"The Better Way"
Pastor Paul Frey

READ Matt. 5: 38-48

The Sermon on the Mount given by our Lord, clearly sets forth the character traits expected of those in the kingdom of God. Many people think that if we live according to this sermon, we can be saved. Unless we have truly been born again, it is impossible to live this life. Only if we have the Spirit of Christ are we able to live the kingdom life for it is a supernatural life. Some of the commands given in this Sermon, are not easy to embrace, especially those listed in our text, verses 39-42. It must have shocked many hearers who were used to the Old Testament teaching found in Deuteronomy 19:21... "And thine eye shall not pity, but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot." (And in similar passages as Ex. 21:24, Lev. 24:20, and Matt. 5:38). This legislation was no doubt given to restrain violence. Believers at that time were not indwelt by the Holy Spirit to give them victory over the flesh. Let us look now at the teaching of Jesus concerning those things that at times are hard to live out.

1 . Our response to personal insult. . Matt.5:39.. "But I say unto you that you resist not evil, but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also."

2. Our response to personal loss... Matt. 5:40,, "And if any man will sue thee at the
law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also."

3. Our response to demand for personal servitude.. Matt. 5:41.. "And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him two."

4. Our response to a demand for personal sacrifice... Matt. 5:41.. "Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee, turn not thou away."

As we think of these four commands and what is to be our response, what does the "self" within us cry out? a. "It is not fair" b. "It is unreasonable" c. "No way can I accept this response"

Sadly, many professing Christians miss the whole spirit of our Lord's teaching. Jesus came into the world, not only to pay redemption's price but to deliver mankind from self, which is at the very heart of the sin nature. Self first raised its ugly head in the garden of Eden. At its core, self is defiance of God. When Jesus came into the world, for the first time, the world saw a selfless man, the God-man who for sinners, emptied Himself of all His glory. He took upon Himself the form of a servant, and lost Himself totally in His Father's will. John 4:34 says, "Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work." Psalms 40:8 says, "I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart." I believe what our Lord is doing in these verses is striking at the heart of self will. It is self-will that wants to inflict these abuses upon others and it is self-will that wants to reject the responses instructed by our Lord.

Now these hard sayings, though no doubt heard by the kingdom, as was stated before. No wonder Jesus said, "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." (Matt. 16:24). However, it should be noted that these instructions are given by our Lord, obviously it is not for nations or the society in a nation in its cities and towns. Nations must operate under international law, and cities and towns within a nation must operate under civil law, or there would be chaos and anarchy. Nations are not reconciled unto God, only the redeemed within the nations of the world. And to these are given the afore mentioned instructions regarding abuses inflicted upon a person in the Kingdom of God. Let us now take a closer look at these instructions seen in Matt. 5:39-42.

Our response to personal insult (Matt.5:39).

There are verbal slaps as well as physical slaps that can be judged as an insult. Our Lord received them both. When the Pharisees proudly made reference to their not being born of fornication, I believe that was meant to be a verbal slap at Jesus. (see John 8:41). Matthew 26:67 says, "Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands." The slaps Jesus took on the face and head, was more violent than inflicted upon any man. Isaiah 52:14 says, "As many were
astonished at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form fore than the sons of men." How did our Lord respond? He entrusted Himself to Him who judgeth righteously, (see I Peter 2:22-25). The Bible tells us in Luke 6:31 to do unto others as you would have them do unto you. You will note, not as they do unto you, but as you would have them do unto you.
If someone slaps me, verbally or physically and I respond the same way, I place myself on the same level as my offender. But, if I don't strike back, then his offense is magnified. If we belong to the Lord, then we are His property, as seen in I Cor. 6:19-20. It says, "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." As we follow His example, and entrust ourselves to Him who judgeth righteously, we can be assured, God will not allow us to be violated beyond his Divine purpose.

Response to personal loss.

-Matthew 5:40. (see also I Cor 6:7-9). As was noted in I Cor. 6:19-20, everything we have belongs to the Lord- we are only stewards of what He has entrusted to us. The Lord tells us, it is better to be defrauded than go to court before unbelievers (I Cor. 6:7). If the Lord allows us to suffer loss for any reason, He has His own purpose to perfect in us some eternal benefit. One of those benefits is to look at temporal things for what they really are. Jesus wants us to look at the things that are not seen, rather than have our hearts fixed on things that are passing away. II Cor. 4:16-18 says, "For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man in renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen : for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." If we haven't learned the spiritual principle in those verses of Col 3:1-4, God may allow us to be taken advantage of until we do learn. If we are joint-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17) why then should we grub over things that are temporal, that count not one iota for eternity?

Response to demand for personal servitude.

(Matt. 5:41). At the time Jesus spoke these words, Palestine was under Roman law and jurisdiction. Roman soldiers could demand a citizen in an occupied land to carry their personal gear for a mile or whatever the distance they may determine. Jesus said "in effect' to be willing to do more than what is asked of you. this is a spiritual principle for all who are called by his name, and for every generation, till Jesus comes back again. Always be ready to do more than asked. The response of self says, "no one is going to make a fool of me." Have you ever pondered the demands made on our Lord as He is revealed in the gospel accounts? So willing was He to meet human demands be it early in the morning till late at night, that His friends thought He was out of His mind. Mark 3:21 says, "And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself." Then consider how far He carried our sin burden... all the way to the cross. (Matt.20:28) The Lord is our example for servanthood. Philippians 2:5-8 says, "Let this mind be in you, 'which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought in not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Remember, if the world is going to see Christ in us, they must see the servant spirit that imitates Christ.

Response to the demands for personal sacrifice.

(Matthew 5:42). When we are approached by people in the city, on the subway or on the street that want a handout, often we think how will they use what we give them? Sometimes we may inwardly judge them for an unwillingness to work, yet Matthew 5:45 tells us our Heavenly Father bestows good on the evil and the unjust as will as the good and the just. Proverbs 3:27 tells us not to withhold good from them to whom it is due when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. When Jesus fed the five thousand and the four thousand, were they all worthy of receiving good? I believe not... The spiritual principle, I believe, that this instruction is meant to convey is that those in the Kingdom of God are to manifest a giving spirit to anyone in need as our Lord gave example as shown in II Cor. 8:9.
The following are some questions for self-examination relating to our response to these instructions:

1. What is the real reason this upsets me?
2. What am I really concerned about?
3. Do I get upset because of the cause of Christ?
4. Has some principle of justice or righteousness been violated or is it concern over loss to self? (or is it because of offensive pride?)

Have you ever really looked at your life and all the things that enter into the daily routine of life and truly pondered: how much self is involved? Self is the main cause for unhappiness in life. There is a personal testimony from the life of George Muller that bears repeating..
"There was a day that I died- utterly died - died to George Muller and his opinions, preferences, tastes and will-Died to the world— its approval or its censure- died to the approval of even my brethren, my friends; and since then I have studied, only to show myself approved unto God."
 

By his testimony, George Muller learned the meaning of Galatians 2:20 and Luke 9:23. Gal. 2:20 says, "J am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Luke 9:23 says, "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." There is nothing that Jesus said in His instructions that He did not do Himself. He came not to reform or dress up the old, but to bring in a new order of life, by creating His own life and nature in those whom He saves. II Cor. 5:17 says, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

The beauty of His work can not be seen when the old self is constantly being resurrected. As Jesus is lifted up in our lives through self denial and the taking up of the cross daily, there will be those who turn away from us, but they will not be able to say that they have not seen Christ-likeness in us. Can you say with the prophet Isaiah, "God's ways are so much higher than my ways." Yes, God's way is "The Better Way".

A closing prayer for all of us:
Lord, break my self-will so that I can be delivered from self to serve you in sincerity and truth.

-Pastor Paul Frey.