When You Are Insulted, Show Your Strength by Not Retaliating PARADOX Series [8] Matthew 5:38-42.

When You Are Insulted, When You Are Insulted, Show Show

Your Strength by Not Your Strength by Not RetaliatingRetaliatingPARADOXPARADOX Series [8] Series [8]

Matthew 5:38-42Matthew 5:38-42

PARADOX: JESUS’ COUNTER-INTUITIVE TEACHINGS

Paradox is truth standing on its head and waving its legs to get our attention.

G. K. Chesterton

• Paradox #1: “To find your life, you must lose it.”• Paradox #2: “The way up is down.”• Paradox #3: “To meet your needs, don’t seek them

first.”• Paradox #4: “The last will be first and the first will be

last.”• Paradox #5: “The secret is in secrecy.”• Paradox #6: “Choose the difficult narrow road over the

easy wide road.”

• Paradox #7: “To change the world, be salt and light.”• Paradox #8: “When you are insulted, show your

strength by not retaliating” [TODAY]

TRUE DISCIPLESHIP: WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO CHOOSE AND FOLLOW THE WAY OF

JESUS?• A Common Misconception: Try really hard to do

what Christ commands you on the spot—to have a good intention (“try”) without training to follow Christ.

• The Key to Jesus’ Way: Give yourself unreservedly and wholly to Christ—to take his way as your way of life.

28 “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke

upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."Matthew 11:28-30

JESUS’ RADICAL CALL FOR NON-RETALIATION

• The Meaning of “lex talionis”: To limit the level of retaliation.

“an Eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth…” (v.38)

It was part of the ancient Code of Hammurabi (1750 B.C.)—it was also the standard of the Mosaic law given to the Israelites for civil justice.

22"When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman,

so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one

who hit her shall surely be fined, as the woman’s husband shall

impose on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine.

23But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life,

24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

25burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

Exodus 21:22-25


• The Meaning of “lex talionis”: To limit the level of retaliation.

“an Eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth…” (v.38)

It was part of the ancient Code of Hammurabi (1750 B.C.)—it was also the standard of the Mosaic law given to the Israelites for civil justice.

It was meant to limit and regulate the retributive punishment by a court of law—proportional to the offense (still valuable to today’s justice system).

They took what was meant for the civil justice/law as the rule for “personal rights” for individual retaliation.

“Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people,

but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.”Lev 19:18


• Jesus’ Call for Deeper Application: Do NOT resist the who is evil (non-retaliation)!

39But 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. 40And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42 Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. (vs.39-42)


• Jesus’ Call for Deeper Application: Do NOT resist the who is evil (non-retaliation)!

Four Scenarios:1) When Maliciously Insulted: “But if

anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” (v.39).

2) When Devastatingly Sued: “And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. ”(v. 40)

3) When Wrongly Forced: “And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.” (v. 41)

4) When Unnervingly Asked: “Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.” (v. 42)


• What non-retaliation does NOT mean:

Ask for another hit. Be a “doormat.” Help others to take advantage of you. Do not resist evil or the Devil. Apply it also in civil/national justice

(unconditional pacifism of Tolstoy & Gandhi).


• What non-retaliation REALLY MEANS:

Don’t pay back evil with evil—choose love in fighting evil.

Don’t resist the one who is doing an evil thing while resisting evil and the Evil One [the devil].

Leave vengeance and judgment up to God as sons of God.

Be strong not externally but inwardly because of Christ and for God’s glory—i.e., Know what you could do, wanted to do, yet choose not to do it. (Prov. 20:22)

True PacifismTrue pacifism is not unrealistic submission to an evil power . . . it is rather a courageous confrontation with evil by the power of love, in the faith that it is better to be the recipient of violence than the inflictor of it, since the latter only multiplies the existence of violence and bitterness in the universe, while the former may develop a sense of shame in the opponent, and thereby bring about a transformation and change of heart.

- Martin Luther King Jr.


• The Spirit of Non-Retaliation: Deny your “self” and follow Christ in overcoming evil with good. The key issue is your own attitude toward yourself: self-entitlement vs. self-denial.

There was a day when I died, utterly died, died to George Muller and his opinions, preferences, tastes and will; died to the world, its approval or censure; died to the approval or blame of even my brethren and friends; and since then I have studied only to show myself approved unto God.

- George Muller

OBEYING JESUS’ CALL FOR NON-RETALIATION IN EVERYDAY LIFE1) Surrender YOUR ALL TO CHRIST in order to

prepare yourself for non-retaliation (Gal 2:20).

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…

Galatians 2:20

The Secret of the Easy YokeBut this false approach to following Christ has counterparts throughout human life. It is the part of the misguided and whimsical condition of humankind that we so devoutly believe in the power of effort-at-the-moment-of-action alone to accomplish what we want and completely ignore the need for character change in our lives as a whole. The general human failing is to want what is right and important, but at the same time not commit to the kind of life that will produce the action we know to be right and the condition we want to enjoy. This is the feature of the human character that explains why the road to hell is paved with good intentions… The secret of the easy yoke, then, is to learn from Christ how to live our total lives, how to invest all of our time and energies of mind and body as he did. We must learn how to follow his preparations, the disciplines for life in God’s rule that enable him to receive his Father’s constant and effective support while doing His will.

- Dallas Willard

OBEYING JESUS’ CALL FOR NON-RETALIATION IN EVERYDAY LIFE1) Surrender YOUR ALL TO CHRIST in order to

prepare yourself for non-retaliation (Gal 2:20).

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…

Galatians 2:20

2) Find your strength to overcome evil by good IN THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT (Rom 12:21).

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.Romans 12:21

3) In this Advent season, PRACTICE A DIFFERENT KIND OF STRENGTH when you are tempted to get even.

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.Romans 12:21

THREE PRACTICAL QUESTIONSFOR OUR EVERYDAY LIFE

1. How do I arrange my life AROUND Christ so that I can experience the “easy yoke”?

2. What must be changed in me to take the first step in obeying Jesus’ call for non-retaliation?

3. What will I do differently in this season of Advent as a result of applying this paradoxical teaching of Jesus?

When You Are Insulted, Show Your Strength by Not Retaliating PARADOX Series [8] Matthew 5:38-42.

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