I change my nature because the scorpion does not change its nature?” (Mary Marty, Eye Of The Needle).
This modern-day parable reminds us of an important truth: In order for peace to prevail, one side in a relationship needs to change. One side needs to accept a willingness to be wronged, fight the continual urge to retaliate and persevere in extending mercy, forgiveness and love. Apart from this principle, conflicts continue and almost always escalate.
In the national realm: You rough up one of our citizens. Then we abduct a military officer. Then you bomb our café. Then we send a few missiles your way.
In the sports arena: You make derogatory public comments about our team. Then we throw at your pitcher. Then you aim for our batter’s head. Then we charge the mound.
In the church setting: You critique my Christian life. Then I gossip behind you back. Then you don’t choose me in your ministry. Then I leave the church.
In the home environment: You don’t let me watch my favorite show. Then I flush your toothbrush down the toilet (by the way, I did that to my sister–dad had to call in a Plumber!). Then you ignore me with your friends. Then I don’t get you a Christmas gift.
Do we wish to have peace or continued conflict? Do we wish to walk in the Spirit or live in the flesh? Do we wish to please the Lord or fight for our rights? In the quietness of our own hearts, we need to provide an answer for each of those questions right now.
In the final two contrasts mentioned in Matthew chapter 5, Jesus provides for us the solution. It is a solution that brings peace in all of our relationships. It is a solution that identifies every citizen of His kingdom. It is a solution that can only be accomplished by His grace. And it is a solution that displays the love of God at its finest.
Like our past three sermons, once again, we will be dealing directly with our hearts. This teaching will strip away the façade of our Christianity and permit us to examine the internal components of our faith. And it will all come down to whether or not we have received the love of God which enables us to extend that love to others.
John Stott said, “The two final antitheses bring us to the highest point of the Sermon on the Mount for which it is both admired and most resented, namely the attitude of total love which Christ calls us to show toward one who is evil (39) and our enemies (44). Nowhere is the challenge of the Sermon greater. Nowhere is the distinctness of the Christian counter-culture more obvious. Nowhere is our need of the power of the Holy Spirit (whose first fruit is love) more compelling” (The Message of the Sermon on the Mount,p. 103).
As the title suggests, this morning we will examine three defining marks of Christian love.
1. CHRISTIAN LOVE IS LIBERAL (5:38-42)
Let’s begin. The first defining mark of Christian love is liberality. We see this in verses 38-42.
In verse 38, Jesus begins by quoting the Old Testament law (Ex. 21:24; Lev. 24:19-20; Dt. 19:21). He says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’”
This law was established for the Jewish people to prevent bloody feuds among themselves. God knows we need some kind of system to regulate our evil hearts. Even today, take away our conscience and the governing powers that enforce laws and there would not be much left of our society. We are a people that find it very easy to seek revenge.
As my earlier comments illustrated, interpersonal conflict usually results in never-ending retaliation. Therefore in order for justice to be accomplished and personal vendettas to be eliminated, God instituted in the Old Covenant what was called the lex talionis. To the degree you inflict harm upon another, that harm was inflicted upon you–nothing more, nothing less.
Unfortunately as we have seen in the past weeks, the Jews, especially the spiritual leaders, took God’s holy law and perverted it into something evil–something to meet their own selfish gain. Instead of keeping the law in the judicial system where it was intended to promote restitution, they took it into their personal hands and used as an opportunity to promote retaliation–the very thing the law was intended to avoid.
As He has done in the other contrasts, Jesus addresses the issue in verse 39. “But I say to you, do not resist an evil person.”
Here is the biggest question imposed upon this text: “Pastor, does that mean it is wrong to oppose any form of evil? Is Jesus saying we should abolish our police and military forces? Should we, as many have suggested from reading this verse, become pacifists? My answer is no–and here’s why.
First of all, we need to remember the context. Jesus is speaking about personal relationships. He is not removing authorities called upon to promote goodness and justice–from a parent all the way up to a Supreme Court justice. The correction presented by our Lord was meant to prevent taking justice into our own hands. Second, the Bible frequently addresses civil authorities. They have many expectations upon them, one of them being the need to restrain and punish evil (Rom. 13:1-7). Third, everywhere the Bible teaches that the Christian must aggressively fight against evil and overcome it.
We were on our way to visit someone in the hospital. Julie had to make a quick stop into the drug store. While I waited in the car, I noticed a young man violently beating up a woman. Many were watching in shock and disbelief, none were getting involved. What do I do? Aren’t I called to not resist the evil person?
An individual was causing all kinds of division in the church. The church was being directly affected by his actions. All kinds of problems were occurring. I confront him on his sin. He doesn’t stop. When I threaten his expulsion from the church, I am accused of being unloving. What do I do?
In both of these cases, I believe the situations called for me to respond to evil. Being blessed with some size helped me respond in the former situation. Being a church leader commanded me to respond in the latter. To do nothing in these situations would have been unloving!
But what happens when I, not as one representing the church, but I as “Randy Smith,” am sinned against? What do I do with derogatory comments, uncompassionate dealings, acts of injustice, lack of appreciation, unfaithfulness? What am I called to do when people sin against me?
In verses 39-42 Jesus provides four illustrations. To take these literally as an end to themselves greatly minimizes the principles that our Lord is bringing forth. Jesus is not taking us back to the Old Testament law (lex talionis–“an eye for an eye”). He is bringing New Covenant teaching where the law is written on our hearts and obedience springs forth from our hearts (Jer. 31:31-34; Eze. 36:26-27).
Verse 39, “But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.” Principle: Extend love instead of protecting your dignity! Verse 40, “If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also.” Principle: Extend love instead of protecting your things! Verse 41, “Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two.” Principle: Extend love instead of protecting your time! Verse 42, “Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.” Principle: Extend love instead of protecting your money!
Every situation is different and discernment is necessary. For example, I do not think we should give every time someone on the street asks us for money. But let’s be careful that the boundaries we establish don’t give us freedom to ignore these commands altogether. And maybe we need to ask our hearts a little less often, “What’s in it for me?” and begin to ask ourselves, “How liberal is my giving when it does not benefit me directly?”
So yes, Paul was right to oppose the apostle Peter to his face when Peter was publicly acting in a way contradictory to the gospel (Gal. 2:11). And yes, Paul was right to hand Hymenaeus and Alexander over to Satan because of their false teaching (1 Tim. 1:20). Those were loving responses. And yes, Paul was right to say Christians ought to be defrauded rather than press lawsuits upon each other (1 Cor. 6:7). And yes, Paul was right to forgive the member of the Corinthian church who personally sinned against him (2 Cor. 2:10). Those were loving responses as well.
We should hate evil as much as God does. We should uphold the public law and pray for justice in our courtrooms. We should do all we can to alleviate the sufferings of others. But when we are personally afflicted, when our pride is wounded, when our ego is more affected than God’s glory, we should be quick to accept the offense, entrust our situation to God and respond with good.
You cannot ask for a better cross-reference. Romans 12:17-21, “Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. ‘but if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
“But pastor, if you only knew what he said to me!” I’ve got news for you–this is an unfair world! We had better put away the unrealistic dreams of utopia and face the fact that people do not love us as much as we love ourselves. Oftentimes without even intending it, people will ignore, malign, insult and offend you (Guess what? It even happens in the church!). Running away from your problems is not the solution. Vengeance, bitterness, grudges and resentment are not the way to go either. And when we do these things (one evil) and then seek to justify them on biblical grounds (another evil), we are acting just like the Pharisees that Jesus is condemning here! The solution from our Lord is love given liberally to all.
Here is what I am talking about. At the funeral of Martin Luther King, Dr. Benjamin Mays made the following comments: “If any man knew the meaning of suffering, King knew. House bombed; living day by day for thirteen years under constant threats of death; maliciously accused of being a Communist; falsely accused of being insincere…; Stabbed by a member of his own race; slugged in a hotel lobby; jailed over twenty times; occasionally deeply hurt because friends betrayed him–and yet this man had no bitterness in his heart, no rancour in his soul, no revenge in his mind; and he went up and down the length and breath of this world preaching non-violence and the redemptive power of love” (Coretta Scott King, My Life with Martin Luther King Jr., p.365-369).
2. CHRISTIAN LOVE IS INDISCRIMINATE (5:43-47)
So from this quote regarding the life of Dr. King, we go from liberal love to indiscriminate love, from love that is generous to love that makes no distinctions.
In verse 43 Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’”
The command to love your neighbor is a direct quote from Leviticus 19:18. There was no doubt, from the beginning, that God expected us to love our neighbor. But if we wish to skate around the truth, we can start playing all kinds of mental gymnastics with the text. This is what many of the folks did in Jesus’ day.
“Well, God, love is a very abstract term. Everybody receives love in different ways; no doubt you are aware of the five languages of love. What’s loving for one might not be loving for another.” But God did qualify the extent of our love in the Leviticus text. You are called to love your neighbor “as yourself.”
So what is the next attempted loophole? “Well, God, then who is my neighbor?” Obviously that was an issue in the day because Jesus told a whole parable commonly called “The Good Samaritan” to answer that very question (Lk. 10:29-37). And the answer is that our neighbor is anyone in our presence whom we have the ability to help. Rather, the Jew concluded that their neighbor must be a fellow Jew, and therefore it was implied that they had permission to hate all who were unlike them–like Gentiles and women and even fellow Jews who just didn’t match up to their standards. “This is great,” so they thought, “Divine permission to discriminate!”
So the Jews took a command that read, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev. 19:18) and to their own convenience made it say, “Love your neighbor and hate your enemies” (Mt. 5:43). They omitted the “as yourself” and replaced it with “And hate your enemies.”
I ask you, have we changed much in 2,000 years?
In His final contrast found in verse 44 Jesus said, “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
Jesus could not have picked a harder category of people to love. You care for someone enough to share with them the message of eternal life, and they persecute you. You care for someone enough to minister to their needs, and they persecute you. The very ones that persecute us falsely because of our faith (cf. Mt. 5:10-12) are the very ones we are to keep in our love and keep in our prayers.
The connection between the two is clear. Not only is prayer an indication of our love because we cannot pray for someone we hate (unless we pray God strikes our enemy with a lightening bold!), but also, the more we love someone, the more we will pray for them and the more we pray for them, the more we will love them.
Listen to Spurgeon: “Earnest intercession will be sure to bring love with it. I do not believe you can hate a man for whom you habitually pray. If you dislike any brother Christian, pray for him doubly, not only for his sake, but for your own, that you may be cured of prejudice and saved from all unkind feeling.”
The application of this verse is difficult, but consider other Christians oversees who are hearing this teaching while there friends and family members are being tortured, raped and murdered for their faith. The command is the same for all of us: Instead of retaliation extend love.
Time permits me from sharing many examples of this principle.
And I cannot help but add the footnote: If this is how we are to treat our persecutors, how much more should we demonstrate this principle with our brothers and sisters in Christ?
A lofty expectation indeed. To put aside the pain and pride and prejudice is not within our human nature. It does not seem right and fair and just. So maybe you want an explanation from God. Why should we extend love to all people, even those who hate us? The reason is provided by Jesus in verse 45. We are to love our enemies “so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”
There 636,800 residents in Monmouth County alone. The overwhelming majority are enemies of God. They rebel against His commandments, chafe under His lordship and curse His name directly and indirectly on a regular basis. And although God would have perfect justice to strike them dead on the spot, He permits them to live and blesses them as He blesses those who have bowed the knee with food and houses and families and money and many good gifts.
God in His “common grace” displays love to His enemies. And lest we think we are an exception, we were one of those enemies before He opened our hearts and enabled us to run to Christ for refuge. The fact that He sovereignly causes the sun to rise on them and sovereignly sends rain on those who do evil is a token reminder of His patience and grace and mercy and love extended to His enemies twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week and three-hundred and sixty-five days a year. Knowing this, our consciences should not permit a self-righteous judgment on anyone!
If we as fellow human sinners cannot imitate our heavenly Father in this way, do we know anything about His love and have we experienced anything of His grace?
Jesus continues to pour it on.
Verse 46, “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?” The tax collectors were despised people. They were notoriously corrupt. They were viewed as national traders and ceremonially unclean. On the social ladder they were down there with harlots and murderers. But they did do something that all of us have in common. They loved people who loved them.
Verse 47, “If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?” Love and kind greetings for family members was even common among the pagan Gentiles. Even among God-rejecting heathen pagans, there is some evidence of love extended to one’s family.
Our Lord’s point is unmistakable: If you love those who love you (like the tax collectors) and love those within your family (like the pagans)–big deal! People without the Spirit of God have mastered both of these. The question is how are we acting any differently? A double-standard of morality does not exist for the way we are to treat other people. The command is to love all people, even our enemies, indiscriminately.
3. CHRISTIAN LOVE IS DIVINE (5:48)
So Christian love is liberal, Christian love is indiscriminate, and lastly, Christian love is divine. Let me take you to verse 48 for our final point. Jesus said, “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Though this is a summary statement for the whole section, specifically, this addresses the type of love that we are to show to others. There can be no misunderstanding. The love that defines the living God is the love that we are to display to others.
And the greatest place to see the perfect love of God is the unspeakable gift He gave us in Jesus Christ. Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
And it is only when we receive God the Son as our Lord and Savior that we will be united to God the Father. And it is only when we are united to God the Father that He will fill us with His love. And it is only when He fills us with His love that we will be able to extend the required divine love to others.
Providentially, I just read from 1 John 4 to my children last night. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 Jn. 4:7-11).
Though it takes much grace and much work to love others this way, we must not think this teaching is unrealistic. For the best example of this love came from Jesus Christ Himself. “(For) while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously” (1 Pet. 2:23). And while He was being ridiculed and tortured on the cross He prayed, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Lk. 23:34).
These principles of love are from God and clearly modeled for us in the life of Jesus Christ. Therefore, I do not believe they are ineffective. I do not believe they are foolish. And I do not believe they are optional.
Aggression breeds more aggression. It takes two to fight, so someone needs to break the vicious cycle. Will it be us? Will we put into practice the love of God?
Is it simply for humanitarian reasons that we are to act this way? No, it is much deeper. When we act in a way that Jesus prescribed: We show a healthy church environment. We show that the Spirit of God dwells within us. We show ourselves to be citizens in God’s kingdom. We show our need to completely and continually rely upon Christ for strength. We show the power of Christ in our lives. We show that we understand and have received and are able to extend the love of God. We show we admire our heavenly Father’s characteristics and want to imitate Him and not the world (Mt. 5:9, 45, 48). We show unbelievers a great testimony. We show the continual need to find forgiveness in Jesus Christ. And we show the world that they need a righteousness outside of themselves to achieve this standard.
Today is Father’s Day. What makes a real man? Any wimp can fly off the handle, run from a situation and retaliate. That is very easy and very natural. Yet it takes strength to be self-controlled and respond in every situation with love. That is the sign of a Christian. And that is the sign of a real man and a strong man because that is a man who has fully submitted himself to the Spirit of God.