The scripture text this morning comes from the Gospel of Matthew, Matthew chapter 5, verses 38 to 42. So please turn in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 5, verses 38 to 42. People of God, listen carefully, for this is the word of the Lord. You have heard that it was said, eye for eye and tooth for tooth. But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. So far, the reading of God's word. Let's pray together. Gracious Father in heaven, we ask that now, may the words of my mouth and the meditation of all of our hearts be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. For we pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. The Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. The Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. It's true, isn't it? That phrase from the Scriptures. How often our desire is to do what's right, to do what's holy, to do what's good as God's people. But how often our flesh wars against this spirit, and we sometimes don't do what we ought to do. Well, this phrase actually reminds me of a story I recently heard about a computer programmer who created one of these applications that translates the English to another foreign language. Oftentimes these programs are used for businessmen who travel, and so they learn important phrases like, where is the bathroom, in different languages. So this particular programmer decided to create one for the Russian language. Perhaps you've heard this story. So the day came, he finally finished his program. And so to test his program, he decided to type in this very phrase, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. You're following me so far, right? So he typed it into his computer, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. And he pressed enter, and out came this Russian phrase. So he said, oh, it looks okay. But to check it, just to make sure, he did one final thing to test his program. He highlighted that Russian phrase and asked the computer to translate it back into English. Are you following me so far? Remember, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Out came the Russian, highlighted it, and then asked it to translate it back into English. And this is what came out. Remember, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. The whiskey is stronger than the beef. Now think about it. It makes sense in one way, doesn't it? The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. The whiskey is stronger than the beef. Now what went wrong? The computer didn't have a frame of reference or a context in which to understand that phrase. And so in a context like this in the church, for Christians who know the scriptures, when you say a phrase like the spirit is willing and the flesh is weak, everybody understands generally what that means. But a computer program doesn't. It translates it literally. The whiskey is stronger than the beef. Now I wonder, I wonder if sometimes we go to scripture and we read very familiar passages like the one I just read. Passages that perhaps many of us adults have heard ever since we were young. And for you young people, you continue to hear it from your parents. Oh, turn the other cheek. Go the extra mile. And we think we instinctively know exactly what it means. And so as a preacher, I get up here, and it's easy for me to say, People of God, when you're provoked, angered by people, turn the other cheek. Or when that dreaded P.E. teacher tells you, Julius, go the extra mile. Do I or that P.E. teacher? Are we getting exactly what Jesus is saying here? What is Jesus saying to his disciples 2,000 years ago and to us listening to his voice today? I'd like to submit to you that Jesus is saying something much more radical than just trying harder. Because I don't know if you're like me, but when I'm provoked and I want to turn the other cheek, so to speak, it's very hard. And I don't do it. Maybe Sunday right after church I might. But on Monday morning when that boss provokes me? Or even my loved ones, a spouse or a child who I'm supposed to love and treat kindly? I don't. So if you're like me, we fail so often to live up to God's holy law. So what is Jesus doing here? Is he setting us up for failure? I don't think so. I think he's introducing us to something much more radical and profound about the gospel. And what the gospel means and what the gospel does in our hearts and in our lives. You see, when we read this passage in chapter 5, we know that Jesus here is preaching the Sermon on the Mount. It's usually called the Sermon on the Mount. He begins it with these blessing statements, these beatitudes. And he talks about these people who are blessed. Listen to how these blessed people are described. They're poor in spirit, they mourn, they are meek, they are hungry, they're thirsty, they're persecuted. It doesn't sound like a group of winners, does it? And yet this is how Jesus describes the people who are part of His kingdom. Those who want to follow Him and follow His laws, to follow His ways, to follow in His steps. He said, those who want to be like me, they're like this. And then he continues his sermon with this portion of scripture. And he tells you and I to turn the other cheek. Someone sues you and takes your tuna, take off your cloak, give that up. Go the extra mile, give to those who borrow a bank. What is Jesus saying here? You see, Jesus is introducing us to a whole new ethic, a whole new way of living as Christians. But there's a secret component of how you can do that. and we'll get into that in just a little bit. So Jesus launches off into this discourse here in these three chapters, in Matthew 5, 6, and 7, to explain to us this radical nature of kingdom living. And here, specifically in this passage, I believe he introduces us to the radical nature of making the invisible visible. Let me say that again. Jesus introduces us to the radical nature of making the invisible kingdom of God visible in your lives. Now, how do you do that? Jesus will teach you. But first, we need to understand the context to understand what Jesus is saying. I think there are three themes, surprise, surprise, there are three themes that help us to understand this often quoted, but I believe often misunderstood passage. The first of these themes, in this often quoted, but often misunderstood passage, is the theme of confrontation. Confrontation. You'll notice here in our passage that this is the fifth time of sixth time that Jesus begins his teaching in a particular pattern. Notice in your Bibles back to verse 21. Back in verse 21 in chapter 5, Jesus begins this particular teaching with this phrase, You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, and then he quotes an Old Testament law from Moses. Then the very next verse he says, But I tell you, in this case he says, You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment. And then in verse 22, But, I tell you, that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Skip down to verse 27, same pattern. You have heard that it was said, Do not commit adultery, Old Testament law. But, I tell you, verse 31, it has been said, again in Old Testament law, Verse 33, same pattern. And here in verse 38 is the fifth time that he begins this pattern of, You have heard that it was said, but I tell you. What is Jesus doing? Is he contradicting the Old Testament law? You see, he says, you have heard that it was said, and he gives an Old Testament law. Then he says, he uses this conjunction. Remember what those are from Schoolhouse Rock? Conjunction, junction, what's your function? But, I tell you, is he saying you should just forget about everything you've learned from Moses because I'm going to teach you a new and better way. So, you know what you ought to do? Just rip out the Old Testament and throw it away. Clearly he's not doing that because we still have our Old Testaments. And he, more and more, would teach from the Old Testament. What is Jesus getting at here? He's not contradicting the Old Testament written. He's confronting the Old Testament taught. Let me explain. It's very important to catch what he says here. He says, you have heard that it was said, not you have heard that it was written. That's the first clue to help us understand what Jesus is doing here. You see, Jesus is doing this. There were teachers of the law during his time that were teaching from the Old Testament, but twisting it, turning it, misconstruing it, and misteaching it to the people of God. Do you remember these teachers of the law during that first century context? You should, because they were not very fair, you see. They were quite sad, you see. I'm sorry, that was bad. I apologize. I'm sorry. Yes, the Pharisees and the Sadducees, these teachers and scribes who knew the Old Testament very well, what were they doing? They were saying, when you're provoked, If someone strikes you, if someone hurts you, if someone wrongs you, take vengeance. Take retribution. After all, isn't that what Moses taught us? Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, fracture for fracture, foot for foot, cow for cow, goat for goat. Whatever it may be, take retribution. And Jesus is confronting that. You see, these teachers of the law were misunderstanding the intention behind the law. You see, when God gave this law, which was known as the law of talion or the law of equity, it was a law that said the punishment must fit the crime. It was a law of equity so that people wouldn't take the law into their own hands and say, I can't believe that Kim. I can't believe that Julius Kim. He took one of my cows last night. I'm going to go to his farm and not only take a cow back, but I'm going to take a goat and several of his doves. In case that would happen, this law was given to the people of Israel. But in the hands of these Pharisees and scribes, this law of equal retribution, this law of equity, was nurtured into a law of personal vengeance and vindictiveness. Jesus is, this is Jesus' confrontation. You see, Jesus gets to the heart of the matter. You know what he does? He gets to the matter of the heart. The heart that is so prone, when provoked, to lash out with revenge. And see, this isn't just the Pharisees' problem, is it? Or the early Israelites or the Jews listening to this. But if you're honest with yourself, it's also our problem. How often when we're provoked, whether it's even by a loved one, a child, a spouse, our first response is what? One that desires vengeance, retribution, to get even, to get back. Ah, you love those stories and those movies when the good guy gets back at the bad guy. How often we love, why? Because that's how we are in our hearts. Whether it's the driver who cuts us off on the road or someone who hurts our loved ones. How often our first response when provoked is vengeance and retribution. This is what Jesus is confronting. Our hearts that are so prone to this sin. In our book, Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte describes both the initial sweetness as well as the bitter end of revenge when she writes this in her book, quote, Something of vengeance I had tasted for the first time. As aromatic wine it seemed on swallowing, warm and racy, but its after flavor, metallic and corroding, gave me a sensation as if I had been poisoned. You see, friends, vengeance is a poison. A poison that not only affects our actions but our minds and our hearts as well. And this was the poison that the Pharisees had imbibed and were modeling and teaching. But it's also a poison that trickles into our own hearts, oozing into every nook and cranny of our hearts, our minds. And throughout the book of Matthew, it's interesting, in chapter 23 especially, Jesus indicts this attitude and action. And he calls people like this, hypocrites, blind guides, fools, and whitewashed tombs. This is Jesus' confrontation. But there's a second theme that Jesus articulates here to help us understand what he's getting at. And that theme is expectation. Expectation. You see, Jesus not only confronts the matter of the heart that is so prone to the sin of vengeance, but he describes the expectations he has for those who actually want to follow the true meaning of the law. He does this by teaching the real intention behind the law of equity by stating very simply yet profoundly in verse 39, do not resist an evil person. Do not resist an evil person. With the use of this legal term translated resist, Jesus challenges his disciples, you and I, what his expectations are with the use of four interesting illustrations. Now, mind you, what Jesus is doing here as a sidebar, Jesus is giving us illustrations of a perspective or a paradigm or a way of thinking about the Christian life. These are not to be taken literally. When people are evil, there are other passages of Scripture that talk about how to approach evil. This is not a passage that talks about pacifism, that we shouldn't go to war, that's just. He's not talking about that. He's talking about Christians and their perspective when provoked. It's a paradigm. That was just a sidebar. Now back to the sermon. Four illustrations that he describes for us here. First, Jesus pictures a man being slapped on the right cheek, right? He says, turn the other cheek. Will you do me a favor and place your hand on your right cheek, please? Go ahead, it's okay. Now, if someone were to strike you on this cheek, how would the person standing across from you do so? Is this only for left-handed people? Is Jesus saying, when left-handed people strike you? No, something different is happening, right? Does anybody know what's going on? Some of you, I see some motions already in the congregation. It's a back-handed slap. Huh. Why is Jesus picturing a man and describing a man being slapped on the right cheek? Jesus says, when you've been slapped on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. why is this so significant? Remember context, frame of reference, first century, right? In the first century, and actually even to this day, being slapped on the right cheek was considered more grossly offensive in the mind of the Jew than the thought of a violent crime like homicide or rape. So think about it. When you hear that someone's been killed or murdered, or someone's been raped, what goes on in your mind? It's horrific, isn't it? It's just absolutely horrific to even imagine the thought. That was the mindset of the Jew if someone was slapped on the back of the hand on the right cheek. Now, I know that doesn't make a lot of sense to you, because we're in a different culture. But that was the culture then. And even to this day, to someone in the Middle East, let's just say, don't slap someone in the Middle East with the back of the hand. I should say that. It's still considered very grossly offensive. Secondly, let's say this person was caught slapping someone with the back of the hand. Did you know that if he went to court and was fined, his fine for slapping someone with the back of the hand doesn't seem very serious. The fine would be one year's wage. This is not just a misdemeanor or a traffic ticket. This is a very serious, offensive, gross crime. And yet Jesus says, to the shock of these disciples hearing him for the first time, when someone slaps you with the back of the hand on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. This is my expectation for you as my follower. Jesus, you've got to be kidding me. This is what it means to follow you? secondly jesus says give away your cloak there's another illustration here jesus pictures a man in the courtroom being sued for his tunic let me explain in that time when you were sued and you had to pay a fine and you didn't have enough money at that time or you forgot your papyri checkbook, let's say, and you had to pay your fine, but you couldn't. You actually take off your shirt and you put your name on it or something like that, and that serves as a down payment or an IOU. That was kind of the legal system at that time. And so Jesus pictures a man in court having to take off his tunic and having to pay this fine. We don't know who's wrong, who's right. It doesn't matter for Jesus. Jesus is teaching us a paradigm or a perspective about how we react when we're provoked. So Jesus pictures this man, you have to take off your tunic, you have to give up your money, your hard-earned money, seemingly unfairly. Now Jesus says, in addition to that, he says, take off your outer cloak and give that up as well. Now what is Jesus saying here? How is he teaching us his expectations here? Well, it makes some more sense when you understand that for the Jew, this outer cloak was considered for money virtually sacred. In fact, it was perhaps the most important possession that they had. Oftentimes it was given as a very special gift from father to son, this outer cloak. Do you remember, let me give you another illustration. Do you remember in the Old Testament there was that story about a father who gave his son this amazing technicolor dream coat? Remember that? And all of his brothers were envious and jealous, threw him into a, remember that, it was Joseph? That was this amazing outer coat. Furthermore, if for whatever reason you let someone borrow your cloak, by Jewish law, you had to return it by sundown because it was such an important item, a possession that you owned. By sundown, you had to, by law, return this cloak. Now Jesus says, when you're in court and you seem to be unfairly sued, take the most important thing you possess. and give it up as well. Give it up. Give it up. This is my expectation for those who want to follow me. These are the characteristics of my kingdom. We turn the other cheek. We give up our cloak. Now think about what the disciples were thinking at this time. They were probably crying like this little girl. You've got to be kidding me. I can't do that. Do you know what you're asking us to do? Now, Matthew doesn't record for us what the disciples were thinking. But it's interesting. Later on in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus is teaching about forgiveness. How many times should I forgive, Lord? Seven times? Remember that passage? Seventy times seven, Jesus says. And one of the disciples cry out, Lord, increase our faith. I wonder if that's what the disciples were thinking in their hearts. And yet, these are Jesus' expectations. But wait, there's more. As if these illustrations aren't enough. He gives yet another illustration. He says, go the extra mile. This phrase is understandable, again, if you understand the context. Remember, during this time, Israel was not a free nation. During the time of writing, the Romans had come to Palestine, had taken over Palestine, soldiers everywhere, instituted new laws, new ways of living. And so the Jews were a subjugated people. And one of the Roman laws that were instituted during this time was that any Roman soldier could make a Jew pick up his armor and carry it one mile. Any Roman soldier could do that by law. Jew, pick up my armor, carry it for me one mile. To the shock again to those listening, Jesus says, when you've been drafted for service by the army and you have to carry that load one mile, Keep going. See, no Roman soldier had a right to make him go more than one mile. After one mile, that you can throw down that armor and walk away. By law. But Jesus says, do it voluntarily. Go the extra mile. Go an extra mile. Because maybe, just maybe, they will see that you belong to a different emperor. To a different empire with rules that are infinitely stronger than the laws of Rome. And again, What do the disciples think at this time? Lord, you've got to be kidding me. You see, the Jews hated this law more than any other Roman law. Because it publicly demonstrated that they were slaves to the Romans. With the heel of the Roman on their neck. You can imagine how Roman soldiers must have taken this law. Jew, pick up that rock, carry it one mile. Pick up that piece of trash, carry it one mile. And they had to do that. The Jews hated this law. And yet, to the shock, Jesus says, carry it. Carry it one extra mile. Jesus, are you kidding me? Increase our faith. Lastly, he gives one final illustration. He says, give to those who borrow or beg. Now, it's important to note that giving to those who borrow or giving to those who beg was actually not a legal duty. They were not legally required to give to those who borrow or those who beg. They were under no obligation to give. And yet, masterfully, Jesus says that the same law that restrains you from doing evil when provoked is actually meant for you to go over and above and do good to your enemies, to those who borrow and beg. Do you see what Jesus is doing here? It's one thing to restrain yourself from doing evil when provoked. But it's quite another thing. To do good. To do gracious acts over and above that. To basically, what he says in the next passage, to love your enemy. Not just restrain yourself from your enemy. That's not good enough to be my follower. But be good to your enemy. Be gracious to your enemy. Give up your very all for your enemy. Yield up everything for your enemy, he says. Jesus says that the true expression of the law of equity is found in the intentional yielding up not only of our rights, but giving up our very all. Indeed, loving with our heart, soul, mind, and strength. so here's the challenge that the Lord Jesus gives to those listening to him up on that hillside here are the expectations of following Jesus here are the expectations of the holy law of God the disciples must have been simultaneously gripped by the authority of Jesus' teaching and yet what? paralyzed by the demands in their hearts they must have cried out Jesus, you've got to be kidding. You know we can't do that. Do you know what you're asking us to do? Jesus knew exactly what he was asking them to do. He understood very well the expectations and the requirements of the holy law of God. You see, Jesus knew that for his disciples past and present, that the only way that they could truly love others as he's calling them to love was for Him to empower them by His Spirit. As this passage set within the Gospel of Matthew will demonstrate, you see, Jesus is not only a master teacher, He would not only teach these expectations, He would ultimately fulfill them for His disciples. He says this, Yes, you're right. You can't, but I will for you. Moving to our third and last theme, from confrontation to expectation, we move to the last theme of satisfaction. Shocking though it was to these first hearers, Jesus' teaching here in Matthew 5 would eventually produce men and women that would turn the world upside down for his kingdom. But at first it included 11 ordinary guys who at first couldn't have understood what Jesus was talking about. But they ultimately discovered the key. The confrontation of sin, the expectation of the law, could only be fulfilled by the satisfaction of a sinless substitute who would empower them with the ability to truly love. Let me explain. You see, knowing fully well that we in our own power cannot love others the way God wants us to love, Jesus completes the mission his Father gave him by not only loving perfectly as the law demands, but also dying in our place, substituting himself, satisfying the law on the cross in our place. And Matthew shows us this. Matthew demonstrates, this amazing gospel writer, Matthew demonstrates how the law against vengeance and retaliation found definitive and decisive accomplishment and satisfaction in the person and work of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Turn with me to Matthew chapter 27, verse 27, and you're going to see an amazing correspondence that develops between Jesus' teaching of the law and our ability to follow them. In Matthew 27, starting with verse 27, I'm going to actually read from a different translation, which I think reads a little bit better. But follow along with me in Matthew 27, 27, as we read the following. Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort around him. And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. And after weaving a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and a reed in his right hand. And they kneeled down before him and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! And they spat on him and took the reed and began to beat him on the head. Turn the other cheek. Verse 31, And after they had mocked him, they took his robe off and put his garments on him. Give away your cloak. And led him away to crucify him. And as they were coming out, they found a man of Cyrene named Simon, whom they pressed into service to bear his cross. Go the extra mile. Go down to verse 45. Now from the sixth hour, darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani, that is, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Verse 50. And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up, he gave up his spirit. give to those who borrow or beg. Beloved of God, is this just a coincidence? Or has this been planned all along in the wondrous mercy of God? You see, friends, Jesus isn't just a wise teacher giving us good moral principles to live out when we're provoked. He is the God-man who not only took our punishment on the cross for not loving others as we should, even those whom we are called to love, our spouses, our children. But now He also empowers us with His righteousness through the Spirit to truly love others. Do you see what is happening here, friends? Because of His perfect life, obeying every commandment, every law of God, Jesus earns righteousness and resurrection. And now, through the gift of faith, You can now receive that spirit of Christ and his righteousness if you believe. You see, friends, if you believe, you have the spirit of Christ coursing through your veins. And no matter how difficult your life may be, whether you're provoked by that boss or that evil person, even by your loved ones, by faith, you cry out to Jesus. You say, Lord Jesus, help me to be a peacemaker in this situation. And the same Spirit of Christ that raised Him from the dead, think of that, friends. The same power that raised Jesus to life, now you have access to by faith. That's the promise of God. And that was given to you through the rich grace and mercy of God. You see, friends, you're not alone. And yes, I know it's difficult. I know it's hard. But you have a power in you by faith because of what Jesus has done for us. You see, friends, what you have in Christ. Jesus confronted that sin. Jesus met every expectation. And now He satisfied the law on your behalf when He was nailed to the cross. And when He was raised from the dead, Now, he promises to you, if you believe, you also can have this power. Are you going to be perfect? Of course not. And yet, through the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of God, you could start to live out what God demands of you. You see, friends, and you can begin even right here, right now, By beginning to love one another, even when you don't feel like it. Because let's be honest, friends. Sometimes people even in our own congregation, in our own family of God, provoke us. I know it's hard to believe, but they do. And yet Jesus, through His life, death, and resurrection, has not only empowered you, but now is calling you to follow Him in His steps, turning the other cheek. Giving up your cloak, going the extra mile, and giving to those who borrow or beg. You see, Jesus makes it very clear not only to the people gathered around him on that hillside 2,000 years ago, but to those of you, his children, listening to his voice today. My kingdom is different than any other kingdom of which you may conceive. Jesus says in my kingdom, the last shall be first. In my kingdom, citizens deny themselves and take up their cross. In my kingdom, humility comes before exaltation. In my kingdom, kindness, not vengeance, is shown. In my kingdom, love, not hate, is demonstrated. In my kingdom, my children turn the other cheek, give up their cloak, go the extra mile and give to those who ask. May God grant to us his power and presence, not only to comfort and console you with a wondrous message of the gospel of grace that speaks to us of what Jesus did for us and continues to do even now for you. But may this gospel now challenge you to live out your kingdom calling every day, dying to yourself and living for others, making the invisible visible. Let's pray. Father, how we thank you for your goodness and grace displayed on the cross where you died for wretched sinners like us who deserve to die for not loving as we should, for turning on those whom we love, for turning to those who provoke us in vengeance and retaliation. Father, forgive us. But thank you for the wondrous message of the gospel that tells us that though we are sinners, We have been accepted because of the work of Christ for us on the cross. Thank you that he died for us to pay for our sin of not loving. But thank you that he also lived for us by perfectly obeying the law of love. And Lord, now we ask that you would challenge us through this gospel, that out of wondrous gratitude for what you have done, that we would live out our kingdom calling and live out this royal law, Not the law of equity, but the law of love as we make the invisible visible in our lives. For we ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.