We are going on with our study of Jesus’ Sermon on the Slope - Jesus teaching a large diverse crowd on a hillside on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee.  Probably at this place.

We have been looking at Jesus taking the mind bending reality of God and His kingdom - and bringing all that down to the reality of where we live our lives.  Teaching this crowd - and us - teaching what it means for us to live in a heart level relationship with the living God down on the level where we live life.

What could that relationship look like for us as we go through the stuff of our lives?

In the section of we’re coming to this morning - Jesus is going to focus on justice - real justice.  How do people - seeking to live life God’s way - how can we respond when stuff is done to us that’s just wrong.

Imagine the worst job you’ve ever had.  Either the stuff you had to do or the conditions you had to do it in or the people you had to do it with.  Or maybe all of the above.  Think about all the possible ways you could exit that job with style.

(picture)  Notice:  The bosses new car doesn’t even have its new plates yet and its already got a permanent parking place.

(picture)  This is another approach to paying back the boss on your last day.

(picture)  Imagine - your last day - as the sign guy.  The safe combination is 26-89-14.

(picture)  Never fire the guy who knows the secret formula.

(picture)  Last one.  Some peoples packages are going to be a little late.  Track this.

How can God’s people respond when we’re wronged?

Please join me at Matthew 5 - starting at verse 38.  These verses may be somewhat familiar.  So, let’s read them out loud together to get them fresh in our minds.  Then we’ll go back - make some observations - and think about how what Jesus is teaching can be helpful to us.  Okay.  Let’s read these verses together.  Matthew 5 - starting at verse 38.  

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.

There is a pattern in Jesus’ teaching that we’ve been following that’s been helping us to grab on to what Jesus is getting at.  Remember this?

First - Jesus quotes or summarizes a commandment from the Old Covenant law:  you have heard that it was said - then He goes on to apply that commandment with a teaching that deals with the heart level of our relationship with others and - bottom line - our heart level relationship with God.  The “But I say to you” - part.

Are we together?

First observation.  We need to be clear on what Jesus is summarizing.  In other words - if we were a first century Jew listening to Jesus what would be going through our minds when we heard Jesus summarizing these Old Covenant laws.

In verse 38 - there are a number of laws that Jesus is pulling together.  The references are on the screen and on your message notes.  (c.f. Exodus 21:22-25; Leviticus 24:19,20; Deuteronomy 19:15,18-21)

To grab onto the mindset of the first century Jew listen to these commands - which should have been familiar to the people listening to Jesus.  As you’re listening think about the specific guidelines that God gives His people - how God’s people are to respond with real justice.

Exodus 21 - starting at verse 22:  “When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined, as the women’s husband shall impose on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine.  But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.”  (Exodus 21:22-25)

Leviticus 24:  “If anyone injures his neighbor, as he has done it shall be done to him, fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; whatever injury he has given a person shall be given to him.”  (Leviticus 24:19,20)

Deuteronomy 19:  “A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed.  Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established.  The judges shall inquire diligently, and if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely, then you shall do to him as he had meant to do to his brother…  And the rest shall hear and fear, and shall never again commit any such evil among you…  It shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”  (Deuteronomy 19:15,18-21)

Are we hearing God’s heart here?  God’s laws - what Jesus is summarizing - these laws were intended by God to limit vengeance - payback - and to promote real justice.

Last Sunday - some of us watched an athletic contest that took place between commercials.  Remember that?  Some of us would like to forget parts of it.  There were some really questionable calls.  Those of us watching the game from 2,000 plus miles away could clearly see that the refs blew calls that handed the Ravens the game.

A while back one of the younger Muncherians was playing in a soccer game.  The coach for the other team was loud - obnoxious - saying things like, “It doesn’t matter run into him anyway.”  Finally he got a yellow card.  We’re all thinking, “It’s about time.”

Game goes on for a bit and this coach just keeps on going.  Finally, the ref gives him the red card.  At which point all the parents on our side are cheering.  “Yeah.  Good job ref.”  Their side is screaming about how unfair the ref is.

Coach Red Card has a few words with the ref - acts like he wasn’t doing anything wrong and the ref is some buffoon.  Finally Coach Red Car leaves the park - swaggering - like some really important dude.

In the words of the Vulcan Ambassador Sarek:  “Klingon justice is a unique point of view.”

Ever noticed that?  How justice often tilts in favor of the beholder.  How we tend to tilt justice in our favor.  How we see ourselves as so innocent compared with the staggering wrong done against us.

Generational feuds have begun over less.

Do you remember the Klingon proverb?  “Revenge is a dish that is best served - what? cold”? (1)

Revenge - vengeance - with all the bitterness and anger and malice possible.  Given the opportunity to retaliate most people will over-retaliate - overdo the response.  “Your ox gored my goat.  I will kill your whole family.” 

God’s laws - summarized by Jesus - God’s laws were given to put limits on payback - vengeance - to promote real justice.  One eye for one eye.  One tooth for one tooth.  No more.  Regardless of our self tilting emotions - the passions -  involved.

Now, let’s be honest.  The problem we struggle with - is that no matter how many laws we have - no matter how many boundaries - the law doesn’t change the heart.  Which is why some of us have trouble with speed limits.

The Rabbi’s of Jesus’ day had come up with a list of exceptions - clauses - fine print ways to manipulate the clear teaching of God’s law.  To tilt justice.  The people listening to Jesus would have been very much aware of the fine print.

For example:  According to the law - if the eye that was lost was from a strapping young man who had his whole life before him the equivalent demand would be for the eye of a strapping young man who had his whole before him.  Equal justice.

But the Rabbi’s taught that the village that the offender was from - the one who had caused the loss of the eye - the offending village could take the eye of one of its old men who was blind anyway, and offer that in exchange.  Justice tilts.  Tough luck if you’re an old blind guy.

Remember the bumper sticker:  “Hit Me I Need The Money”?  Same deal.  The law no longer is as important as how it can be manipulated to our own personal benefit.  Can we say, “tilt”?

Jesus’ Application - beginning in verse 39 - the “But I say to you” part - is Jesus moving from boundaries and legislation - to God dealing with our hearts - living out God’s kind of justice - living with real justice at the heart level.

Jesus says, “Do not resist the one who is evil.”  Meaning instead of vengeance - when some kind of injustice is done against us - instead of vengeance here’s what the living with God on the heart level response should look like.  Jesus gives 4 examples of injustice done to us and what real justice looks like.

First - verse 39 - someone slaps us on the right cheek.  Anyone been slapped on their cheek?  Hurts doesn’t it?

Many - many - years ago when I worked in a sporting goods and music store - which is a long story in itself - renting band instruments - selling team uniforms - pianos and canoes.  It was an interesting job.

There was this really obnoxious customer who used to come in and buy sports stuff from us.  This guy was a tad big - had issues - had attitude.  Acted like he owned the place and we all were there to grovel before his immensity.  Are we tracking together?  He was not a pleasant person to deal with.

One day when he was on his way out of the store - but apparently not out of ear shot - I made some unfortunate under the breath comment about his character.  This guy came back in and just reamed me across the face.

What hurt worse than the slap - which hurt - was the humiliation.  Standing in the store with everybody - co-workers - customers - just staring.

Jesus says if someone slaps you on your right cheek.  Which is backwards.  A right-handed person is going to slap us on our left cheek.  Go ahead and try that with the person next to you.  NO!  Don’t do that.  To slap on the right cheek means a backhanded slap.  Intended to humiliate more than hurt.

In other words - if someone just royally humiliates you - trashes your pride - leave yourself open to being hurt again.

Jesus goes on - example number 2 - verse 40.  If someone sues you for your tunic.

Tunics were like clothing we wear next to our skin - like we’d wear pants and shirt today.  Cloaks were outer clothing.  Think about a heavy coat - like a blanket - that we could wrap around ourselves to keep ourselves warm.  That’s a cloak. 

That people had at least a cloak was an act of compassion.  A cloak was an essential for life - like a portable tent - something to huddle under on a cold night.  According to Old Testament law the poorest Hebrew - even someone totally destitute - always had a right to a cloak.  (Exodus 22:26,27) 

Jesus says, if someone brings a lawsuit against you and is awarded your shirt - which they may be entitled to - but its really petty - suing someone for something as frivolous as a shirt.  But, if someone wins against you in some humiliating petty lawsuit and is awarded the shirt off your back - why not give them your cloak - this essential you’re entitled to - why not give them your cloak which they’re not entitled to.

Example number 3 - verse 41.  Someone forces you to go a mile.

Roman soldiers had the right to demand someone - anyone they chose - to require that person to carry their pack for a mile.  We could be standing on the side of the street minding our own business.  This Roman soldier walks by.  Says to himself, “Self.  I’m tired.”  Next thing we know we’re carrying his luggage for a mile.  Imagine the humiliation of having to do that for the hated occupiers of your land.  It adds insult to injury.

The law said they could only compel us to go one mile.  Jesus says, “Go the extra mile.  Go two.”

Fourth example - verse 42 - if someone - who you know will never ever - not in this lifetime or eternity to come - will never ever pay you back - comes and asks you for something - give it to them anyway.

The point Jesus is making - with these four over the top examples - has to do with yielding our rights.

Our normal tendency - from a self-focused heart - our normal tendency when wronged is to hold on to what’s ours - to demand justice - and maybe a little more - maybe a lot more.  To tilt our response in our favor.  Not going over top tilting in favor of the dweb who’s offended us.

But, when we yield - not wallowing in victimhood - not demanding our rights verses someone else’s - not leveling someone with a few choice words spoken or not spoken - or entertaining a few payback scenarios of the mind - not causing hurt to others - or hurting ourselves by living bitter and angry - when we’re wronged when we begin to yield our rights we begin to open up our hearts to God’s transforming work within us. 

How?  Because at the heart level yielding to others comes from a heart that’s learning to yield to God.

Hold on to this.  When we choose to yield, God begins to show us the truth about our hearts.  Where its hard for us to let go.  Where we’re hanging on to ourselves - our stuff - our prerogatives.  Where are lives are about us and not God.  Ultimately, when push comes to shove - literally - yielding forces us to think about - to come face to face with the heart level reality of who we really are trusting with our lives.  Self or God.

Going on - Jesus’ second teaching in this section begins in verse 43.  Let’s read these verses together and then will come back and make some observations and application. 

Verse 43:  You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven, for He makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.  For if you love those who love you, what reward to you have?  Do not even the tax collectors do the same?  And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others?  Do not even the Gentiles do the same?  You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

First:  We need to be clear about what?  The meaning of the law that Jesus summarizes in verse 43.  What would be going through the mind of a first century Jew listening to Jesus?

Jesus’ summary comes from Leviticus 19.  In Leviticus 19 God tells His people, “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself...  Love your neighbor as what?  Yourself.  Kinda sounds familiar.  Yes?

Leviticus goes on:  When a stranger - who?  A stranger.  When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong.  You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him - who?  the stranger - you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.    (Leviticus 19:18,33,34)

Back at verse 43.  Notice that when Jesus is quotes Leviticus he leaves out the whole “as yourself” part.  Completely leaves it out.  Then, notice, what Jesus adds - instead of loving strangers - He adds the “and hate your enemy” part.  That wasn’t in Leviticus 19.

Do you remember the man who was an expert in God’s law who had come to test Jesus?  He asked Jesus the question, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

Jesus answered, “What’s written in the Law?”

The scholar answers, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor - as what?  yourself.”

Jesus says, “You’ve answered correctly; do this and you will live.”

What was the scholar’s next question?  “Who is my neighbor?”  Who qualifies?  Who fits inside the box?  Where’s the legal boundary for acting justly?  So I can know if I’m loving my neighbor according to what God requires?

What comes next?  Jesus launches into the parable of the Good Samaritan.  A man gets mugged.  He’s left naked and half dead on the side of the road.  Two of God’s people - two of the spiritual elite come by.  Each one sees the man laying there - crosses the road - and goes on.  Then who comes by?  The evil - dreaded - not quite a Jew - we don’t touch those - Samaritan.

Who does what?  Takes care of the mugged guy’s wounds - takes him to an inn - pays for his care.  Literally goes the extra mile.

Jesus asks this expert in God’s law, “So, which of the three proved to be a neighbor to the man?”  (Luke 10:25-37)  Who really did what God requires?

Point being:  Who are our neighbors?  Everyone.  Our people.  Not our people.  Even our enemies.  Anyone who needs love poured out on them like we pour it out on ourselves.

The reason Jesus - here in His Sermon on the Mount - when He’s summarizing the Old Testament law is leaving out the neighbors as yourself part and adding the hate your enemies part - the reason this expert in God’s law struggles with the question - is because the widespread understanding of the law in Jesus’ day was to love our people and hate everyone else.

Its possible that while Jesus is misquoting the law that the people He’s teaching - the first century Jews - may not have known the difference.  They’d be saying, “Yep, that’s what we’ve heard.”

But that wasn’t what God had said.  It certainly wasn’t what God intended.

Imagine that you decide to go on a diet to loose weight.  With the diet comes a long list of foods you can’t eat.  When you go out to a restaurant you skim the dessert menu to find foods that aren’t on the “don’t eat this” list.  To your delight you find that most of the dessert items are not on the “don’t eat this” list.

Without a second thought you order the triple layer dark chocolate cream cake with the extra whipped frosting à la mode - with three scoops of ice cream - chocolate, vanilla, and pistachio - all layered in hot fudge with a maraschino cherry on top.  All of which is not on the “don’t eat this” list.

In one sense you’ve fulfilled the letter of the law.  But, as your soon bulging waistline tells you, you’ve failed at your diet.

Those Jesus is challenging had focused on the boundaries of God’s law.  They’d become experts at asking the question, “Who are we actually required to love?”  How small can we draw that circle?  How few neighbors can we narrow this down to?  Tilt. 

God’s people - after they had accomplished what was required they then felt free to mistreat and reject everyone else - rip them off - ignore their needs - alienate them - take from them whatever they felt entitled to.  Because after all - they’d done what God required.

God’s law was intended by God to limit vengeance and provide for real justice - justice that came from hearts yielded to God - hearts that put others before self.  The heart level motivation behind “love your neighbor as you love yourself.”

Look at how Jesus takes the law to a higher level.  Look at Jesus’ application. 

Verse 44:  But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,  That’s a reversal of thinking isn’t it?

The word “love” here in the Greek is “agape.”  “Agape” is the kind of love that moves God to send down sunlight on both the evil and the good.  Verse 45.  To send rain down on the righteous and the unrighteous.  God indiscriminately taking care of all our needs - both those who love Him and God taking care of the needs of those who are in rebellion against Him.

“Agape” love isn’t about lust or sex or friendship or romance or if we might be feeling good about someone or what we get back when we love someone.  “Agape” is a dogged commitment to love what often is unlovable - us. 

Same word as in Romans 5:8:  “But God shows His love - agape - for us in that while we were still sinners - rebelling against God - Christ died for us.”

With that kind of love we’re to love others - even those who are against us - who humiliate us - sue us frivolously - compel us against our will - borrow stuff from us and never have the respect for us to return it.

To “pray” - verse 44 - to pray is the Greek word “proseuchomai.”  Same word as in James 5.  “If you’re sick - call the elders of the church - let them pray - “proseuchomai” - over you and anoint you with oil in the name of the Lord.”  “Prosuechomai” is always used of prayer to God - petition for great need.  (James 5:14)

When we pray for our enemies - its not, “God toast ’em.”  But, “God bless them.  God help them.  God forgive them because they have no clue what they’re doing.”  Sound familiar?  Jesus on the cross.

Jesus says - in verse 45 - when you do this - loving and praying for your enemies - you really are God’s children - “sons of your Father Who is in heaven.”  You really are living out your relationship with God on the heart level by the way you’re living with others.

Jesus gives us two examples of from the heart “agape” love.  Example number one - verse 46:  For if you love those who love you, what reward to you have?  Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 

Tax collectors were the scum of the earth.  Tax collectors were traitors in league with the Roman occupiers who are ripping off their own people.  They’re legalized crooks.  They’re unclean because they associate with Gentiles.  They associate with prostitutes and other people who could care less what others think about their sinful ways.

Even a tax collector - who lies and cheats and steals candy from babies - even a tax collector is going to love someone who loves them - someone who’ll help them line their pockets with money.  Maybe another tax collector.

Second example - from the heart “agape” love - verse 47:  And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others?  Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 

Gentiles were pagans.  Non-Jews.  Unclean.  Worshippers of other gods.  Not to be associated with.  But still, even the Gentiles show love to other Gentiles.

Do you see what Jesus is getting at here?  If we only treat well those people who can benefit us or who are like us, what difference is there between us and everyone else in our society that’s focused on whatever benefits me, myself, and I? 

The issue is not how we would like to be treated but a heart attitude which places the well-being of others - at least as a minimum standard - places their well being at least equal to ours.  Or, as Jesus teaches - responding from the heart with God’s kind of outrageous love - choosing to make a commitment to others that goes beyond anything we could possibly expect to receive in return.

Are we hearing God’s heart here?  God’s laws - what Jesus is summarizing - these laws were never intended by God to be a minimum standard.  Do this and then you can live however you want.  These laws were intended by God to promote from the heart real justice.  Justice that comes from a heart yielded to God - from a heart that loves outrageously - because that’s how God has loved us.

Jesus’ bottom line comes in verse 48:  You therefore - because real justice is about yielding and loving outrageously on the heart level - You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Let’s take a breath.  That’s a tad over the top.  Isn’t it?

In order to do real justice we’ve got to be perfect like God is perfect.  Its not hard to imagine that at this point most of Jesus’ listeners - if they were tracking with what Jesus is saying - if we’re tracking with what Jesus is saying - Jesus’ bottom line is really disturbing.

We need to step back and see the big picture.

Verse 48 is the right hand bookend to a section of teaching that Jesus began in verse 20.  Verse 20 is the left bookend - the beginning of the section.

In verse 20 Jesus begins His teaching by saying, “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees - the “they set the standard of righteousness” teachers of the law - unless you’re more righteous than they are - you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 

Which was disturbing because Jesus’ listeners knew there was no way to be more righteous than the Pharisees.

Then here in verse 48 Jesus bookends that that section - ends it by saying, “You must be as perfect as your Heavenly Father.”  Which is disturbing because there is no way to be as perfect as God.

In between the bookends Jesus gives six impossible to keep - living with God on the heart level - impossible standards that we’ve been looking at for three Sundays.  Jesus summarizing Old Testament law and then taking each law to higher standard - applying a standard that was impossible to reach.

The bottom line disturbing part of all that is that we’re all toast.  Its impossible to stand before God justified by our own good deeds and righteousness or any other standard we might try to apply to tilt God’s justice in our favor.  Which is Jesus’ bottom line point.

Jesus isn’t calling us to be blind, denture wearing, red cheeked, naked, luggage toting paupers.  He’s compelling us to look at our hearts - to remember how greatly we’ve been forgiven - how immeasurably we’ve been loved.  To find in that realization the possibility of loving others - of responding with real justice.

Steve Zeisler put it this way:  “The one who recognizes little need of forgiveness loves little; and the converse is also true - the one who has been forgiven much loves much.” (2)

Unless Jesus yields His right as the God - unless Jesus takes on what it means to be human - unless Jesus in an act of total sacrificial agape love commits Himself to die in our place on the cross - the perfect sinless sacrifice dying for those of us hopelessly lost in our sin - we are toast.  There is no Savior.  (Philippians 2:6-11)

Unless Jesus comes out of that grave - resurrected and very much alive - forever our High Priest and to reign as our Lord - we have no hope.  We will be toasted forever.

But He did and we do.  Perfection isn’t about us.  Life is not about “our rights.”

The challenge for us is to live in such a way that from the heart level - at the core of who we are - we are yielded to God and living desperate for the God Who loves us.

That’s where real justice - not the pseudo self-protecting stuff of our culture - that’s where real justice comes from - the core of our relationship with God - from people who have thrown themselves before God crying out for His grace and mercy.

Thinking about what Jesus is teaching as we head out of here into Mercedland...

There may be someone who’s stabbed you in the back - inflicted tons of pain on you - abused you - lied about you or to you.  Someone who has destroyed a whole lot of your life.  Someone you’ve trusted who’s betrayed that trust - crushed you emotionally.  Family is not a pleasant warm fuzzy feeling.  Where you work could be hell on earth.   People at school may shred you daily.  For some reason you’re their target.  You’ve been ridiculed and laughed at.  You could name their names without giving it second thought.

At least once this week extend God’s love to someone who you could never reasonably expect to pay you back - or even perceive that you we’re showing love to them and so to be tempted to try to do something for you in return.  Not someone in your usual circle of friends.  Maybe even someone that you might consider an enemy - someone you struggle with.

If you find that hard to do - especially the showing love to an enemy part - that’s when we need to go to God in prayer.  “God I yield my heart to You.  Change my heart.  Make me to be one who will love my enemies as You have loved me.” 

_______________

1. Kahn Noonian Singh - Star Trek II. 

2. Steve Zeisler, “Your Father Will Reward You” - sermon on Matthew 5:43-48