Bible Passage: Matthew 5:38-42
Sermon: Sunday AM
Sunday 15th September 2019
Speaker: Alex Richardson
Title: Mere Prattle Without Practice
Series: Sermon on the Mount Series
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“Mere Prattle without Practice”
V38 & 39 - designed to limit the problem of payback. Jesus comes along and says do not retaliate against such a person.
Is Jesus saying there should be no resistance to evil?
I don’t think we should think Jesus is talking about policemen at this moment. There’s plenty of passages which show that God loves justice.
Jesus isn’t aiming to prohibit justice in this passage he is prohibiting us from taking personal revenge.
we know this is personal because of the word “you” in the passage. Do not take personal revenge! Instead show mercy. Love your brother or sister when it’s hard.
Jesus says if you’re his follower you are to be prepared to take another slap to the cheek rather than retaliate. To turn the cheek.
We believe in fair play. It’s our natural instinct to “even the score”.
We want the referee to be fair in a game of football.
What happens when a fellow believer says something really nasty behind our back? The natural temptation is to retaliate.
Being Christian is about giving our possessions. V40
The law actually limited that for which a person could be sued... what’s crazy about Jesus’ teaching here is... even if the law protected Christians they are still not to live by the rights of our possessions. At the very least speaks to our property.
It’s using our homes with the mantra “open homes open arms”.
It’s using our cars to bring those people to church.
when we food shop do we buy extra anticipating friends will come round?
This is what it means to be Christian... we are to give up retaliation, to give our cheek and our possessions.
Being Christian is about giving our time. V41
“If anyone forced you to go one mile, go with him or her two miles.”
Jesus is saying if someone asks you to go one mile, you’re not to do it begrudgingly but with grace... what does this mean for us?
When someone phones looking to talk we’re not to be resentful,
When people are round at the house is it a matter of feeding them and kicking them out?
This is what it means to use our time.
Being Christian is about giving our money. V42
Jesus call us not to say what’s mine is mine. We are to respond to our brother’s need. It is speaking of a genuine need of what has to be met.
How easy is it to ask, what’s in it for me? How easy is it to keep our money in our pockets when there is serious need. Jesus says no, give to the one who asks you. When you see need, meet it!
Being Christian is giving up personal retaliation and giving our check, possessions, money and time.
There can be a temptation to have a negative attitude to what Jesus is saying here... but as followers of Jesus we are called not to have negative attitudes. We are called to think and to live differently. Since we are believers there should be a new sense of righteousness in us. Our answer doesn’t lie with what we think is right or wrong, it lies at the cross.
As followers of Jesus, it’s not right or wrong... it’s the cross. When Jesus carried the cross, he walked and he walked and he walked... Jesus time and money was never his own. Why did He come to this world? To do His Father’s will.
Jesus is willing and able to help us do that. Mere prattle without practice may that not be true with us. May we actually live this out with one another.