You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also. Matthew 5:38-39
(This is Pt 3 of 8 – Turning the Tide – Representing God to a World that Misrepresents Him)
The other day, I was upset because someone decided to go into my container of soup. I looked for my lunch, and half of my soup was gone! Then, something hit me. What if that person was starving? What if they had no money, resources, or anyone else to turn to, and because they were too embarrassed to ask, they simply thought, “Here’s some soup. There’s plenty there and I only need some of it.” I know what many of you are thinking. That person stole from you. They have committed a crime, and they must be held accountable! I get that, and have very sternly dealt with my daughter over this very same issue (Ok, so it was ice cream with her . . . not soup :) ). However in my daughter’s case, my wife and I know she is well fed and taken care of. I don’t know the situation of the so called ‘soup bandit,’ and unless you really know that person, neither do you. So rather than look for justice, maybe it is best to look toward being compassionate. In a world that seeks the right of each wrongdoing, how can we as Christians show them another path?
Showing others compassion is a true form of tough love. In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, He spoke very clearly about the world’s view on wrongdoing in verse 38 of today’s verses. Furthermore, He challenges all of us to do what we typically would not do in the very next verse; walk away. The lesson He is trying to teach is not simply about letting someone slap you around. Keep in mind Jesus was not someone who would sit idle and just take punishment. He challenged the existing authority, and as such, no one could ever say He took to being slapped around. He is saying that we are to be compassionate about the plight of others. The world at times will say we are too nice. However, we should respond both passionately and without hesitation that it takes greater strength to be compassionate to the one who wronged you than to write them off for what they had done.
Being compassionate is much harder than any of us would give it credit. Disagree? Ask if you would love the world so much that you would give your only son for their sins (John 3:16). What Jesus is trying to say in today’s verses is don’t take the easy way out. Get messy. Ask yourself why that person would wrong you, and if you have a chance to talk with them, ask them why. Then, show God’s love in your heart and be compassionate toward them. Show the world that someone cares even when they themselves might not feel worthy of it. Is there someone who could use compassion in their life? Can you show God’s grace to someone who knows nothing but His wrath in the world? My prayer is that we realize showing compassion is not easy, and to do so requires more than just tough love. It’s tougher love. Amen.
(This is Pt 3 of 8 – Turning the Tide – Representing God to a World that Misrepresents Him)
The other day, I was upset because someone decided to go into my container of soup. I looked for my lunch, and half of my soup was gone! Then, something hit me. What if that person was starving? What if they had no money, resources, or anyone else to turn to, and because they were too embarrassed to ask, they simply thought, “Here’s some soup. There’s plenty there and I only need some of it.” I know what many of you are thinking. That person stole from you. They have committed a crime, and they must be held accountable! I get that, and have very sternly dealt with my daughter over this very same issue (Ok, so it was ice cream with her . . . not soup :) ). However in my daughter’s case, my wife and I know she is well fed and taken care of. I don’t know the situation of the so called ‘soup bandit,’ and unless you really know that person, neither do you. So rather than look for justice, maybe it is best to look toward being compassionate. In a world that seeks the right of each wrongdoing, how can we as Christians show them another path?
Showing others compassion is a true form of tough love. In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, He spoke very clearly about the world’s view on wrongdoing in verse 38 of today’s verses. Furthermore, He challenges all of us to do what we typically would not do in the very next verse; walk away. The lesson He is trying to teach is not simply about letting someone slap you around. Keep in mind Jesus was not someone who would sit idle and just take punishment. He challenged the existing authority, and as such, no one could ever say He took to being slapped around. He is saying that we are to be compassionate about the plight of others. The world at times will say we are too nice. However, we should respond both passionately and without hesitation that it takes greater strength to be compassionate to the one who wronged you than to write them off for what they had done.
Being compassionate is much harder than any of us would give it credit. Disagree? Ask if you would love the world so much that you would give your only son for their sins (John 3:16). What Jesus is trying to say in today’s verses is don’t take the easy way out. Get messy. Ask yourself why that person would wrong you, and if you have a chance to talk with them, ask them why. Then, show God’s love in your heart and be compassionate toward them. Show the world that someone cares even when they themselves might not feel worthy of it. Is there someone who could use compassion in their life? Can you show God’s grace to someone who knows nothing but His wrath in the world? My prayer is that we realize showing compassion is not easy, and to do so requires more than just tough love. It’s tougher love. Amen.
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