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.