Continuing our studies in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said:

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” (Matt 5:38-42)

Have you ever wanted Payback?

There are literally hundreds of movies about revenge. In fact, IMDB (the go-to website for information on any movie) has even created a list of the “50 best Revenge movies of all time” – including several that many would call classics.

People love to hear stories about someone getting what they deserve. But is this what things look like in Jesus’ new world – the Kingdom of God?

Imagine a Roman soldier in Jesus’ day forcing an elderly gentleman or a young mother to carry his heavy bag for a mile. Or imagine today an unfair boss expecting an employee to work extra hours for no extra pay, doing an unpleasant job that the manager was too lazy to finish himself.

I am sure we can all think of many other unfair scenarios. Perhaps you have experienced some yourself.

Even worse, now think about the Roman soldier striking an innocent person on the cheek in Jesus’ day. Or a business owner suing a person living in poverty for the only garments they have for the cold winter nights.

At first glance these words seem like Jesus is saying, “just be weak; just be a victim; don’t stand up for yourself; let people walk all over you!”

Is Jesus encouraging a victim mentality? Is he promoting injustice?

The answer is no; he isn’t! There are times when we do need to defend ourselves, speak up when something is wrong or stand up for others, but there is a difference between defending yourself, and exacting revenge. If we have the power to protect somebody in danger, we must do so. If we can diffuse a bad situation peacefully (even if it means refusing to hit back, or blessing somebody with more than they deserve), it is surely better than letting anger and retribution rule the day.

Jesus’ words here are about overcoming evil with good, responding to hatred and anger with mercy and grace.

I don’t know about you, but I would rather be in a world like that - a world of mercy, grace, kindness - than one where revenge is unrestrained.

Continuing our studies in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said:

“Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. (Matt 5:33-37)

Would you say that you are a truthful person? Would you say you are an honest person? Most of us would agree that lies often have the potential to be destructive or hurtful and can easily break trust. In today’s passage, Jesus is encouraging honesty. To lie for our own gain or to hurt another is clearly wrong. A person of integrity will be truthful.

“I swear on my mother’s grave!”, we have all heard people say. Or “On the life of my children, what I am telling you is true”.

In Jesus’ day, people would swear oaths in a similar way to emphasize that what they are saying is true. So, they might use the name of God.

But, some leaders, lacking integrity, might swear an oath in the name of something less than God, like Heaven or the city of Jerusalem, or something created by God, if they planned on not quite speaking the truth.

It might have sounded good and even convincing (for example, “I swear it’s true on the name of our beautiful city Jerusalem”, or “this is as true as the hairs on my head”), but they may not be telling the whole truth.

So, what is Jesus teaching here? Jesus is teaching that “swearing” is not necessary if people know that you are a truthful person. A simple statement or answer to a question, like yes or no is enough.

What about so called “white” lies – withholding truth because you don’t want to hurt somebody? Do we say yes or no, tell it as it is, regardless of the effect the truth might have on a person. A good rule of thumb is to say that truth must always be balanced with genuine love. Paul encouraged us to speak the truth in love in Ephesians 4 v 15. If a truth will hurt another, perhaps we need to ask first if God’s wisdom counsels us to stay quiet; or maybe we can find a way of sharing the truth in a way that is kind.

As we said last time, Jesus was not afraid to tackle the tough subjects of the day in His Sermon on the Mount. After a confronting few minutes, during which he challenged his hearers to flee the perils of sexual temptation, the awkwardness for some is not yet over. Next Jesus goes full throttle against divorce.

Let’s start here, though, with the reminder that we live in an imperfect world and that God is a God of forgiveness, love, and grace. He mends broken hearts and helps us in our pain, giving wisdom in difficult decisions. Having said that, for the purposes of this devotion, the Scriptures are clear that the Lord created marriage, in Genesis chapter 2 v 22 – 24, and that He hates divorce (Mal 2: 16 NASB).

In the next part of His sermon, Jesus said, 31 “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” Matthew 5:31-32

In Jesus’ day there were two schools of thought about divorce. Rabbi Shammai taught that divorce can only be permitted for very serious offenses. Rabbi Hillel taught that a man can divorce his wife for any reason, however ridiculous. If she burnt a meal – she’s out! If the husband prefers the looks of another woman, he can divorce his wife and marry the other!

Jesus was probably referring to the second school of thought here in the Sermon on the Mount. Notice that He is talking to men, and He emphasises how the wife becomes the victim. This is important. Jesus is challenging every man to think about what is best for his wife. To not just think about himself.

Whenever there is a relationship breakdown, whether it is just a petty argument or something as serious as seeking a divorce, the hardest thing to do is to start thinking about what is best for the other person. Perhaps there would be fewer divorces in the world if people gave the highest priority to what is best for the person they have married.

Staying with the focus on men, Paul taught that husbands must love their wives as Christ has loved the church in Ephesian 5: 25. There is no condition here. It is not ‘love their wives’, if the wives do their part. It is ‘love their wives as Christ loved the church’. Full Stop!

I once heard somebody say that marriage is not 50-50; it is 100-100. In other words, we give to our partner without conditions attached. In Jesus’s comments about divorce in the Sermon on the Mount it is easy to focus on the parts that talk about adultery and whether there are circumstances that permit divorce. I have a feeling Jesus also wants us to try looking away from self for a moment and consider what is best for the one I married.