Thought for August 4

History:

• 1821: First edition of Saturday Evening Poet
• 1892: Lizzie Borden's father and stepmother murdered with an axe
• 1936: Jesse Owens wins 2nd Gold in Berlin
• 1944: Anne Frank arrested
• 1956: Elvis releases "Hound Dog"
• 2019: Gunman kills 9 and injures 27 at a bar in Dayton 
• 2021: Covid death toll at 4.2 million
• Born: Louis Vuitton, Ernesto Maserati, Louis Armstrong, Warren Avis [Avis], Maurice Richard [NHL], Billy Bob Thornton, Alberto Gonzales [Belmont Law School Dean], Barack Obama, Roger Clemens, Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch, Meghan Markle, 
• Died: Hans Christian Andersen, Daniel Williams [1st open heart surgery], Melvyn Douglas, Victor Mature, James Brady [Brady Bill],  

Thought:

In Matthew 5, Jesus has expanded and explained several of the commandments. each beginning with "You have heard that the ancients were told" or "you have heard." He has dealt with murder, adultery, false vows. Now He turns to a commandment not contained specifically in the Ten Commandments--An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Exodus 21 covers penalties for personal injuries and addresses several specific situations. In 21:23-25, it says "life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise." Similar texts include Leviticus 24:19-20 and Deuteronomy 19:21.

Jesus teaches turn the other cheek, give your coat along with your shirt, go the extra mile, lend freely. What! I cannot respond with someone disrespects me! I have to just take the beating? If I get sued, I just give them everything? I like the eye for an eye better--give as good as I get. Respond with equal force. Well, the Old Testament rules were established to limit revenge, to not have people over-reacting. What is Jesus trying to communicate here? It is not easy to understand, at least for me. I grew up with the idea that if someone hit me, I had the absolute right to hit them back--and I did. I found out that it was never that simple, for I often hit back harder or pushed them more forcefully. Then they thought they had a right to respond in kind, so that the situation escalated. We have seen that with the current war in Ukraine and the measures the West has taken against Russia and Russia's escalating responses. We see it in the political arguments---the temperature and the words escalate as they are exchanged.

I think what Jesus is talking about is that our response to being wronged can provide opportunities for witness and opportunities to model Christ. Rather than retaliate, we love--just read on in 5:43-48. And we allow the law and authority to protect and compensate us from a loss rather than taking revenge or retaliating ourselves. Consider this passage:

• Romans 12:17-21. Recall that this chapter begins with Paul begging us to present our bodies as living sacrifices so that we may "prove what the will of God is, that which is good, acceptable and perfect." [12:1-2] In 12:14, we are urged to bless those that persecute you, bless and curse not. And in 12:17, "never pay back evil with evil to anyone." Then in 12:19--"never take your own revenge, but leave room for the wrath of God  . . . if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink, for in so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." 
• So from these verses we understand:
• Jesus responded in love--Father forgive them. So we respond in love.
• Our bodies are living sacrifices--so we endure mistreatment for the cause of Christ.
• Our response is always good, not evil. Our goal is blessing, not cursing. We leave the cursing and the wrath to God.
• When we respond differently from the world, there is the opportunity for witness . Think about Paul and the earthquake freeing him from jail. He could have escaped, but he stayed and the jailer and his family were converted. 

Some who read this know Peggy Overby. I have told her story before. She owned the suede and leather store on 12th Avenue in what is now called 12 South. Two men entered her store and took her and a worker into the back room at gunpoint. Kneeling with a gun at her head, she said several times, "Jesus loves you and you don't have to do this." The men robbed the store but left. Several years later Peggy got a phone call--the man on the line asked if she was the owner of the store that got robbed--when she said yes, the man said I am the robber, I was in prison for another crime, but could never get what you said out of my mind. I accepted Christ and have been released and now preach the gospel. The man preached at Brentwood Baptist church. I always think of Peggy when someone treats me wrong--how I respond may be eternally significant.

Blessings

Larry