Greater righteousness: Better than getting even

Greater righteousness...

 Lesson 5: The Law of Retribution.

In the light of verse 19, Jesus continues to explain to his disciples that his teaching does not do away with the law, rather his teaching supersedes the law. In effect Jesus is raising the standard of what it means to be a “righteous” individual. Then He illustrates this point with specific examples related to the Law. In fact, he places anger, lust, divorce, oaths, and retaliation on the same moral plane as murder, adultery, and perjury. Over the next few weeks we will go over these particulars that Jesus has given us.

Note: While Jesus raises the standard of righteous conduct in this passage, he does not reveal the mechanism by which we arrive at this level of righteousness. On its face, Jesus is placing the Kingdom of Heaven out of reach for everyone. Later passages in the New Testament reveal that the Christian’s righteousness is given to him or her by Jesus Christ and acted out in the Christian as he or she walks in the Holy Spirit. This does not mean that Christians are immune to sin, because believers can and do still sin; however, the spirit of the believer longs to not sin, that is, be righteous. A repentant heart can always find restoration to righteousness in Jesus Christ.

Tempering our Reactions.

"You have heard that it was 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 anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. [Mat 5:38-42 ESV]

You may wonder how taking an "eye for an eye" could be seen as a form of righteousness. In Leviticus 24:17-22 God gives instructions on the law of retribution. This law was the civil and criminal code for the nation of Israel. It required that punishment for a crime must fit the crime. The punishment was to be neither excessive or lenient. For that reason, an eye for an eye was an act of righteousness.

Establishing the first premise: The call to personal righteousness.

Jesus is calling us to live in a state of mind in which we do not seek personal revenge for wrongs done to us. Instead, Jesus calls Christians to practice a life of personal forgiveness.

We can only forgive offences made against ourselves. 

It is important to realize that some offences toward an individual are also offences in other spheres of influence. For instance, if someone murders a person I love, multiple offences occur. 

• One is against me, 
• another is against civil government, 
• and yet another is against God. 

While I can forgive the offence against me, I cannot forgive those against government or God. It is not consistent with the rest of scripture to take this passage as a prohibition against justice rendered in a recognized civil government.

The most drastic action of any civil government, capital punishment, was sanctioned by God in Genesis 9:6:

 "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image. [Gen 9:6 ESV]

He reaffirms this in Romans 13:

"Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.  Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.  For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. "[Rom 13:1-4 ESV] 

However, we can advocate before God for those who have done evil against us. 

"But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. [Luk 6:27-28 ESV]

Behavior toward those who claim offence from us.

Jesus tells us that if someone sue to take away our tunic, give them the cloak also. In other word, we are to live in such a way that our honesty will be above question. If we do cause an offence, it is a righteous thing to go out of our way to make restitution.

Behavior toward those who would take advantage of us.

Jesus uses a hated practice of the Roman government to illustrate this point. A Roman soldier could compel a civilian to carry his pack for him for a mile. Jesus says to take it two miles. It is important to remember that when I got saved, I surrendered my rights for the mission of his kingdom. 

As believers, you and I have a greater call than the pursuit of personal justice. We are to pursue personal righteousness. In so doing we bear a light for His Kingdom.

To go to the next lesson, click HERE.

America's blood crime...

Some statistics say that in the last 40 years since "Roe v. Wade" legalized abortion in the U.S., the lives of 53,000,000 babies have been extinguished. Their little bodies have been thrown out like trash or (worse) sold for various purposes.

We have a problem.

God interacts with mankind in several different levels. He certainly deals with people on an individual level, but the Bible also indicates that he also interacts with people as social groups (such as families, cities and nations) as well.

It is the national relationship that concerns me.

Human government was God's idea, not man's. We first find it established as God talks to Noah after the flood  (Genesis chapter 9) .  The antediluvian (pre-flood) world was a world of civil anarchy, filled with violence. For this reason, the Bible tells us, God destroyed it in a flood. In Genesis 9, God is pushes the restart button. Here a social contract of self government is established that emphasizes the value of human life:

"Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image." Genesis 9:6.

Do you see the principle there? Human life is sacred because a human life is "in his own image."

This principle continues to be developed throughout the Bible. Notably it makes God's "Top Ten" list as "you shall not murder". He established the principles of "due process" and differentiates between "manslaughter" (accidental killing) and "murder". Throughout the Old Testament we find that the rise and fall of nations is in direct relation to their treatment of the innocent, particularly their children, their widows and foreigners. We find God's promise of national longevity is tied to the protection of the innocent. One of the damning sins of the Canaanites was child sacrifice to the pagan god Moloch. The horrors of the plagues in Egypt were preceded by decades of Israeli children being tossed into the Nile. Israel's and Judah's captivities were preceded by the adoption of pagan practices, including child sacrifice.

Murder, in any form, is an evil of the highest order.  When murder is committed, God takes note. If a society does not police itself by bringing murderers to justice, God will avenge the innocent himself. In the case of the abortion industry, we have failed to prosecute those who take innocent life. Even worse, as a nation, we have condoned it. There is a verse in 2 Kings 24:4 that concerns me greatly. Speaking of the ancient nation of Judah it says they, 

"... filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the LORD would not pardon."

Then they were taken captive.

Will God judge the United States for those 53,000,000 dead babies?  I am certain of it.

How will he do it? I have no idea.

Can it be avoided? If we were to arrest and prosecute the abortionist for the last 40 years, perhaps. But we won't.

Can it be postponed? God is merciful. He allows a window for repentance and self judgment. Historically, that window has lasted for decades for many nations. Sometimes nations repent and judgment is postponed, sometimes they don't and it comes more swiftly.

What can I do?  Individually there is a lot you can do. First, repent of you sins, any and all. Sin requires judgment. If you will let him, Jesus bore that judgment for you when he died on a cross. He gave his life for you. He took your punishment. There is no sin too great for him to bear, even the killing of the innocent.

Then, for the nation, you can pray for God to work in realms of authority far higher than ours. As Christians we must remember we have a mandate to preach to all nations, but we cannot save any nation. Rather, it is individuals that we lead to salvation.
 
While the United States remains under a cloud of judgment, individually anyone can find a place redemption in Jesus Christ. He gave his life for you, if you haven't already done so this would be a good day to give your life to him...

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16

Be careful who you pick on...

For several days I have felt compelled to spend my study time in the book of Lamentations. To be honest, it falls among the list of Old Testament books that I consider to be largely "neglected" these days. As it's name indicates, the author is lamenting the destruction of his beloved country and city. Some of the saddest, heart rending verses you will ever read are found in this book. Judah had repeatedly sinned, and God had allowed their enemies to overrun them. The author grieves that his beautiful, proud people has been reduced to squalor and starvation...

...then, somewhere in chapter three, his grief turns to repentance and repentance turns to hope.

I have heard people say (in jest), "'Vengeance is mine,' says the Lord, but I am his tool!"    Uh, yeah. You don't want to be that. Here is the thing.As illustrated in this book, God will allow outside forces to overrun his people when is call to repentance has been ignored, but the purpose of the destruction is still repentance.

When that repentance does occur, his children are forgiven and their sins are forgotten. The child who has repented is instantly restored to his favor.

So when God then looks on his beloved child and sees an enemy abusing that favored child, how do you think God is going to react? That's right it isn't going to go well for the one doing the mistreating.

So here is the take away.
1) If God is subjecting you to his discipline, repent! He doesn't hate you, he has your best interest at heart.
2) If you see someone who is suffering as a result of their sin, do not jump on the "they deserve what they are getting" band wagon. Instead, be ready with a compassionate heart to help and restore those that God has disciplined. Someday it may be you.

Galatians 6:1 "Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted."
Matthew 5:4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."

Baby, you're my "Life"!

 

In Genesis 2-3 the Bible gives us the account of the creation of our first parents. Here are some things you may not know.

1. The Hebrew word that is transliterated as the proper name “Adam” is used through out the Old Testament as a non-proper designation for “man” or “mankind”. While the translators of our English language Bibles are compelled by necessity and tradition to translate this word into a proper name for the first man, the God-given purpose of his name was to designate his order in creation. That is, he is called “adam” designating him as the one created from the dust but in the image of God, brought to life by the breath of God, and therefore in a standing higher than the animals.

2. “Adam” is one vowel sound different from the Hebrew word for “ground” which is pronounced “adamah”. This usually refers to inhabited or cultivated land.

It is quite conceivable that as God would walk into the garden to talk to Adam, his call is something equivalent to “hey, dirt guy”. Remember Adam is a guy. This name is as good as any other. (Hey, most men will adopt names and nicknames for themselves and for other men that very, very few women would ever be willing to carry.)

3. There is another word that is translated “man”. This words is the Hebrew word “ish” which is used to contrast between male and female. This is first used in Gen. 2:23.

4. The word used for woman or female is similar to “ish”. It is the word “ish-shah”. This is the word that the Bible uses for the first woman all of the way through the creation narrative down to Gen. 3:20.

 

I want to show you what changes in Genesis 3:20.

You may be familiar with the story of the “fall of man”, but if you are not you will need to read the first three chapters of Genesis for this to make sense. Here it is in a nut shell.

• The man (adam) and his wife (ish-shah) are created by God and placed in a garden paradise.
• They are occupied, but not overworked.
• Every need is supplied.
• They are in fellowship with God.
• They have one little restriction. They cannot eat the fruit from one tree, the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil”. If they do, they will die.
• Satan enters the picture and tempts the woman. She succumbs and eats the fruit.
• She give to her husband. He is not deceived, but he eats anyway [see 1 Timothy 2:14].
• God comes on the scene, and everything goes sideways.
• The curse falls on this world because of their sin. They will suffer. They will die.

Now imagine you are the woman.

She was “deceived”. In the midst of her disobedience to God, she genuinely thought she was doing the right thing. She gave him the “forbidden fruit.” She had not meant to harm Adam, but because he had eaten the fruit she handed to him…

Adam lost the best job in the world,
Adam lost the best home in the world (God soon evicts them from the garden),
He was now subject to sickness and disease,
Adam was sentenced to hard labor for the rest of his life, and
Adam would die.

Now as the woman stands there next to her husband, they are both the recipients of God's displeasure. She watches as her husband begins instantly to age. I am quite certain, she felt overwhelming guilt. She was guilty. They were both guilty.

Can you hear her weeping to Adam? “I’m so sorry. I’ve brought you misery and death. You would have been better off without me. I’ve messed your life up. Oh Adam, I am so, so sorry.”

Here is where verse 3:20 comes in:

“And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.”

Look at that! Isn’t this an odd time for “dirt guy” to rename his bride? Up until now she has been known as “ish-shah” or “female”, but now she will be known as “Eve” which means “Life”.

Can you see it? There they stand guilty before an offended God, their beautiful life is crashing down around them and he turns to her and says, “Oh honey, you’re my ‘Life’!”


Then something curious happens:

Notice that when the man accused the woman and the woman accused the snake, God came down hard on everyone involved. Now the man shows tenderness and forgiveness to his wife and watch what happens in verse 21:

“Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.”

Was God withholding mercy until Adam showed mercy? I don’t know. I cannot draw such a causative link based on this verse alone, but I can tell you that that principle is consistent with the New Testament teachings of Jesus. Look at Matthew 6:12. This is from what we commonly call the “Lord’s Prayer”. Jesus said we are to pray,

“And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors.”
esv

Then he goes on to explain,

“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

This is probably the least favorite line of the Lord’s prayer. I’m afraid we often try to modify the Lord’s prayer and pray this way :

“God forgive me, and help me forgive everybody else.”

I’m sorry, but this isn’t a prayer consistent with Jesus pattern for us. The correct way to pray, according to Jesus, is to pray, “Father, forgive me as I forgive others…”

That kind of prayer really raises the bar on the importance of our forgiveness of others, doesn’t it? Here is the thing: if we live our lives harboring unforgiveness against other people, we have no expectation of forgiveness from our Heavenly Father.

We could certainly develop this train of thought a lot farther, but at some point you would stop reading. By now I think you probably get the point anyway. So, I'll leave you with this...

“And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” -Mark 11:25 esv