As we begin this morning, the Pharisees, led by a lawyer of all things, have come to Jesus and they want to ask Him a question. And they said in their scheme of things, they said, maybe we can trap Him. Maybe somehow, in some way, we can just kind of trip Him up. And I'll tell you, surely no matter how he answers, we can use that answer to embarrass him publicly and stop this nonsense, this Yahshua, the one who proclaims to be the Son of God. So thinking he would give them a number, they came to Jesus and they asked him, he says, what's the greatest command? Some thought, well, maybe surely it would be the Shemach. Commandment number one. And others said, no, no, no, I bet it's going to be number five because that's the one with the promise. Others said, no, he'll probably say number four because you have to honor Shabbat. How can you not be in church on Sunday? So surely he will narrow those down and we'll be able to trick him up. But Jesus confounded them with his reply. And do you recall what his reply was? Jesus, what's the greatest commandment? Thou shalt love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul. This is the great and the first commandment. And the second is like it. The second is you shall love your neighbor as yourselves. And of these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets. Jesus wasn't replacing the Ten Commandments, absolutely not. With one answer, he covered a large part of the Old Testament. He said, these cover the law and the prophets. And you see in his reply, what he basically was saying was, you want me to give you the top commandment. And my response is, I think one in four, followed by five in ten. That's my answer. And he basically shut their mouths very quickly. Because with those two, he covered all the law. Realizing the law is perfect, the law is relevant, the law is oplipical, it's important, it's timeless. Even though the law is insufficient as we know to save us, it's incredibly important. This is what the religious leaders had failed in their attempt to trip up Jesus to see. We return this morning back to this Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, 38-48. If you'll open your Bibles, Matthew 5, 38-48. The God of Mount Sinai is now sitting on really what is actually called, we say, Sermon on the Mount. It's really a large hill, but he has gathered his disciples together to teach them, to instruct them, to prepare them for a mission that he would soon call them. As he is addressing them, the passerbys would stop. begin to gather in larger and larger numbers to hear his instructions. Unlike the ramblings of the scribes and the Pharisees, rotely just saying words, this one Jesus they recognized very quickly as teaching with authority and power and conviction. So the crowd froze in place, mesmerized by the voice they heard above the shuffling crowd. You could probably have heard a pin drop. is Jesus is speaking. He was not only the messenger, He was the message. And they knew they were not hearing just the law, but the spirit of the law, and He spoke not opinions or speculations, but the power of only true divine revelation. As we read together, I want to arm us this morning with something I was going through notes, as I always do, in preparation. I found Dr. McGoldrick's teaching from Matthew 5, and he helps us this morning, and I want class participation this morning because I think it really will help us. These verses, he says, repeat after me, may God forgive you as I do." So let's try that. May God forgive you as I do. Thank you. Matthew 5, 38 to 48. And let me read. You've 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. Verse 43, you've heard that it was said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemies. 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 son to rise on the evil and the good and sends his reign on the just. and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you only reward, what do you have in return? 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. If you look on your handouts, I'm going to repeat so you can make a hundred on your test there. But the first blank is this. Here Jesus is giving a summary of the second table of the law. That's your first blank. The second table of the law. And honestly our verses this morning really do say easy. but does hard, as the old southern saying goes. Make no mistake, there's nothing easy in these verses this morning for us outside of ourselves. Jesus continues in His, you have heard statements. You recall from Kevin's introduction as we started this Sermon on the Mount, we were following the Beatitudes. I think there's a blank for that. What's a Beatitude? It's a statement of the characteristics and blessings given by Jesus to his disciples. Every beatitude looks at different statements of life and how Christians are blessed through faith. In these six statements, Jesus is teaching the virtues and the values. I think there's a blank for that. Jesus is teaching the virtue and values in life that will result in blessings and rewards applicable to all Christians for all times. Stand by, as we say in the Marine Corps, stand by for heavy seas. Stand by, Christian. God wants to bless us. Jesus here is peeling back the external law and addressing the way we are to be judged by those laws, the importance of the internal, how we receive and respond in our conscience. and in our hearts. All the ways of man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit." Proverbs 16, 2. Of these verses, our verses this morning cover two of the six consecutive illustrations or corrective illustrations that Jesus is teaching his disciples. They're called corrective because Jesus is having to correct the errors that were taught by the religious leaders. In the synagogue, the scriptures were oftentimes twisted by those religious leaders in order to fit their own prejudices and agenda. You have heard And then Jesus says, but I say, they had heard in the synagogue the twisting, the distortions, the misrepresentations of God's true word. So Jesus follows then, and we've looked at the realities of anger, and lust, and divorce, and oaths, and today we're going to look at retaliation and love for our enemies. Not merely as a matter of law, but actually what really is a matter of the heart. You know, in reality, probably the greatest surgeon that lived of all times was Jesus Christ. Because the world is often misled and takes direction from the changing directions from the world, but we're much better served if we look at our Bible, look at the Scripture, and take our corrections from an unchanging God. So listen carefully. Jesus is teaching us, says easy, does hard. God sees and knows every thought we know before it comes to our mind, Mark, and the Spirit teaches the heart that behind every egregious violation of the law is a dirty, wicked, and corruptible heart that is the perpetrator of the crime long before it's enacted or carried out. It starts in our heart. God alone knows we must undergo heart surgery if we're to act or change our wills and seek good and not evil and run to the spirit of the law and not find just ways to skirt its consequences, to find communion with a friend rather to incur the wrath of an angry God. It was for this message that Jesus has called disciples to sit at his feet, for he knew there'd be no other way they could change the world, unless they acted differently. So he brings together. Repeat again, now this kind of seems hokey, but it's not. This is that when somebody cuts you off on I-85, this is that moment. Somebody cuts in line at the grocery store, it's that moment. Repeat with me, may God forgive you as I do. Try it again, may God forgive you as I do. We want that in our heads and in our hearts, the Jesus response. Hang with me, it's a biblical application that we're getting here this morning. In verses 38 to 42, Jesus responding, you have heard an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Now listen to this statement, it's in there, An evil person will come to you. Notice it starts out with an evil person. An evil person will come to you daring to slap you on the cheek, taking your tunic, forcing you to go a mile, begging you and asking you to borrow money, and what they're really doing is bringing us an opportunity to sin. Recognize it quickly. Make sure you put on the full armor of God in that instant because you know what, we're going to need it. Our weapons are spiritual and mighty with God, so how are we and you and my disciples to respond to this evil one? The one in Genesis 3.15? There's two kinds of people. The offspring of Satan and us. And this one that comes to us, bringing us this opportunity to sin, is clearly not one of us. This is not a brother or sister we're talking about here. An enemy. Somebody's against us. That's what he's talking about. I'm going to turn over to Romans 12, 14 through 21. Romans 12, 14 to 21. And you're going to hear the scripture say this again. Bless those who persecute you, but bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, if possible, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, vengeance is mine." I will repay, says the Lord. To the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. For by doing so, you will..." We're going to get them, Christians. "...you will heap burning coals on their heads. Do not overcome evil, but overcome evil with good." Our marching orders. Jesus here is not contradicting scripture at all. Actually, he's teaching his disciples, here's a blank for you, he's teaching them that the rabbinical application of the codified law That's what's wrong here. It wasn't the law itself, it's what the rabbis and the synagogues, those officials were teaching. The directions given in Exodus 21, Leviticus 24, and Deuteronomy 19 were taught as permission for individuals to retaliate. That's what the rabbis and teachers were teaching. And to seek vengeance after a personal assault, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But that's not what the scriptures were teaching at all. Quite the contrary. The exact opposite. The biblical principles established that gave the individual no such liberty. The courts of law and only the courts, the judicial system, were instructed to ensure that they dealt fairly in every case brought before them. Complete and equal justice that fit a particular crime. It provided no quarter for a man to kill one for stealing his donkey. The thief who was to come before God, as the scripture says, and give two donkeys in return for the one who stole your donkey. Before this time, wanting assaulting another was really had resulted in tribes actually attacking tribes over a single incident. It was kind of led to blood feuds. It was the Hatfields and the McCoys. It was the Law of the Wild West. It was, let's just burn them out. We'll get them. And that's what was being taught. That's not what the Bible says. Some have cited the Old Testament as miraculously bloodthirsty and savage legislation. It was just the opposite. It demanded that street violence come before an impartial and fair judicial system that would give proper and just punishment that was warranted under the offense. Punishment was to fit the crime. That was the intent and the purpose of the law. In these verses, Jesus is addressing a totally different and peculiar response to that of the world. As one being conformed to His image, containing and carrying His name, those people with a regenerated new heart and a new spirit dwelling in us We are to respond not with that of the natural man, but that with the spiritual man. We're to respond in gentleness and kindness with the utmost and highest of response. All right, let's try it again. Repeat after me. May God forgive you as I do." Try it again. May God forgive you as I do. I'm going to go to third grade next week and we'll get a lot of response probably from that. So Jesus is not responding in any other manner than in fact he would. When one comes and assaults one, one comes to us and dare to dress us down, how did Jesus respond? Well, Jesus is on trial in John chapter 18. An officer came and struck Jesus. on the cheek. What was Jesus' response? If what I said is wrong, bear witness about the wrong. But if what I said is right, why do you strike me? The soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." Proverbs 15, 1. Fill in the blank, if you want to make a hundred. The soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Make no mistake, we're not called as Christians to be pacifists. We're allowed to protect our families. It's an honor and a duty to serve in your country in the military or perhaps law enforcement. But in matters of attack on our personal pride and temperament, we're commanded not to respond as the given, natural, depraved man. But as a child, as cited in verse 45, the sons and daughters of a sovereign Lord who's judge over all." There can be with Christians no double jeopardy in response of His disciples. God's on the throne. He'll make note. He will judge at the proper time. He requires that we give testimony and witness before the sons and daughters of the evil one of His grace, of His mercy, that has been given to us. That's our charge and there is no other. Every offense will be judged fairly in that court on that day. We are not given that authority. We're only to show Jesus. Says easy, does hard. In these verses, Jesus says, I want to give you an example. One will come to you, and in that time a cloak was extremely valuable. A cloak was used externally to cover yourself at night, or it was an outer garment that was used in elements. Extremely valuable at that time. And it was also typical in that day, perhaps, for a Roman soldier to come to a Jew and say, this pack is getting pretty heavy for me. I want you Jew to pick this up and carry it a mile. So that Jesus is responding to that here. And Jesus is saying, yes, he's telling our responses to be, if they want your cloak, you offer the tunic. Now, what was the tunic? The tunic was the undergarment. Now, Jesus isn't really saying, obviously, he's not saying, take off your underwear. That's not what the Bible's literally saying. But what he is saying is, I want to teach you, of course, through this hyperbole and exaggeration, I want you to get the principle of the point. And the principles, disciples, is you're different. Act like it. We're to go an extra mile. Not one, but two. I love Matthew Henry. Listen to Matthew Henry as he helps our focus. Love is now our universal law and our king who commanded it. It is a pattern of it. Fill in the blank. He will not see it narrowed down and placed in context of hate. rats. I thought I had a way out. He will not see it narrowed down in place in the context of hate. May grace prevent us from falling into the error. We are to render blessings for curses and prayers for persecutions. We are no longer enemies to anyone, but friends to everyone. We do not merely cease to hate and then live in cold neutrality, but we love where hatred seems inevitable. We bless where the old nature told us to curse. When this is seen in our practice, people will stand in awe of us. The theory may be ridiculed, but the practice is counted so surprising that people attribute it to a godlike quality of a Christian." of the same verses Charles Spurgeon says. Discretions to be used in our giving, lest we encourage laziness in others, that our money be used to progress evil deeds, but our life is to be led in the general view of doing service. Sometimes a loan may be more useful than a gift, holding the borrow to an oath to repay while maintaining the dignity of that soul. Are we not commanded to be of charity and of love. And in verses 43 to 48, we see it's our duty here to our fellow man. We're talking about, again, the second table of the law, that horizontal relationship. You've heard, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemies, but I say love your enemies and pray for those who would persecute you. Again, this says easy, it does hard. I thought long and hard about this, and I realized one of the problems is our Greco-Roman understanding of love. We think of love as some kind of drippy, sappy, kind of out-of-body, emotional, elevating, sorry, Mary, it is all that, emotional, elevating experience that we hold dear, and only a certain number of people in my life can I allow in my heart with that kind of deep, deep love. This thought is great, but it kind of prejudices our minds right out of the box and forces us to immediately draw conclusions in our mind. I like the description that Bodhi Bachchan gives of biblical love. Fill this in your blank. I want you to take this and it's your opportunity to cut it out and put it in your daily devotions. It'll help us all. He says, biblical love is better thought of as an act of the will accompanied by an emotion that leads to action on behalf of its object. Let me say that again. Biblical love is an act of the will accompanied by an emotion that leads to an action on behalf of its object. We're better served to remember that. Biblical love is not my love or not my will, but thy will. Emotional, so emotional that Jesus himself would sweat drops of blood in the Garden of Gethsemane. Love that leads to action on behalf of its object. Love manifests itself outward to its object. I cannot love, and the Bible's not asking me. That's where the relief comes from. The Bible's not saying, love your enemy or love those who offend you like you love Mary. And I'm to love my wife, and I'm to love Jesus even more than I do Mary. And I love Mary and Jesus and my children and my grandchildren, who by the way can do no wrong. capture my heart and my being into my very soul. Peter, how do you love me? That's not the level we're talking about here. We're talking about the command and the charge, the brotherly love, a love that the Father does require of us and nothing less. Jesus is telling us in these corrective illustrations to love all of these, even these, as a will of the heart, His heart, as an act of His will in these circumstances with an emotion that will lead to an action, an action that Jesus Himself would respond. as if Jesus were there. And guess what, Christians? In that moment, Jesus is there saying, Dave, would you do this for me? May God forgive you as I do. Say it with me. May God forgive you as I do. We're to love, our love is motivated, and it's a blank there for you, in our obedience to God. They may deserve punishment, those who hurt us and anger you and may even cause some injury, most often to our pride, but Scripture's clear. God deals with them in His time and His judgment. Our call is to obey. I want to be like King Jehoiachin in the Old Testament. I want to take out my penknife on these verses of scriptures, cut them out, throw them in the fire. I can't do that. And to act contrary to God's command is exactly what I'm doing if I don't listen to my Jesus. The love of those that would persecute you and do us harm is evidence of our blank there sonship. It's evidence that I belong to God. We know that a loving response doesn't by itself make me a son of God, but our reaction does give evidence that we belong to Him. It's a byproduct of a regenerated, transformed life. The love we are to have is an outgrowth and expression, fill in the blank, outgrowth and expression of the love and grace, mercy He has shown to us, a high standard indeed. we too shall stand before the judgment throne. You must be perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect. If it's been done to the least of these, you've done it unto me." A totally different ethic and standard that the world knows. Can we comprehend? Be in the world, but not of the world. A command, not a suggestion, different, holy, separated, a priest, of the Most High God are we. The Bible calls us a peculiar people. But they can only know us and thus Him and by the actions of the will accompanied by an emotion that leads to an action on the behalf of the object. He changed my heart and your heart to change my will to act like His will and for Him to have compassion and glory even for my good. Imagine closing with me, Stephen. Act 7. Kneeling on the ground, the accusers came to him. They were so enraged, they were grinding their teeth, foaming at the mouth, incredulous at the words of this man, Stephen. The stones began to tear his flesh and crush his bones, bleeding and dying. He looked up to heaven and he sees the glory of God. Jesus is no longer seated, but Jesus is standing. As Stephen is stoned, with his last breath, gasping, dying to try to form the words that would be the last that he would speak on this world, he looked directly into the eyes of a young man named Saul. His actions pleading a general call of the Savior, this one who would slap the cheeks, take the tunics, persecute, hunt down like dogs, and kill those followers of the Christ. these Christians. Perhaps Saul even heard him scream back to him, an eye for an eye as do you, a tooth for a tooth. But you know what? To this one that day, the seed of God's Holy Spirit was planted. The love acting as the will of the Father accompanied by an emotion that led to an action on behalf of its object. The call would be effective in this young life. The exact number of his elect only God knows, but in his mercy, grace, and sovereign plan and providence, he that day would take one and add yet another. Am I being challenged? Am I being offended? perhaps persecuted by a Saul who may one day be a Paul that God would use us? Has God in his providence placed me in the path of wicked, wretched, violent, sad, angry person for his purpose? Has he called me to this precise moment to show the shadow of the cross on a hill far away, so far away this offender cannot see? Oh, that we may know this side of heaven. Offer your cloaks. Go not one mile, but two. Turn the other cheek, for ours is the kingdom of God. For those who love God, all things together work for good, and for those who are called according to His purpose. Matthew 7 concludes like this. Listen to these words. After all has been spoken and when Jesus finished saying these things, the crowds were astonished at His teaching. May God forgive you as I do. May God forgive me as He does. Time for questions, closing comments, a lot of verses. We know what they say. Mark, it's just so hard to do. So tough. So hard. Let's close in prayer. Lord God, as we close, Heavenly Father, we thank You for the way You love us and the way You care for us. We know that these things are impossible for us, but with all things are possible to You. You never call us without equipping us for the moment such as these, so we really are without excuse. We can never live even a day without violating the law, but you placed the Spirit in our hearts to bring our conscience to a higher law of love, one you've written in our hearts. God, that our emotions would respond out of an action of your will to act on your behalf to those that you would place in our paths this week. How can the world see Jesus in me if I act in any other way? In that name, given above every other name we pray, that precious name of Jesus. Amen.