Transcript

Matthew 5:36-40 · NOBA @ Noon

Canon Justin Murff: The Gospel of Matthew chapter five thirty six through forty and do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say simply be yes or no. Anything more than this comes from evil. You have heard it said an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, but 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. And if any one would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. The Gospel of the Lord. Jesus is still preaching his Sermon on the Mount, this amazing message to the great multitude that had gathered at the mountain. And he continues his teaching by talking about oath taking, which he has forbidden among his followers. The command extends to the very smallest of detail, and do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black, even invoking something as personal as one's own head or hair is prohibited, because we don't have ultimate control over even our own bodies. Every oath presumes a control that we actually don't possess. Then comes the positive instruction. Let what you say simply be yes or no. Anything more than this comes from evil. The simplicity of this command is really striking. Jesus envisions a community where elaborate verbal guarantees become unnecessary because everybody's word is trustworthy. Jesus then pivots to another dimension of kingdom ethics. You've heard it said an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, but I say to you, do not resist the one who is evil. The Old Testament principle of Lex Talionis is The proportional justice was actually a restraint on vengeance. It prevented escalation by limiting retribution to the original offense. But Jesus causes followers to do something even more radical. Non-retaliation. The examples that follow flesh out this principle. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. A slap on the right cheek in that culture was. Typically delivered with the back of the hand. It was an insult, a gesture of contempt rather than a violent attack. If you wanted to really make a point, you hit somebody with a fist, but if you wanted to offend, you slap them in the back of your hand. Jesus is addressing how we respond to deep personal offense, to attacks on our dignity and honor. And if anyone would sue you, take your tunic and let him have your cloak as well. The tunic was actually the inner garment and the cloak the outer garment that also served as a blanket for many of the poor. The law actually protected the cloak from being taken permanently because it was considered an essential item of clothing for survival. But Jesus says give it away. Radical generosity was expected from those who would follow Jesus. Living under Roman occupation, this teaching had immediate practical implications. The people regularly experienced indignities at the hands of the occupying Roman soldiers. Their natural response was either violent resistance or simmering resentment. The hatred was palpable. Jesus offers a third way: active, creative non-resistance that maintains human dignity while refusing to perpetuate the cycle of violence and retaliation. This passage challenges us today on so many levels. It speaks to our speech. Do we speak in ways that require verbal reinforcement because our normal words aren't considered trustworthy? Well Jesus calls us to such consistent honesty that our simple yes or no carries weight. It confronts our sense of self conscious rights. Western culture is so saturated with rights language. We know what we deserve and we're quick to assert it to other people. But Jesus calls us followers to take a different posture. One that prioritizes genuine relationships over assumed individual rights. This teaching addresses our response to personal offenses. When our dignity is attacked, our honor has been shamed. When we're treated unfairly, what's our response? Jesus offers absorbing the offense without perpetuating a cycle of vengeance and retribution. This doesn't mean that we should become doormats or enable abuse. Jesus himself challenged his opponents, but it does mean releasing our grip on personal vindication and trusting that justice ultimately belongs to God. Today, notice your responses to the small indignities, the root driver that cuts you off, the disrespectful co-worker that talks behind your back, the insensitive comments that come from people who just seemingly don't know better. These daily irritations and How we respond to them really does reveal our hearts. Practice turning the other cheek not as passive resignation, but choose today to turn the other cheek as an active active trust in the Lord.