If you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn to Matthew. And as you're turning there, I had one other announcement. Like I said, I had so much going through my mind. But if any of you would like to help out with the nursery, let me encourage you. You can volunteer probably just once a month or once every two months. I'm sure we can work you into schedule. It might be tough, but we would love to work you into schedule. But make sure you see Sister Victoria over here. The help would be appreciated. If I wasn't up here, I'd go to the nursery myself probably because y'all would run me there. But if you have your Bibles, look in Matthew chapter five, and we're looking at verses 38 through 42. And as we look at these verses, I must ask you a question before we get started. Have you ever been offended? Has anyone ever offended you in life? How do you respond when you are offended? whether it's verbally or whether it's an action that's taken against you. Maybe you are sarcastic or maybe you get back and try to get back on their level in the same type of manner. When we're looking at this passage of scripture, this is the fifth example that our Lord gives us in the context of this scripture of how the Pharisees and Sadducees twisted the word of God to make it something they could attain. And our Lord has been dealing with the situation of appropriately teaching the word of God as it is. And he's teaching a principle here throughout each one of these six examples of the spirit of the law. The letter of the Law is important, but that is not the most important thing. And here is what the Pharisees and scribes were doing. They were twisting the Scripture to where they could meet the letter of the Law. So Jesus corrects them. And in this passage of scripture, what it deals with, it deals with how a person, an individual person, you, me, how we react or how we should react to a personal offense. I want you to notice in verse 38. Our Lord started and he said, as he has said previously in the other examples, you have heard that it hath been said. In other words, here is what the religious leaders were teaching. Now what he says is straight from Scripture. It's mentioned three different times in Scripture. It's found in the book of Exodus chapter 21 and verse 24. It's found also in the book of Leviticus chapter 24 and verse 20. And it's found in Deuteronomy chapter 19 and verse 21. Each one of these instances say an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. I believe in our day and time everybody has heard this saying, even non-Christians have heard this saying, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. And yet what we find as this teaching is taught three different times in the Old Testament, here our Lord is repeating it in the New Testament, we find many people take what our Lord is saying in the wrong manner. This is what we call, I found this interesting, a legal term. It is called Lex Talionis, which very simply means the law of retaliation. Now here is what our laws are based upon. It goes all the way back to Moses' day. It can even be found in the Code of Hammurabi over in the Babylonians, their culture in that day and time. It is the foundation of the law today. We are not to take this literally. Let me say that again, we are not to take it literally. Each case must be assessed individually. Let me give you an example. If you knocked out my tooth and I were to take you to a court of law and they said you owe him a tooth, that means my tooth was a good tooth. But if you knocked out a tooth, and that tooth was giving me problems, and it was maybe a cavity-filled tooth, and that tooth was about to fall out, if you knocked out that tooth, that means you're not responsible for a good tooth. You understand what I'm saying? These laws were not something that one could take upon themselves and require it from someone else. In other words, individuals are not permitted to take somebody's tooth out if they knocked your tooth out. It must go through a court of law. It's what the Word of God is teaching. The court of law was the ones who basically would balance things out. This is true in early in time. The main reason the Word of God gives this Why was this law given later down the road when Moses came on the scene? The main reason is because things got out of control. There was much excess as far as in people wanting retribution. People wanting to get back at somebody who did them wrong. And you know what? That's human nature. If somebody offends you, you know what? natural human response, I'm gonna get them back. As a youth minister, many years ago, kids loved to prank. They loved to pull pranks, especially on the youth minister. My job was to stay one step ahead of them. When they got me, I'd get them back worse. That way they wouldn't come back at me again. That was not the right biblical way to handle things, but it taught young people a lesson. We find this, that's what's going on, as the Lord in the Old Testament gave this commandment. In other words, what God says, you cannot take the law into your own hands. This is what the Pharisees were doing. They were basically giving everyone permission to retaliate if somebody offended you. You were to be able to respond, but the problem is things would often get out of control. Have you ever been offended and you got angry to the point you would want retaliation more than what they got you for? This can lead to violence. This can lead to multiple types of revenge, even to possible murder. This law was added in the Old Testament, the cause of sin. That's the main reason Moses was given this law. The Word of God tells us that by one man, sin entered into this world, and death by sin, so death passed among all men. We've all sinned, and you know what? We all have this human nature that if we've been offended, we want to get back. That's the first natural thought. as far as in the flesh. All was fine before sin entered into this world, but the problem is sin entered into the world. And because sin entered into the world, the law was given. The law was added because of sin. If there was no sin, there's no need for law. But sin brought in the law to show forth that it was sin. And laws must be enforced. In our day and time, there are some laws that are not being enforced. Some criminals that are back on the street, as soon as they go to court, they release them. It is God who sets the boundaries. It is God who has given the law. You go back all the way back and you can see this principle being played out of how the flesh likes to respond and retaliate. All the way back you remember Adam and Eve had two sons. There was Cain and Abel. You remember Cain got mad at his brother Abel because his sacrifice was accepted. He got so mad, what did he do? He killed his brother. You see how retaliation can lead to greater crimes. Therefore, eventually the law was given. Over in the book of Genesis chapter 15 and down in verse 16, we see another principle laid out as Abraham was having a dream and God told him, in the fourth generation they shall come hither again." The people of Israel will come here to the land of promise. He says, "...for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full." In other words, God had set parameters and boundaries and you cannot sin beyond this point. Judgment is coming down. And even so, there are laws and laws are given because there are parameters. And God's the one who gives those laws. God's the one who sets the ultimate parameters. You remember in the book of Job, Job in that first chapter, Satan appeared before the Lord when the sons of men came forward to present themselves before the Lord. I believe there was a worship service. Satan came right in the middle of that worship. And what did he say? The Lord said unto him, walk, whence comest thou? Satan answered, the Lord said, I've been going to and fro over all the earth, from walking up and down. And the Lord said unto Satan, the word Satan means slanderer. Have you considered my servant Job? There's not none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that fears God and eschews evil. Satan answered the Lord and said, does Job fear God for nothing? Have you not made a hedge about him and about his house? You notice God set some parameters around Job. I believe those parameters are set around his people today. Satan knew that. Have you not put a hedge about him and his house and about all that he has on every side? You've blessed the work of his hands, his substance is increasing in the land, but put forth your hand now." Notice Satan's requesting. Touch all that he has and he will curse you to your face. The Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he has is in your power, only upon himself, put not forth your hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord. Satan could only go so far, because God had set parameters. It is God that sets parameters, and this far you can go no further. What this Lex Talionis says, the law of retaliation, it's basically saying the punishment must fit the crime. Now get that. If you've done something wrong, your punishment must fit the crime. Therefore we have the saying, eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. Now this goes all the way across the board. Whatever crime you might commit, whatever law you might break, the punishment must fit the crime. I want you to notice in verse 39, after Jesus stated the Old Testament law, In verse 39, Jesus said, but I say unto you, in other words, here is divine authority. He is speaking, he is the word made flesh. And he's saying, I say to you that you resist not evil. Now we'll stop right there because many people stop right there and that's where we lose sight of what the word of God is telling us. What Jesus said, resist not evil. What does that mean, resist not evil? There was one who was quite a few years back named Leo Tolstoy. He basically believed that there should be no punishment, no police, no military, no fighting, no defense for anything and everything. In other words, he was a pure pacifist. Peace no matter what. If somebody shot you, you couldn't retaliate, you couldn't run, you just, you had to have peace with everything. Now that's a pure pacifist. Some people don't go all the way to that extreme. Some believe that you ought to have a military and certain things, but they do not believe you ought to kill and you ought not to do this, that, and the other. So there are different levels of pacifism. What Jesus is emphasizing is the spirit of the law. Resist not evil. We must in the context see the big picture. Who is Jesus talking to? If you were to look at the context in the whole, what you find in the first few verses, we see the Beatitudes. The Beatitudes tell us blessed are the poor in spirit. who are the poor in spirit. It is those who realize they have nothing to offer God. They are spiritually bankrupt. They are condemned before the Lord because the wrath of God abides upon them because of their sin. They are poor in spirit. Therefore, blessed are they that mourn. Therefore, they mourn for their sins. They realize they have offended a holy and righteous God, and the Lord promises that they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek. You see the progression here and what this is talking about. We won't go through each and every one of the Beatitudes, but it's talking about Christians. It's talking about children of God. So in the context of the scripture, what we're seeing, this is not talking about governments. Resist not evil. It's not talking about the police. Resist not evil. It's talking about individuals. It's talking about Christians in particular. You cannot expect a non-Christian to live a Christian life. They cannot do it. They can't do it in the power of the flesh. You must be born again. I have often been witnessing to people. People would tell me, well, I can't live that kind of life. I tell them I can't either. And you know what? None of us can. None of us can live a perfect life, a righteous life, a holy life. but it's Christ that lives in us. Therefore the glory goes to him. It's not of works, lest any man should boast. It's all the glory belongs unto our Lord Jesus Christ. So we see in the context of the scripture, it's not talking about governments because we read over in Romans chapter 13, it talks about how governments have the responsibility and authority to punish evildoers. In the following verses, after verse 39, at the first part of verse 39, what we find, our Lord explains what it means to resist not evil. And I want us to take each four of these statements that follow, these responses, in how you and I are to respond when we are offended in life by one thing or another. This is individual Christian responses. I want you to notice first off in verse 39, the latter part of that verse, it says, but whosoever shall smite you on your right cheek Turn to him the other also. If somebody smacks you in the face, it's kind of a harsh language, and no doubt our Lord has got his disciples' attention, if somebody slaps you across the cheek, how are you to respond? I found it very interesting, Arkin Hughes, pastor up at Wheaton College, He said, I want you to notice, he talks about hitting you on the right cheek. If you were facing me, and if I were to smack you, I wouldn't do that, but if you were facing me and I were to smack you on your right cheek, your right cheek would be over here, wouldn't it? Not over here, because you're facing me. You get what I'm saying? Don't want to confuse you. But if I were to hit your right cheek, I'd have to give you the backhand, wouldn't I? Notice that. It's not, if I were to slap you that way, palm, I'd be hitting your left cheek. If I smack you with the backhand, to the Jew, that was the ultimate insult. It was a well thought out insult. And the cause of that, the way the Jews interpreted that, it was due to one's faith. Therefore, if somebody smacks you like that, you could take them to the court of law and apply the lex talionis, the law of retaliation or retribution, and you could get damage for what they did. So here, notice what our Lord's saying. Jesus says, don't do it. Resist not evil. Instead of getting even, our Lord takes it to the other extreme, turn the other cheek. If I get backhanded this way, I've got to turn my other cheek. Not many people were thinking like that in Jesus' day and time. If you were back in that day and time, you wouldn't think, well, I'm going to give him my other cheek. I'm going to give him a little bit of my hand. That's the way we think. We think, I'm gonna defend myself and I'm gonna attack back. What is Jesus saying when he says to turn the other cheek? He's basically saying, give up your rights. For the child of God, give up your rights. Don't respond negative for negative. You see the principle Jesus is stating. He's talking about the spirit of the law and not the letter of the law. You've got to seek what's best for the other person as far as in pointing them to Christ. We're so concerned about self, we're ready to defend ourself and attack if somebody attacks us. What Jesus is teaching is that your responsibility as a child of God is to respond in love. Boy, here is a big principle that needs to be played out in every level of every one of our lives. Not just me and not just the person beside you, but you. I must share with you, we've had another complaint from our neighbor. This is only about the 40,000th complaint from our one little neighbor. Now you know what, we got a court hearing coming up, or a zoning hearing, and I noticed that, did you notice the city put signs up, you saw them as you come in, about the hearing that's coming up. They put one sign up right in front of our one neighbor who complains to make sure they make it to the hearing. I don't doubt we'll get a complaint. How am I to respond? Let me tell you how I'm gonna respond. I'm gonna respond in love. Passage of scripture is very appropriate for such a time as this for me personally. But it ought to be important for you for such a time as right where you are in life and how you are to respond when someone attacks or someone offends you. You are to respond in the best way that can lead them to Christ, that can show them Christ, that can show His love. Notice the second example. The second example we find in verse 40. It's how to respond when someone takes something from you. Jesus said, and if any man will sue you at the law and take away your coat, let him have your cloak also. Now you gotta understand the culture back in that day and time. Somebody could take the shirt off your back in court. Legally, they could not take the cloak from you. They might could take it for a day, but they'd have to give it back at night. In other words, you'd have to give them your shirt. They'd keep the shirt, but they couldn't keep your cloak, because the cloak was something that you wrapped in at night that kept you warm. It was a necessity as far as living back in that day and time. So they could take your shirt off your back, but they could not take your cloak. So notice what Jesus said. When they take your coat, Give them the cloak also. Give them the cover. What is this principle Jesus is laying out here? I want you to look in Romans chapter 12 and down in verse 17. The Apostle Paul is writing about this principle. He says in verse 17 in chapter 12 of Romans, recompense or repay to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it's possible, as much as lies in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath, for it is written, vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore, if your enemy hungers, feed him. If he's thirsty, you give him drink. For in so doing, you shall heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. In other words, you do good unto them that do evil unto you, not that you wish that they would see the burning coals coming down upon their head. That's not the reason you're doing that, but that's the result it would bring forth. You don't render evil for evil, but you overcome evil by good. And that's the same principle our Lord is laying down here in verse 40. If someone takes something from you, give them more than what they're taking. Well, here's Christian character. That's often not even found in Christians in our day and time. Notice verse 41. In verse 41, here is another response to a situation. And whosoever shall compel you to go a mile, go with him too. What is this talking about? We gotta go back to the culture to find out what it's talking about. Somebody compelling someone to go a mile back in that day and time, if you were a Roman official, you could take a citizen and make them carry your burden for a certain amount of distance. You had the authority. If you were the one who had to carry that burden, you could not get out of taking that burden because the Roman official had the authority to place it upon you. It was something that was often used as a persecution type toward Jews that would make Jews or Christians carry their burden. You remember the scenario. As Jesus, before he was crucified, as he was carrying his cross, they pulled aside one man. Remember Simon of Cyrene, what did they make him do? They made him bear the cross. Possibly, same scenario, same situation. What is Jesus teaching here? If someone puts that burden upon you and you have to carry that burden, do double time and go twice as far. How can you apply that in your life today? We don't have anybody as far as like Roman officials putting burdens upon us. We might have government putting burdens upon us. An employer might put a burden upon you, might give you excess work to do, And it might not seem fair. Let me tell you what your response should be, very simply. Whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God. If you've got an extra burden to bear because your employer or someone is putting that burden upon you, do it with all joy. You know what? People will think you're crazy. In other words, in all you do, do all to the glory of God. The fourth and final scenario, what Jesus does, he says in verse 42, give to him that ask you, and from him that would borrow of you, turn not away. Uh-oh, we're talking about your pocketbook now. If somebody wants to borrow money from you, Jesus said, give to him that asked you. And from him that would borrow of you, turn not away. Now does this include, listen very carefully, have you ever seen in a stomp sign people with the cardboard? Any kind of help would be appreciated, I'm hungry. God bless you. Pen handling is part of our culture. They've often done news shots of the panhandling. You seen that, where they get into the encampments and they get their liquor because somebody gave them money, and then they just have a drinking party? Have you seen that? Does this mean what Jesus said, because they're asking to borrow from you, they want money from you, you got to give it to them? I think you know the answer to that. Wisdom says don't. That's not what the scripture is telling us to do here. Some people would say you should, but that's not what the scripture is telling us. You don't enable people in their sins. What is Jesus teaching us here? That if you are a child of God, you of all people ought to be the most generous in your life. We as God's people ought to be the most giving people on the face of this earth. In the scenario what we're looking at here, I believe Jesus is teaching. If you look over in Luke, Luke kind of combines his teaching with something Jesus says later in Matthew, just a couple verses later. In Luke chapter six and verse 35, Jesus says, but love your enemies and do good and mend, hoping for nothing again. And your reward shall be great, and you shall be the children of the highest, for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Who is Jesus saying for you to love? He says, love your enemies. Who is your enemy? Somebody who wants to do you hurt or harm. So hear the word of God. is telling us we ought to give to those who are trying to hurt us through borrowing. It's an interesting concept when you think about it. What is Jesus teaching here once again? Here again, it's about individuals. It's not talking about a group, a country. It's talking about individual responses, Christian responses. If someone desires to borrow, If they ask, Jesus says, turn them not away. The principle I believe Jesus is teaching here is that we ought to be generous. The Lord loves a cheerful giver. You've got to use discernment. If you don't use discernment, then you've got a bunch of drunks drinking up all your money while you ain't got nothing to eat at your house. There is wisdom involved in this. Our Lord is teaching us that we ought to be generous in our giving. In each one of these examples, as we look at this passage of Scripture as a whole, what we see, Jesus is giving us the Spirit of the Law. What does He say? Resist not evil. In your life, And in my life, oftentimes we're too self-centered. And I'm not right. Think with me. Our number one concern is self. Our number one person we're looking after is our self. Therefore, that hinders us from being generous. That hinders us from giving our cloak when they take our shirt off our back. It hinders us from giving to someone who's in need. Why? Because, well, I can use this money here. I can use this there. Our Lord came. And if there's anyone on the faces of the earth that has ever lived the perfect life, it's him. And how did he live that life? He lived it in a selfless way of giving. He was constantly giving, constantly giving, ultimately to the point where he gave his life for our sins. The Word of God is teaching us, as the Apostle Paul wrote, for to me to live is Christ, but to die is gain. Jesus said, if any man would be my disciple, Let Him deny Himself. What does that mean? Deny your rights, your will, your desires, and take up the cross and follow Him. This is our calling. If you name the name of Christ as Lord, we are to follow in His steps. We are to deny ourselves. were to take up our cross. As the Apostle Paul wrote later, over in the book of Galatians, he says, it's no longer I that lives, but it's Christ that lives in me. We have the supreme example in our Lord Jesus Christ. And what we see here is our lives ought to be selfless instead of self-full. And yet what we see in most Christians' lives is full of self. Here's a call today for Christians to be generous, to be giving, to go beyond what's expected of you. Why? That they might see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven. It is also a call to those who know not Christ because you can't do that. No matter how much you try, you can't do that because Christ is not living in you. You must be born again. You must confess Christ as your Lord and Savior. Surrender your life to Him. We're gonna give a hymn of invitation. I don't know your heart, where you are at in life, but this I know, I know human nature. And I think you know human nature too. You know what, we're all alike in a lot of ways. And one of the things we're most alike in is the number one person we think about is self. Our Lord is teaching us a different way. Have you surrendered your life to him? I mentioned this funeral this past week. This young man who's laying in the coffin that I have vivid memories of when he was a little boy. Funny, he loved people. And even as he drifted from the house of the Lord, he loved people. I want to tell you the building was packed full of people I'd never met before other than about three or four people in the family. Other than that, the building was packed and that building would probably hold about 300, 350. Of all the people his life affected, you know what, when it comes time to die, it doesn't matter how many friends you got. The funeral I'm gonna do this coming week, there's just gonna be a few family members. When it comes to the end of your life, it doesn't matter if you've got a room full of people that you influenced, if it was not for Christ. Young man laid his head down and he passed from this life. You don't know if you'll get up when you lay your head down. We need to think upon things eternal. This life is short. And what it comes down to, the most important thing at the end of your life, do you know Jesus Christ? Does Jesus Christ know you? Are you His? Can you say, I have that blessed assurance? What and who are you living for in this life? Let's stand and go to the Lord in prayer. Our Father in heaven, As we speak on things that are temporal in this life, help us to keep our focus upon the things that are eternal. Knowing the things of this world shall pass. And as truly as the old saying goes, it's only done what's done for you alas. So Lord, we pray that you'd help us to be in focus with you. Help us to have a God-focused vision. As you expounded in Matthew chapter five, the spirit of the law, Help us not to be sticklers and legalists and looking down upon others, but help us to see and put into practice the teachings of your word. By your spirit, help us to understand the spirit of your law. In this invitation time, we pray that you would press upon our hearts the important realities of eternity, and glorify your holy name for Christ's sake. Amen. Let us sing, Give Me Jesus.