Sunday, October 11, 2009: Greater Righteousness 4

Greater Righteousness 4
Matthew 5: 38 - 42

I. Introduction.

“Revenge is a dish best served cold.” That is an old saying most of us have heard before. Perhaps there is a new, more modern update to that idea…I saw a T-shirt this week that read, “Life’s too short not to get even.”

Revenge is a normal and natural part of what it means to be human. In fact, just this week there were at least revenge stories in the news.

Have you kept up with the Jon and Kate Gosselin saga? I wish I didn’t know this, but I feel like it has been foist upon me. Jon and Kate have eight children. They were the “stars” of their own reality television show, “Jon and Kate Plus Eight.” But, Jon and Kate are getting a divorce. So, the producers of the TLC TV series has decided to change the program. They announced this week that the program is changing to “Kate Plus Eight.” They are dropping Jon from the show. How did Jon Gosselin take the news? He hired an attorney to file an injunction that Jon no longer thinks it is such a good idea to have his children on TV. It sounds like revenge to me. If he can’t be on TV, he doesn’t want his soon to be ex-wife on TV either.

What about the drama surrounding late night comedian David Letterman? A man tried to extort $2 Million out of Letterman by threatening to reveal details of Letterman’s illicit relationships with some of his female staff. Well, we discovered this week the man really wasn’t after money. He was trying to get revenge. Letterman was having relations with this man’s girlfriend, and he wanted to destroy Letterman’s life.

On a lighter note, we had the Monday Night Football game between the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings. Two years ago, the Packers decided Brett Favre was too old to be their quarterback. Favre came out of retirement (twice) in order to play for the Packers’ rivals. He got his revenge Monday night by beating his former team on national television.

These three examples demonstrate how normal and natural it is for us to seek revenge when someone hurts us. If someone hurts you, the normal thing to do—the natural thing to do—is to get even…to hurt them as they have hurt you. It may be the normal and natural thing to do. Everyone might understand why you are behaving as you are. However, Jesus has called his followers to be different from the rest of the culture. It is never acceptable for followers of Jesus to be normal and natural. We are to live by a different and higher standard. Jesus calls us to Greater Righteousness.

Jesus’ words to us today are some of the least normal and natural words in the Bible. When someone hurts you, don’t get revenge.

Read Matthew 5: 38 – 42.

This is our fourth week to explore Jesus’ interpretation of the Old Testament. There are some people who think Jesus came to earth to destroy the Law of the Old Testament. Yet, Jesus specifically told us this was not his purpose. Rather than destroying the Law, Jesus actually fulfilled the Law. One important way Jesus fulfilled the Law was the way he interpreted it finally and perfectly for us. In many ways Jesus’ interpretation made the Law MORE difficult rather than LESS difficult. He took the external boundaries of the Law and moved them to the heart. And, he increased the demands from some of the Old Testament teachings. This is one example how Jesus’ demands are greater than the Old Testament. “An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth” comes directly from Leviticus 24.

Read Leviticus 24: 17 – 22.

An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth is often interpreted as the basis for a barbaric society…But that is not the case at all…Believe it or not, this is actually Justice…

On one hand, this Old Testament teaching sets a standard for justice. If you are guilty of harming your neighbor, you will have to pay the price. On the other hand, this teaching actually sets a limit to the amount of punishment a person can face for the crime. There are specific standards for murder, assault and killing animals.

An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth actually limits the punishment that can be carried out when someone commits a crime. For example, if someone knocks your tooth out, the law allows you to knock his tooth out…Nothing more…The punishment cannot exceed the crime.

Also, notice how certain crimes demand more severe punishments. The Old Testament places a higher value on human life than on anything else. A human being has intrinsic value as one who was created in the image of God…And there is no compensation sufficient to repay for a lost human life. If a man is guilty of murder, then an eye, a tooth, even a hand cannot repay for the loss of another human life…And the opposite of that is also true…Human life is too high a price to pay for the loss of an eye or a tooth or the death of your donkey…

Imagine how barbaric the ancient world would have been without these kinds of limits…

More than likely, these standards were intended for the judicial system of the ancient world. They were not intended to encourage vigilante justice. But, over time, people interpreted these words to apply to personal relationships and to acceptable measures for personal revenge.
Jesus stepped into this context and said, “Don’t seek revenge.” Technically, Jesus said, “Do not resist an evil person.” But that phrase needs a little explanation the way it shows up in our English Bibles.

The word “resist” is used several different ways in different contexts. For example, we often come to church and talk about “resisting” temptation. The temptation to sin is something we face every day. To resist temptation is to refuse to “give in.” Sin can be attractive, appealing, something we desire to do. To resist temptation is to refuse to sin. The opposite of “resist” is something like “submit.” In the example of temptation, when we do not resist temptation we submit to temptation. So, does this mean that Jesus is telling us to “submit” to evil people?

Another way we use “resist” is in the sense to “oppose” something. Typically, we hear this in a military context. For example, the American troops in Afghanistan have met “resistance” from the Taliban. In this sense, “resist” refers to a show of force or violence. This is how Jesus used the word “resist” in this context.

We are not called to submit to evil people and allow them to take advantage of us. No. We are called to refuse to “fight back” or to seek revenge against people who have hurt us. It’s normal and natural to fight back. But we are not normal. We are followers of Jesus, who have been called to a higher standard—Greater Righteousness.

Jesus made his point very simply with a single command: Do not resist and evil person. Then, Jesus gave us four illustrations to clarify his point.


II. Turn the Other Cheek.

This illustration is one of the most famous things Jesus ever said. But, it is often misused. I have to admit, I have misused this in the past. Sometimes we use this verse to say Jesus wants us to allow others to take advantage of us or to abuse us. Jesus does not want you to be abused! This verse is about shame.

The ancient world was much more concerned about shame and honor than we are today. In fact, they were just as competitive in the ancient world as we are today. They just competed for something different. We compete for money and fame. They competed for honor. Marriages were arranged in order to gain honor by marrying into an honorable family. Certain careers and occupations were more desirable, not because they paid better, but because they were more honorable. Social interactions were competitive, inasmuch as one could gain more honor for himself by shaming another person.

We can see this is what Jesus is talking about if we will just read his words literally. For example, how can you strike someone on the “right cheek?” Today, we would immediately think of using our left hand to strike someone on the right cheek. Yet, ancient people did not often use their left hands. Another option would be to use your right hand to slap the person with the back of your hand. Even today, a backhanded slap is a great dishonor in the Middle East.

If Jesus’ words are about allowing your attacker to abuse you, then “turn the other cheek” would mean “allow your attacker to hit you again.” However, if Jesus’ words are read in the context of honor and shame, then he is saying something entirely different. In this case, to turn the other cheek is an instruction to remain in control of the situation. Turning the other cheek is a physical way to communicate to another person, “Your actions do not bring shame to me. You can hit me or disrespect me as much as you want. But you will not take away my honor.”


III. Give the Shirt Off Your Back.

The second illustration can also be understood as a reference to honor and shame. Ancient people did not dress like you and me. They didn’t have digital cameras and Facebook, so we don’t have an accurate picture of their dress. But we do have descriptions. The typical person wore two garments. The “tunic” was a kind of undergarment, made of a thin material and worn next to the skin. The “cloak” was the outer garment, made of a thicker material and worn on top of the tunic. The poorest people of the ancient world did not own property or houses. If they didn’t have a house, they didn’t have a bed to sleep in. For the poorest people, the “cloak” served a double purpose. It was their outer garment, AND it served as their bedcovers at night.

When these poor people tried to borrow money or cut a covenant, they had no collateral to bring to the deal. So, Jewish Law allowed a poor person to use their “tunic,” or undergarment, as collateral. But, it was forbidden to use the “cloak” as collateral. If the poor person defaulted on the loan or covenant, they would lose their bedcovers.

Again, Jesus is speaking about honor and shame. If someone sues you for your “tunic,” which they are allowed to sue for, give them your “cloak,” which they are not allowed to sue for, as well. It would be shameful for a person to take all your clothes. Jesus said, “Don’t le them take your clothes. Give them away.”


IV. Go the Extra Mile.

Most of us know that at the time Jesus spoke these words, Israel was occupied territory. They had lost their sovereignty as a nation and every day they saw Roman soldiers in their land as a reminder. The Jews resented the Romans. It made matters worse that there was a Roman law requiring the Jews to carry military baggage for a maximum of one mile. Any Roman soldier could enlist any Jewish man to carry his bags for a mile, and all Jewish men were obligated to comply.

Since the Romans were the hated enemies of the Jews, this was another shameful practice. There was no honor in being forced to carry your enemy’s luggage. Once again, Jesus removed the shame from the practice. When you are forced to do something shameful, turn the table on your aggressor and volunteer to go an extra mile. Of course, it was illegal for the Romans to demand more than one mile. Therefore, Jesus is instructing us to volunteer good to those who give us nothing but shame and evil.


V. Give to the One Who Asks.

Jesus’ final illustration is about loaning money to people who cannot repay us. This is another example of the honor and shame culture. One way to gain honor for yourself was to help out someone else and hold them in your debt. Loaning money, bailing your neighbor out of a bind, helping someone move… None of these good deeds were ever done out of kindness. They were done so that other people would owe you.

Jesus said, “Don’t do good deeds for manipulative reasons. Do good deeds, expecting nothing in return.”


VI. Conclusion.

In each of these illustrations, Jesus tells us to respond to evil by doing good deeds toward our aggressors. By doing good deeds toward others, we are refusing to accept the shame and exposing the shame and evil or our aggressors.

The Apostle Paul said something similar in Romans 12: 16 – 21, “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”