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We are slowly making our way through the Sermon on the Mount and we reach Matthew Chapter 5 and verses 38 to 42. Are these sections not deeply challenging? They are so relevant and so bang up to date.

Jesus Christ is speaking about how His disciples must be different from everybody else. We are not to do things to be seen – or to be hard or harsh.

Our righteousness – our rightness – is to be from the heart.

This is why these challenges strike so deeply – because they go to the heart.

The Pharisees would go to the Temple and tell God how good they were – the disciples of Jesus were to act differently and be different.

This is a fifth example or illustration. We have read of what the Christian is in the Beatitudes, and now we are reading of what he does and how he should act and live and behave, and it is not easy.

When we come to this passage we see again how the Pharisees were turning the law inside out – round the other way. They were taking the public sphere of the law and applying it to the private sphere. This was never meant to be taken by the individual as encouragement to take the law into their own hands – and wreak revenge.

In Exodus Chapter 21 verses 23,24 – we have here the Lex Talionis – or the law of retaliation. This is an anti vengeance law. It is about limiting punishment.

Leviticus 24:19,20 and Deuteronomy 19:21 are relevant too.

Jesus is confirming the justice of the law. The law of God abolished revenge.

The law was given to prevent personal revenge and retaliation, but it was being misused and abused.

Revenge is the distortion of Justice. Jesus is teaching on Justice here, and Love in the closing passage.

Justice can degenerate into vengeance and Love can degenerate into sentimentality.

Think of how we feel when we are bad mouthed. This was the topic for an Assembly at Nairn Academy, a few years ago, where I serve as Chaplain. There was a rash of bad words coming from the pupils, and the authorities at that time had the good sense to have the pupils taught lessons from the Word of God regarding our language and respect! The words we use are so crucially important.

Do not resist the evil person – and the word is masculine – it is personal.

Retribution belongs to the state. We are not to take matters into our own hands and stand upon our dignity. We can want to rise up and strike back! No – this is not easy teaching.

Jesus speaks about someone striking you on the right cheek – it is a backhander – not a slap with the palm of the hand. It is an insult. Does that not touch our pride?

Jesus was struck with hands and rods and whips. Isaiah prophesies all this too.

If someone wants to sue you and take you to Court, Jesus provides another radical challenging teaching. Well, that is appropriate today, when so many want to sue and look for compensation.

Verse 40. Most people only had one cloak or one coat. Be prepared and willing to go this far. This is serious teaching.

If someone forces you to go one mile, then be prepared to go a second mile. You could be forced by a Roman soldier to carry his baggage one mile. Jesus is saying – be willing to go further.

If someone is forcing you into a corner or manipulating you, this is to be our attitude. To go the extra mile, you will have to walk it, and before we go the second mile we will have had to go the first mile.

Have you ever wondered why so few people preach and teach from The Sermon on the Mount? Well, perhaps, we are understanding part of the reason.

"Bible verse and quote" from Jan Couns

Bible and Quote - February 10-14