Retaliation and Kingdom Citizens
The Gospel of Matthew: The King and His Kingdom • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 25 viewsJesus teaches about retaliation
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Introduction: Jesus wants to have a word with us about Retaliation. We live in a very violent world, wouldn’t you agree?
Have you noticed that people have a get-even mentality? If you do something to them, they will retaliate and do something to you. We hear people say things like,
· What goes around comes around.
· I don’t get mad, just even.
· You just wait.
· When you least expect it.
· It’s not revenge, it’s returning the favor.
I also discovered that there is a huge resource of books on the market with the following titles:
· Don’t Get Mad, Get Even – The Big Book Of Revenge by George Hayduke
· Make ‘Em Pay! - Ultimate Revenge Techniques from the Master Trickster by George Hayduke
· This book will make you dangerous – The Irrelevant Guide For Men Who Refuse To Settle by Tripp Lanier
· The Black Book of Revenge – The Complete Manual Of Hard Core Dirty Tricks And Schemes by John Jackson
Here are some stories about retaliation:
The Hatfield and McCoy Feud
The infamous story of the Hatfield and McCoy was all about retaliation. There’s was a feud that went on for 30 years. And although the feud ended in 1891, they didn’t shake hands until 1976, and it is reported that on Saturday, June 14, 2003, marked the official end to the Hatfield’s and McCoy’s feud when the families signed a truce, in an event broadcast by The Saturday Early Show. (CBS News).
People have a sin nature that tells them that the natural response is to get-even. Here are some stories that show us the depths people will go to retaliate.
Hot Tub and Manure
The cops reported that a man filled his wife’s hot tub with manure after being served with divorce papers. That’s awful stinky! That was his way of getting even with his wife.
Wife Angry with Husband
One lady said that her husband made her so angry that when he wasn’t looking, she poured water on the floor in front of the dishwater. He’s been fixing it for the past two hours.
See How You Like It
My neighbor keeps vacuuming his floor when I’m sleeping at night. I started vacuuming the ceiling as he sleeps at 3am.
Korean Boy and American Soldiers
Ray Stedman once shared a story that took place during the Korean War. Some officers rented a house and hired a Korean boy to cook and do housework for them. He was a cheerful, good-natured young man, and the soldiers soon had a lot of fun playing practical jokes on him.
They would nail his shoes to the floor or balance a pail of water on the door so that when he opened it, the water would come splashing down on him.
But no matter how many tricks they played on him, he always took it with good humor.
The soldiers eventually started feeling bad about the mean tricks they were playing and sat down one day with the Korean boy.
“We’ve been doing all these mean things to you and you’ve taken it so nicely. We just want to apologize to you and tell you that we are never going to do those things again.”
“You mean no more nail shoes to floor?”
“No more,” they assured him.
“You mean no more water on door?”
“No more.”
“Okay, then,” he said, “no more spit in soup.”
How does a Kingdom Citizen live in a world of retaliation? Well, we do what no one would expect. We do the opposite of what someone might think we would do. And we act, but we do not react!
This section of Jesus’ teaching is so relevant when we think of the rioting and protesting, we witnessed in our country over the past few years. It is very apparent that this instruction is missing in our land today. People have forgotten to keep their hands to themselves. A lesson we first learned in kindergarten.
So, what does Jesus have to teach us in fifth section of Matthew 5? He teaches us the Kingdom way to deal with problems we have with others. Jesus is going to tell us that we only have two options. They are:
I. Option 1 – Retaliation – 5:38
I. Option 1 – Retaliation – 5:38
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a
tooth for a tooth.’
These words come from several sources:
· Exodus 21:24-25 - 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
Leviticus 24:19-20 - 19 ‘If a man causes disfigurement of his neighbor, as he has done, so shall it be done to him— 20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he has caused disfigurement of a man, so shall it be done to him.
· Deuteronomy 19:21 - 21 Your eye shall not pity: life shall be for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
These verses are called the lex talionis, the law of retaliation.
The trouble is that a law designed to limit retaliation and punish fairly could be appealed to as justification for vindictiveness.[1]
Stuart Weber wrote, “As many people do today, the scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ day must have taken the “eye for an eye” passages (Exod. 21:24; Lev. 24:19–20; Deut. 19:21) as justification for hurting others at least as badly as they had been hurt. The law was not given to exact revenge, but to legislate justice. Breaking the law has consequences, but personal vengeance has no place. These passages have often been wrongly taken as a minimum guideline for retaliation.”[2]
But like the OT laws permitting divorce, enacted because of the hardness of men’s hearts (19:3–12), the lex talionis was instituted to curb evil because of the hardness of men’s hearts. “God gives by concession a legal regulation as a dam against the river of violence which flows from man’s evil heart” (Piper, p. 90).[3]
As citizens we witnessed retaliation taking place across our streets in America after the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. What we saw on television was called, a response. Protesters were rioting, looting, burning, and destroying property in the name of retaliation. Their mantra was, “We are not being heard, and now we will be heard.”
Many of our political leaders sided with those who chose violence, destruction, and bloodshed. They put their stamp of approval on burning of buildings and the destruction of personal property. All of this was done in the name of retaliation.
What appeared to start out as a protest for justice turned to anarchy in our streets.
One article I read stated, “Revenge isn’t always the answer. An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.”
Is there a better way? I say, YES. There is a better way. We must listen to the words of Jesus Christ. We must take to heart these words of Jesus that are before us in this text.
This brings us to…
II. Option 2 – Acceptance and Forgiveness – 5:39-42
II. Option 2 – Acceptance and Forgiveness – 5:39-42
39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41 And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.
The antonym for retaliation is acceptance or forgiveness. Is it possible to show acceptance to people who want to hurt you? Is it possible to forgive those who could care less about you as a person?
Jesus is going to teach us how to show acceptance and forgiveness to those who live for retaliation. He provides four examples. They are:
A. Turn the other cheek – 5:39
39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.
What is the normal impulse if someone would slap you? To strike back, right?
Would you be able to turn the other cheek? Would you find it easy to do? I think this is only possible when we are fully sold out to the control of God’s Spirit in our lives.
Paul wrote,
Overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:21)
Think of Jesus’ words considering the riots and violence we saw across our nation. If you were attacked – what would you have done? Would you have turned the other cheek? Well, let me say that this is not the situation Jesus had in mind when he made His statement about turning the other cheek. Jesus wasn’t talking about uncontrollable rioters!
Please hear what I am about to say: I believe that we have a responsibility in the sight of God to protect ourselves, our family, our property, our community, and our nation.
Now what does turning the other cheek mean? Notice that Jesus uses the word “slaps” – there is a big difference between being slapped, and having your life threatened. Someone slaps you; you can live through that.
I also found it interesting that in the East, a slap on the cheek was the greatest form of insult, it’s equivalent in the West would be having someone spit in your face. How would you respond to being slapped, or spit upon?
We saw this played out on national television on March 27, 2022, at the Oscars. Comedian Chris Rock told a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith, and it infuriated Will Smith, her husband, and he walked up in the stage, and he slapped Chris Rock. It became known as “The slap heard around the world.” Get this, Chris Rock did not retaliate, and he chose not to press charges against Will Smith, which would have carried a misdemeanor battery charge. (Los Angeles Sentinel).
Pastor Gets Punched
I saw this played out at the First Baptist Church in Spokane, Washington back in the 1980’s. We had a deranged man attend our worship service, and at the alter call he came forward. The next thing we saw was him poking the chest of our pastor, and then hitting him in the mouth with his fist. My pastor, Charles Smith took the blow, and it knocked him back. Soon a football coach from Lewis and Clark High school had the man down and detained. My pastor did not file charges – that’s turning the other cheek.
Remember there is a difference between a slap and bodily injury. Or even possible harm to your family.
I have got to tell you that some of the scenes that we saw played out on television and social media over the past years have been horrific. It is so hard to believe that people can do what they did to other human being. It’s awful.
B. Give away your tunic – 5:40
40 If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.
See the word “sue”? Have you ever been sued? Taken to court? According to the Apostle Paul God’s people are not to sue one another (1 Corinthians 6:1-8). Here Jesus taught that if someone wants to sue you and take away your tunic. What is a tunic? The tunic would be your undergarments. Jesus says we are to let them have them. But he doesn’t stop there, next Jesus says, “let him have your cloak also.” What is your cloak? The cloak is your outer garment. It is the more expensive garment worn over the tunic.
The Liberty Bible Commentary provides us with a modern example: “If someone takes your suit coat, give him your overcoat as well.”
You see what we wear is not as important as our witness. The temporal is not as important as the eternal. Our testimony is the only thing that people will really SEE!
Remember the teaching is regarding a higher standard than retaliation – an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Kingdom Citizens lives for a higher calling in life. Instead of retaliation, we are givers. Even if it means losing the shirt on our back.
C. Go the extra mile – 5:41
41 And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.
Roman soldiers coming into your village carrying their packs could demand that you carry their packs for one mile – 5,280 feet. It was the law. You had no choice. Here Jesus teaches kingdom Citizens are to go the extra mile – go another 5,280 feet. We are to carry the soldiers pack another mile, and we are to do it cheerfully.
Think about this concept in the terms of employment, or even in Christian service. Do we only do what is expected of us, or will we do even more than what is expected? Will we go the extra mile?
And think about what could happen if we went the extra mile. All the possible conversations that could develop. Do you think that perhaps those who compel you to go a mile might have some questions about your willingness, or even possibly your attitude when you are willing to go the extra mile? Sure, they would.
Kingdom Citizens don’t complain – they bear the load with a smile.
D. Give and loan – 5:42
42 Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.
If you have it, give it, and if you can loan it, loan it out.
But remember – NEVER expect to get back what you give, and anything you loan out, always expect it to come back broken. Isn’t that true? This is called: Murphy’s law.
One guy penned, “A loan should be looked upon as a potential gift.”
I recently was the recipient of a gift. When I thanked the person, they responded by texting me, “God has blessed us in order to bless others, right?”
Many people never give and are unwilling to loan things out. They do so out of retaliation. In their mind they believe that they have worked hard for everything they have, so why should they give to people who, in their mind, are unwilling to work as hard as them. In their minds they are thinking, these people want someone for nothing. This is not the mind set of Kingdom Citizens.
You see, the whole point in Jesus’ sermon is that God’s people live out a higher law. We live differently than the rest of the world. Who are we? We are saints, believers, disciples, Christians, and Kingdom Citizens. And according to Jesus Christ those who belong to Him live differently.
Conclusion: Will it be an “eye for and eye and a tooth for a tooth” for you, or will you choose to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, and live as Kingdom Citizens? Here are some truths to remember:
1. Retaliation is not the answer. Get even is what the world does.
2. Don’t resist an evil person – turn the other cheek. I believe the idea here is that resistance often makes a person receptive.
3. If someone wants to sue you, and take your tunic, give him your coat also. Do not live for temporal, but for the eternal.
4. Go the second mile – do more than what is expected of you.
5. Give to him who asks, and loan to others if you have it.
[1]Carson, D. A. (1984). Matthew. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke (Vol. 8, p. 155). Zondervan Publishing House.
[2]Weber, S. K. (2000). Matthew(Vol. 1, p. 69). Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[3]Carson, D. A. (1984). Matthew. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke (Vol. 8, p. 155). Zondervan Publishing House.