Title: You too be whole.
Contents
♡♥♡ You too be whole. / Matthew 5:38-48
*** Introduction
The text of this hour is very well known to everyone. We call Matthew 5-7, which includes these words, the Sermon on the Mount. These words are excellent lessons regardless of the world of faith or the world of disbelief, enough to be said to be the highlight of world literature.
The core of this text is Jesus' teaching on the right human relationship for Christians. More precisely, it is not a lesson, but a “command of God.” However, despite God's command, even a faithful Christian will find it difficult to live according to the words of this text. Even at this moment, neither me nor you will be able to guarantee that ‘I am living according to these words.’ Just by looking at this one part, you can see how difficult it is to live in complete obedience to the Word of God.
Among the paintings by the artist Sismund Getsch, there is a figurative painting titled 'The Forsaken Jesus'. To explain this picture:
Jesus is standing on the steps of St Paul's Basilica. There are different kinds of people around it. There is a young man who reads a sports newspaper, a man and a woman trying to catch a taxi for a vacation trip, a scientist looking through a test tube on the way, but no one cares that Jesus is standing there. There are three or four priests around, waving their arms, and fervently discussing, but they are not interested in Jesus. There is only one woman in a nurse uniform, stopping for a moment to look at Jesus with a side-eye.
This painting symbolizes today's Christians. In a splendid chapel, we have well-prepared worship services, serve, listen to and discuss God's Word, but are not really interested in God, the owner. This is the same as God's words to the people of Israel through the prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel. Isaiah 1:12. “You have come to show me, and who has required it of you? You are only treading on my yard.” And in Ezekiel 33:30, 31, “Son of man, your people will counsel you by the wall and at the door of your house, and each one will speak with his brother, saying, ‘Come, go. Let's hear what the LORD has to say.' And they come to you as people gather, and they sit before you like my people, and they listen to you, but do not do them; for with their mouth they show love, but their heart pursues selfishness. This is it.” He lamented the appearance of formal worship and piety only in appearance.
Are you Christians? Are you sure you are determined to follow Jesus? Even if there are losses and sacrifices, will you follow Jesus to the end? I will follow the Lord to the end. If anyone wants to follow Jesus, he must think deeply about the words of the text. Let's look at what the perfect human relationship the Lord has commanded Christians to be like.
1. What is the Lord's intention in giving this command?
The text is divided into two main parts. Verses 38 to 42 speak of ‘a life of non-resistance’, and verses 43 to 47 speak of ‘active practice of love’ to love even our enemies. However, both of these passages seem to directly contradict the Old Testament law. In verses 38 and 43, “You have heard that it has been done,” because Jesus quoted the Old Testament law and gave a new command contrary to the law.
But Jesus did not disregard or break the law and create a new law. As you have already said about ‘murder’, ‘adultery’ and ‘oath’ at the beginning of the text, you are realizing the spirit of the law more perfectly. Let's look at verse 17 at the beginning of the text. “Do not think that I have come to destroy the law or the prophets. I did not come to destroy it, but to make it perfect.”
God allowed divorce and allowed the East Sea Retaliation Act (a law instituted to retaliate equally as an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, etc.) because people's hearts are hardened. In other words, the provisions of these laws were given to alleviate people's hasty and evil feelings even a little. Because if you do it completely, people will either fail to keep it at all or give up on it. It is as if you did not let the enemy meet from the beginning when you came out of Egypt. If you meet the enemy from the beginning and go to war, why not give up on going to Canaan early?!
But now, as the end of the world approaches, God has sent Jesus Christ to this earth. Because we have to lead people to the kingdom of God. So Jesus established a new covenant to lead people into conformity to God's heart. And he commanded them to have an attitude of life worthy of the kingdom of God. This is a request for a perfect life. Because God is holy and perfect.
2. What is the perfect life that the Lord has commanded?
Through the text, the perfect life that Jesus required of Christians is accomplished in two stages. The first is a life of non-resistance and tolerance, and the second is a life of active love that goes one step further and embraces and loves even enemies. There is only one reason why Christians should live like this, as in verse 48, the God we serve is holy and perfect.
1) It is a command to a life of non-resistance and tolerance.
There are four commands.
The first is the attitude towards insults. He said, “If you slap me on your right cheek, turn it to me on your left as well.” In general, the act of slap on the cheek is 'painful', but has an 'insulting meaning'. In particular, hitting your right cheek with your right hand is an act of hitting with the back of your hand. According to Jewish rabbinic teaching, hitting with the back of the hand is twice as insulting as hitting with the palm of the hand. The Lord tells us not to take revenge or get angry even when the other person is such a bad person and has insulted them.
A sincere Christian who follows Jesus Christ can face many of these things in his church life or social life. Even when faced with willful insults and ill-willed enemies, you should be more considerate of yourselves with a relaxed mind.
The second is the attitude towards litigation. He said, “I will accuse you, and let those who want the underwear have even the cloak.” The Jews wore an undergarment called chiton, woven from a barrel that came down from their head, and a blanket called himathion, which was about 2 meters long and about 1 meter wide. Outerwear cost twice as much as underwear, and during the day, it was covered with clothes, and at night it was spread like a blanket or slept hot. The law stipulates that outer garments cannot be pledged or taken away. Deuteronomy 24:12,13. “If he is a poor man, you shall not sleep with his collection, but at sunset you must give it to him. Then he will sleep in it, and he will bless you, and it will be your righteousness before the LORD your God.”
As such, outerwear is a right that everyone naturally has. But Jesus tells us that if anyone wants an undergarment, they must give him even his outer garment. In other words, even if it is a legally guaranteed right, a Christian must give it up for his neighbor.
The third is the attitude towards coercive power. “If you force the ducks to go, you must accompany them ten miles.” These words speak of the rights of the Roman garrison at that time. At that time, the Roman army forced the people of the occupied territories to requisition and transport military supplies. I didn't even pay for shipping, and I couldn't resist. This is Simon of Cyrene, who carried the cross of Jesus under pressure from the Roman army.
In this way, if I am subjected to coercive service or injustice, regardless of my thoughts, of course, anger will arise. But Christians are to give voluntarily, not vengeful or vengeful.
The fourth is the attitude towards generosity. “Give to him who asks of you, and do not refuse from him who wants to borrow from you.” This is a statement that calls for a generous spirit.
These four types of postures are truly shocking. But what these commands mean is to have an open mind toward your neighbors and a burning passion to resemble the Lord.
2) It is a command to a life of active love.
An example is also provided to justify this order. To love those who love him is the work of a publican, and to greet the brothers is also to the Gentiles. In other words, it requires Christians to lead a differentiated life that resembles Jesus. Verse 44 says, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” This differentiated life was first exemplified by Jesus, and he did it for us. Romans 5:8. “God demonstrates his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
There were two farmers who owned terraced rice fields above and below. It was a terraced rice field, so if it didn't rain on time, I had to carry water from the puddle below. Just in time for a drought, the farmer with the rice fields above watered his fields every day by pumping water from the puddles at the bottom of the steep slope with a bucket. However, a farmer with a paddy field below made a hole in the paddy paddy to let the water run down to his paddy field when water was stagnant in the upper paddy field.
The farmer in the upper rice field is angry. On the way to the fight, I met the pastor. The pastor advised him to keep raising the water as before and not laying eggs. The farmer was patient with the pastor's advice and watered it every day. But the farmer below still got the hook. The unbearable farmer went to visit the pastor again after a few days. The pastor told me the next step.
The next day, the farmer watered the rice fields below first, and then watered his fields. Three days passed, but there was no word between the two farmers. After three days, a farmer from the lower paddy field came in the evening. And he said:
“How do I become a Christian like you?”
A butler said that he bought fruits for a year to evangelize the woman who sold fruits at the street vendors, picking only the bad ones and taking them. In the end, she said that she had melted in the love of the deacon and accepted the Lord.
Neither me nor you, this life is never easy. But this is not my choice. It is the attitude of life that you must have if you follow the Lord and desire the kingdom of God. However, if I give my life and all my life to the Lord, it is not a difficult road. It is because the Lord who goes ahead leads us that way.
Brothers and sisters, let's go down this road together. Let's go together until we reach the kingdom of the Lord with one heart, comforting and encouraging each other.