In today’s section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus deals with how we should treat our enemies. Jesus gives special teaching to how we treat those who are against us. It is not to be the same way that non-believers treat their enemies. There is a reason God desires us to treat our enemies well. What is it (2 Pet 3:9, Rom 5:8).
Let’s begin first by looking at Matt 5:38-42. Jesus begins by quoting the Old Testament teaching of Eye for Eye, Tooth for Tooth (Lev 24:17-20). But then He says not to do that. Instead, we are to turn the other cheek when we have been wronged. We must give our enemies the opportunity to choose once again whether to treat us well or not.
It looks like, here, that Jesus is changing the policy. Eye for an Eye was payback but here Jesus is advocating forgiveness. How do we reconcile this? God’s ways are true and do not change. Many non-believers look at this as an example of how the Bible contradicts itself, but this is not a contradiction nor a change in policy.
In the Old Testament when God taught Eye for Eye, Tooth for Tooth, He was giving The Law. The Law served as ancient Israel’s legal system. These were the rules to be followed in administering justice within their society. The courts and the legal system were to give strong punishments for wrong doers (deterrents). Society needed to maintain order. However, when Jesus came along and told the New Testament believers about forgiveness and turning the other cheek, He was not addressing the actions society should be taking against wrong doers. He was addressing individual people who had been wronged. While the courts and society must punish wrong-doing, the person who has been wronged must practice forgiveness. Both criminal punishments and individual forgiveness can, and should, occur at the same time.
1 Peter 3:9 teaches us that, as individuals, we are not to repay evil with evil. In Matthew 18:21-22, Jesus went even further when Peter asked Him how many times we should forgive someone. Should it be seven times? Jesus told him it should be 7 times 70 times. He was not suggesting to Peter that we should keep count until we reach a certain number of times. What He was telling Peter was that we should keep forgiving, over and over again, even if we are getting up there into the larger numbers. God wants us to be a forgiving people, just as He has forgiven us over and over (Luke 11:4, Matt 6:14). The Bible shows us an example of how Jesus forgave from the cross (Luke 23:34) and how Stephen also, just as Jesus had, forgave those who put him to death (Acts 7:59-60). This is explained to us clearly in 1 Pet 2:21-25.
Jesus then went on to teach that when unreasonable requests are made of us, we can show God’s love by giving more than is asked and we should not turn away those needing to borrow (Deut 15:7-8). Under Roman rule, anyone could be asked by a Roman soldier, at any time, to help them carry their gear for one mile. Jesus even suggested that if you were pressed upon by one of these enemy soldiers, go ahead and help them for two miles, not just one. Does God want us to be taken advantage of like this? No, I believe Jesus was teaching that in order to show God’s love to those who need to understand it, we must be willing to make ourselves vulnerable, risking being taken advantage of, and even being willing to walk the extra mile. I also believe He was probably expecting us to do these things with a decent attitude.
Now let’s look at Matt 5:43-48. Jesus said that we should ‘love’ our enemies. This goes beyond forgiveness. He states that even wicked folks love people who are good to them, but God sets a standard of love that goes beyond what is human nature. We are to love everyone with God’s love, and a true desire that all should come to belief in Him. We have reward in Heaven when we work to further God’s Kingdom and this should be the motivation for loving our enemies – that they would come to know Christ as Savior. In verse 48, He exhorts us to be like God in this respect (Lev 19:1-2, 1 Peter 1:14-16).
Portions of the Sermon on the Mount are recorded also in Luke 6. Read Luke’s account of our text in verses 27-36. Verses 27-28 lists four specific things we are to do for our enemies. What are they? Luke’s version includes here also the Golden Rule (vs 31). And in Luke, Jesus exhorts us to mercy (vs 36). James 2:12-13 tells us just a little bit more about mercy.
Read Romans 12:14-21.
Responding to God: Worship God for His infinite Love and Mercy. Pray for a forgiving heart. Seek His help anytime you have difficulty reaching forgiveness. Pray for any enemies you may have in your life.
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