Sermon on the Mount: Loving enemies

"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.  "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 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 do 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. - Matthew 5:38‭-‬48 ESV

Rev. Dwight Yoo

Jesus repeats the law as it was understood and then goes on to explain it. He was not simply another religious leader. He was God, so he could point out the actual meaning of God's law.

Christians desire the best even for those who treat us the worse.

What is required

Jesus started with the principal of reciprocal punishment. An eye for an eye means that the punishment is relational to the offense. These laws were in place to curb our desire to retaliate. But not only that, we want to escalate the retaliation. This law was meant to be applied by a judge in a court of law. But the Pharisees and religious leaders told the people to retaliate. They were told that retaliation was right.

This is what Jesus wanted to address. In the shame-and-honor culture of his day, Jesus speaks to the heart of escalation. The turning the other cheek was not a circumstance of danger. A slap is only painful to your honor. Jesus isn't telling us to not defend ourselves.

The tunic was the inner garment. A person could be sued for a cloak, but not a tunic. Jesus was saying we could give them beyond what was legally required. Jesus isn't telling us to give to those who steal from us. He is saying that we should be generous and not too attached to material things. The heart should be such that we care for those who would shame and injure us. Not those who are out to maim and kill us, but those who are not looking out for you. The walking another mile refers to bring generous with our time. We are to consider ourselves servants in regards to our things, money, and time.

What is the reason

Desiring the best for those treat us the worse is because this is what our heavenly Father does. He gives to those who oppose him. God is good, even to his enemies. But this isn't a way to qualify for heaven... It just shows that we are in God's family.

Loving our enemies makes us distinctive. Anyone loves those who love them. Anyone is respectful of those who respect us. But to seek out the best of those who oppose and hate us makes the Christian gospel distinctly different. Loving our enemies may be one of the most accurate reflections of our heart and personal understanding of the Gospel. It is the core message of the Gospel. Only those who have been gripped by Jesus and His heart for his enemies can even begin to return good for evil.

Jesus was the one who was slapped and turned his cheek. He was the one who gave his tunic to his enemies. He carried a cross for miles on the road to Calvary. He came for the enemies of God. And even as they were nailing him to the cross, he was praying for them.

The giving up of rights and retaliation gives freedom. We give anger and bitterness no power in our lives. We do not need to retaliate. As others seek to dishonor and shame us, we are secure in the worth we have in Christ. We do not need to be honored in the eyes of men. Serving others for a lifetime is nothing in light of our great inheritance as royalty in the house of God for all eternity.

What is the result

Do you have no enemies? Then perhaps you are playing it too safe. You only spend time with those who think how you think, like what you like, look like you. You are not loving those around you. Witnessing to Jesus will bring enemies and opposition. If we are not witnessing properly, then we will find no enemies.

This love will be a light to this world. It will bring people in opposition into the family of God. Prayer for enemies will defeat anger and bitterness in our lives and kindle in us Jesus' heart for those who are hostile to him and God.

Kingdom of Truth

"It was also said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.'  But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.  "Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.'  But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God,  or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.  And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.  Let what you say be simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything more than this comes from evil. - Matthew 5:31‭-‬37 ESV

Divorce and Oaths seem like an unimportant topic compared to all the other topics that Jesus covers in the Sermon on the Mount. But we should not dismiss it so readily. Controlling your tongue/mouth is much harder than we first imagine it. Lies are a toxic element in our lives. Lies from the strong make is

The call to radical truth

Jesus quotes some old testament text and then summarizes it. Then he adds/explains it further. This is a familiar pattern by now. Many people take this passage to mean that we should never make oaths or vows. But we have many passages of people making vows in the old testament without being corrected or rebuked.

In Jesus' times, there was a book called the mishna. It covered how vows and oaths were done. It created a two tiered system. Some vows had to be kept and some did not need to be kept. This resulted in more lies and deceit. There was two different kinds of wording for promises that had to be kept and others that did not need to be kept. "By Jerusalem" was just a phrase. "Toward Jerusalem" was a bonding vow. This made people who learned how to game the system.

The people of God are to be truthful in all situations. Not just under oath before a court of law. Not just around certain people. The people of God should be truthful all the time so that vows and oaths are unnecessary! Vows speak to how we lie and mislead each other. We do not fulfill our promises; we are untrustworthy.

Our struggle with truth

Exaggeration and overstating is the norm. We embellish when we speak about those we dislike. We exaggerate during our personal stories about ourselves. It is simply knowing one thing in our heart and saying something else. Whether there is ill intent or not, these lies can also hurt those around us. False encouragement is harmful. This puts people in a tough situation because they have a large character flaw or don't have the talent for a particular task/job/career/calling.

Don't make rash commitments. We should not promise not knowing if we can fulfill the promise.

Speak as one who is always under oath. God is always present and as Christians, we represent God to the world.

Regularly remembering what Christ says is true helps you to be truthful.

We are accepted because of Jesus. We are God's children. We are of worth because if what Christ has done for me. Speak the truth because we aren't trying to get, but to give. Give life, give redemption, give correction. Because we care more about them than about their opinion of us.

Fighting for Love against Lust

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.'  But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.  If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.  And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.- Matthew 5:27‭-‬30 ESV

Rev. Dwight Yoo

Survey the terrain

There was no way to convince the original audience of Jewish people that adultery is wrong. That keeping sex inside of marriage is right and true. Jesus did not need to explain or defend the idea of marriage being the proper and only place for sex.

Firstly, sex is a good thing. It is not dirty or just necessary for babies. It is a gift from God. Song of songs is an entire book about the joy in sex within the parameters of marriage. Sex is designed by God for a specific purpose and context. If you take sex and use it outside of marriage, it will destroy both sex and hurt yourself.

Marriage is a permanent, exclusive, and complete promise to one another. This covenant is the bedrock that allows for true intimacy between people. The couple become one flesh. Sex is a reflection of how the couple is one in our ways. Spiritual & mental closeness is expressed in sex. You cannot divorce the two.

Our modern culture has a different point of view. It recognizes no God. We are just random bits. So we are no better than animals. What is the difference between eating and sex? It's just satisfying hunger of different types.

Sex causes bonding. There is a chemical reaction from sex that causes people to bond. Sex outside of marriage causes people to damage sex and marriage. They hookup and walk away. Eventually, sex loses the ability to cause bonding. So then there is no longer the commitment bonding from sex. Those who abuse sex in their lives will eventually find that sex no longer helps to bond spouses together. It results in commitment issues.

Sex is not self centered and something to be shared with anyone. It loses its beauty, joy, and the ultimate worth of sex when it is done outside of marriage. Boundaries make sex better not less.

Where the battle lies

God's standards are higher than we can possibly imagine. It is not just avoiding sex outside of marriage. To look at someone with lustful thoughts is sinful.

Sexual desire is not sinful. Noticing attractiveness in someone is not sinful. Wanting sex is not sinful. Jesus was a man, so he felt desire. He was tempted. But that is not sin. So then what is lust? It is what comes after noticing attractiveness. Lust is to desire something that you do not possess. It is imagining sexual intimacy with someone who is not your spouse. It is coveting sex with someone who we are not married to. The seed of lust in the heart, unchecked, results in adultery.

How to fight

Sexual immorality is not about sex. It is about what it represents. Masturbation can be about handling stress. No need for conversation or going on dates. Women can have sex to feel wanted and desired, if only for a moment.

Sexually immorality always pushes for more. You start with pictures, but soon that is not enough. From there you go to videos, then from there to people. Sexual sin cannot just stop, it is an addiction that just demands more and more. It cannot be a pet sin; it will devour you. 

Do whatever it takes to kill sin. Do not try to manage sin. Cut it out of your life. Be ruthless with it because it will be ruthless with you. Those who belong to the kingdom will have this attitude. Vigilant fighting against sin is one of the characteristics of a Christian. Not perfect fighting, but the heart and attitude.

1) The true standard of God's law drives us into the arms of Jesus. Do not fight sin in our power, but with the Holy Spirit. The God of David the giant slayer is also the God of David the adulterer and murderer of Uriah.

2) Our true and ultimate love, comfort, and ecstacy is in God and Jesus. Sex and marriage point to Jesus. Sex and marriage will not exist in heaven because they are shadows and signs pointing to God, the one in whom we will find the greatest satisfaction and contentment.

3) Know yourself and be known. Have fellow Christians know when you will struggle with sin. Have others know what you struggle with and walk with them. Sin flourishes in the dark. We are all struggling with this. We can all improve in this area. Have two close people who can ask you the tough questions and who you can ask hard questions.

Christ, the Law, and Anger

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.  For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.  Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.'  But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, 'You fool!' will be liable to the hell of fire.  So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,  leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.  Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison.  Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.- Matthew 5:17‭-‬26 ESV

Rev. Dwight Yoo

Our relationship with the law

Jesus came not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. He doesn't take anything away from the entirety of the law. This includes the prophecies about the Messiah. His birth, his life, and his death. He is the only one who fully lived out the law in his life. He also fulfilled the law by dying upon the cross. He fulfills the old testament by embodying all that those books eluded to. We saw the shadows in the old testament, but Jesus is the one who fills in all the blanks. Jesus is the one who illuminates the old testament.

Whoever takes a cavalier attitude to the old testament is considered the least in God's kingdom. Relaxing any of the commands makes you the worse in God's kingdom. But the Christian ignores many commands from the old testament. How do we make sense of this? There's civil laws that apply to Israel during that time and place. We are not bound by civil laws. The kingdom is not bound to a time or place. There are ceremonial laws. How do we relate to God? But Christ has changed how we related to God the Father. We are no longer bound by ceremonial law. But there is a third law, the moral law. The ten commandments are a prime example of the moral law. There is still a need to obey the need to love our neighbor. We still need to read and understand the first two types of laws. They illuminate sin and how much God cares and loves us.

We look at this position on the law and it will steer us to avoid two pitfalls, legalism and licentiousness. Obedience and self control are required for a well-lived Christian life. Maturity in following Jesus requires obedience and self denial. This obedience does not come from fear, but from love and treasuring Jesus. Jesus is Savior and Lord. Jesus calls the shots in our lives, not us.

The righteousness God requires

The righteousness must supercede the scribes and Pharisees. These people were not slouches. We vilify them. These people were experts in the law. They followed the law of God, all 613 rules and regulations. When God called for fasting, they did the number of days required and more. They tithed everything, down to their spices. But the experts in the law did not take the God of law seriously enough. External obedience was insufficient. They obeyed the letter of the law, but completely missed the spirit of the law.

Reframing anger

So what does true righteousness look like? What kind of righteousness is acceptable to God? Jesus uses anger to demonstrate true righteousness. The commandment is "one shall not murder." But Jesus goes further. Murder is liable to judgement before the courts. But everyone who is angry with others should receive the same punishment, hell. So murder and anger both deserve judgement. How can insulting others in anger be placed in the same category as murder?! Because they both come from the same heart... one that treats others with contempt and anger. Most murders don't come out of nowhere, it starts with a heart of anger. The difference between one who murders and one who is angry and treating others with contempt is simply external actions. The seed of murder is in both hearts. It is only a difference of circumstances and upbringing. So obedience calls us to reconcile and make peace rather just avoiding anger and not murdering. It is more than not breaking the law. The law illuminates how far we are from righteousness.  It gives us the feeling of helplessness. But it is meant to show us our need for Jesus and empowering by the Spirit.

Run, John, run, the law commands, 
But gives us neither feet nor hands. 
Far better news the gospel brings: 
It bids us fly and gives us wings.

Poem attributed to John Bunyan (1628-1688) by Corrie ten Boom