Rights, Retaliation and Gracious Giving part 1

If you would take your Bible and turn back to Matthew 5, we were there earlier in our scripture reading. And like I said, we will turn later on to Leviticus chapter 19. And then we'll turn to 1 Corinthians 13, verses 1 to 7. And as always, if I mention a verse and you're not comfortable turning there, jot that down, read it later. I'd rather you follow along with your mind and your heart. And you know, this is work, is it not? I mean, it's hard to get it all when we're sitting here together like this. It's really not fair. You know, I get to study for a week or two and then come in here and unload on you.

And then I expect you to digest it all. And that's why we need to be good students. Let's continue to study. Let's take what the Lord gives us. And let's pray that the Lord will do a work in our lives with all that we study together. Now, it has been a few weeks since we have been in our study in the Sermon on the Mount. If you're like me, you have needed or will need a little reminder as to what's going on here. And then also I know there are some of you here, you have not been a part of this study. And if you're like me and you need a reminder, maybe go back and look at some of your notes.

And if you are new to this study, you can go to the church website and look at some of the messages. I can give you some of my sermon notes if that helps you. And we can go and study these verses and we can all be together. Sometimes it can be hard, especially if you jump in the middle of a series and you weren't there from the beginning. But the Sermon on the Mount is found right here in Matthew 5, chapter 5, chapter 6, and chapter 7. It's really at the beginning of Jesus' earthly ministry. Some of you do know that.

If we turn back into Matthew 3 and 4, we'll see that Jesus had just been baptized and he had been there in the wilderness being tempted. And then John the Baptist had prepared the way and he is fading from the scene as Jesus is coming on the scene. And so really this is right here at the beginning of Jesus' earthly ministry. But we really need to grasp some important information. This is context, this is background. A lot of times if we don't have background and context in our mind, some of what we're studying will not impact us like it should. And this really does have a bearing on everything that is taking place.

This helps us see why Jesus is saying what he's saying. This helps us see why Jesus is doing what he's doing in the sermon. Now, first it's important for us to see that this was a time when Jesus was calling his disciples. We see that beginning in chapter 4, verse 18. This was simply the beginning of his earthly ministry with those chosen men, that little band of disciples. I have said this a hundred times, I know. One scholar called this sermon their ordination service. I don't mind saying something like that because in many ways it was because this started them off right in their earthly ministry.

We also need to remember the backdrop of the sermon was the nation of Israel and the Jewish people. The Jews were eagerly looking forward to the long awaited promised Messiah. And many Jews thought Jesus was the one, they did. They had experienced a long, long silence since the last of the Old Testament prophets. And they were under this cruel Roman domination. So the people were really looking for the Messiah and that caused many people to follow Jesus with great zeal and great excitement. And that is what we see at the end of chapter 4, right before the sermon on the Mount. Look at verse 25, the great crowds following him.

And they were from Galilee and the Decapolis, which was a region and then from Jerusalem, which was the capital city and Judea, which is a region and from beyond the Jordan. See, that is a great number of people. So the crowds, they had come. They'd come from all over the region and really beyond. And Jesus simply begins to teach the crowd. I've said it over and over. There are thousands of Jews that were there. They're the disciples, they're right there. I kind of envisioned them on the front row. And then there were some Gentiles there as well.

But we must definitely remember the religious backdrop, not just the nation of Israel and the Jews, but their religious backdrop. The Jewish leaders had long since made Judaism nothing but a religion of external works. Their religion was all outward performance and it had really nothing to do with the transformed heart and life. It really had nothing to do with the inside of the man. For generations, the Jewish leaders had perverted the original meaning and the intent of the Old Testament scriptures. They had added to the Old Testament with rule after rule after rule, law after law. And it was supposed to ensure that they kept the law.

But what they had actually done was reduce the meaning and the purpose of the scriptures. So this sermon was meant to expose their false external religion. And this was meant to explain the true meaning of the scriptures, the Old Testament scriptures, and the sermon was meant to explain the true Christian life. I jotted it down like this last night. This was apologetic. Jesus is defending the faith from their external religion. And this was evangelistic because he was calling disciples, not just the 12, but others to genuinely follow him.

And this was discipleship and equipping for those 12 disciples because he was purging all of the Judaism out of them. And he was instilling in them what it really meant to be a true follower here. So the sermon on the mount, which is considered really the greatest sermon that's ever been taught. Now our verses this morning, they are a part of the third section of the sermon. In verses 21 to 42, we have six individual lessons. We have six individual lessons that do have meaning in and of themselves. Let me show you what I mean. Take the topic of anger.

If we wanna know how God feels about anger, that particular subject, we can study what the verses say from verse 21 on down to verse 26. You see, God will show us what he thinks about that particular subject. But we also have illustrations here and the illustrations are meant to shed light on what he had said in the other section in verses 17 to 20. Some of you might need to go back and look at what we studied March the 15th. The title of the message was a new authority and a new standard. And it was right before we were getting into this second section. And what am I trying to show you?

Jesus comes along and he raises the standard beyond their external standard. That's why he says what he says in verse 20. I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and the Pharisees, you'll never enter the kingdom of heaven. See, he had a new authority and a new standard and it was God's standard. So simply in these six illustrations, Jesus is demonstrating that man must possess a righteousness that is greater than a man-made righteousness. Man must possess a righteousness from outside of himself. You see, a righteousness that can only come from God.

We understand that that comes from regeneration, being born of God, having the spirit of God imparted to us. So that catches us up here with what's going on. Well, this morning, what lesson do we have that is before us in these verses? These are illustrations, these are lessons. So what lesson do we have in front of us and what illustration do we have here that shows us our great need? Here in verses 38 to 42, we have some of the greatest passages on one of the most important questions in the Christian life. And that question is this, as a Christian, what are my rights?

As a Christian, a man or a woman who wants to love the Lord and serve God, what are our rights? You know, as Americans, we have rights, do we not? We know our rights, we expect our rights. And you know, some demand their rights, isn't that the truth? I mean, isn't that a part of the American way of life? You know, that's just part of our culture. You know what I'm talking about. We believe that government has given us certain legitimate rights. We believe in, you know, the freedom of speech, the first amendment, and then the right to keep and to bear arms, that's the second amendment.

But it goes on, the right to own and keep property, the right to education for our children, and then the right for protection from law enforcement, the right to defend ourselves and family. See, we see that government has given us legitimate rights. But we also believe in what are called inalienable rights, inalienable rights, rights that no government can violate or take away. For us as Christians, we would say on the top of that list is the right and the command to worship God as we see fit. And that should be at the top of our list. I hope you've kept up with what's going on in the state of California.

Now I'm not talking about the wildfires. I'm talking about the large battle between Grace Community Church and John MacArthur and the state. And see, he has defied the government and opened his church to worship. And his argument has been based on constitutional rights. But above and beyond that, it would be the inalienable right by God to corporately gather and worship, you see? But think about it. We need to know what God says about our rights. We need to know how we should think and act when it comes to our rights. And this is a big deal in our day because times are changing and they're changing rapidly.

And that's what Jesus is getting into in these verses, starting in verse 38. How a Christian should view their rights. Now we're gonna start off this morning with verse 38. In verse 38 sets the stage for what Jesus wants to teach. But to be honest with you, we do not have enough time. So this is going to be a part one and a part two. We're gonna stick right here with verse 38 this morning. And then next week we'll step over into what Jesus begins to say, starting in verse 39. So we have two major truths within the totality of the message, but we'll only cover one this morning. And you see what we're going to look at.

Verse 38, which is what I'm calling their tradition. Their tradition. Now, here we see Jesus refer to the tradition of the Jews. Look at verse 38. You have heard that it was said in that language scene all throughout these lessons. You have heard that it was said an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Now their Jewish tradition, it did come from the Old Testament scriptures. We have seen that all throughout every one of these lessons. The Jews and their traditions were always misinterpreting the Old Testament scriptures.

They were reducing and altering the meaning of the Old Testament scriptures most all of the time to benefit themselves and to accommodate their sin. And you know the same thing is going on here in this tradition and with this Old Testament scripture. Now there are several things that we need to see here to understand their tradition. First, we need to see what I call the old law. This isn't scriptural now, but this is what I'm calling the old law. Truthfully, this law of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, it does predate the Old Testament scriptures.

This law was found in the earliest known code of laws, which dates back to the Babylonians over 2,200 years before Christ. It is sometimes called the law of tit for tat. And their law was rather simple. If a man were to cause an injury to any person, an equal injury would be inflicted upon the other. So the law of an eye for an eye or tit for tat, it was a part of the culture and surrounding cultures. It wouldn't be a stretch to say it like this. It was a part of the world's thinking in that day because it did predate the scriptures. But second, we need to see the Old Testament law and the scriptures, the Old Testament law and the scriptures.

Now this law did become a part of the Old Testament scriptures and a part of the Old Testament way of life. Within the Old Testament scriptures, we found this very law spelled out very easy to see in three different places. But we see this in the book of Exodus, Exodus chapter 21. Exodus chapter 21 starting in verse 22. When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman so that her child come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fine. As the woman's husband shall impose upon him and he shall pay as the judge or judges determine. But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life.

Verse 24, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe, far, stripe. We also see this in Leviticus chapter 24. Leviticus chapter 24 starting in verse 17, but we really see it on down in verse 20. Whoever takes a human life shall surely be put to death. See, that's capital punishment. It's found all throughout the scripture. Whoever takes a human life shall surely be put to death. Whoever takes an animal's life shall make it good life for life. If anyone injures his neighbor as he has done it, shall be done to him.

Fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, whatever injury he has given a person shall be given to him. And then we see the same thing in Deuteronomy chapter 19. I'm gonna start reading in verse 15, but we really see it on down in verse 21. A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established.

If a malicious witness arises to accuse a person of wrongdoing, then both parties to the dispute shall appear before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who were in office in those days. The judges shall inquire diligently if the witness is false, a false witness, and has accused his brother falsely. Then you shall do to him as he had meant to do to his brother. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. And the rest shall hear in fear and shall never commit such an evil among you. Your eye shall not pity. It shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot.

So we see that this law was given by God and for God's people. And listen, it wasn't just a good idea from culture. No, it was given by God as a part of their law and it was to rightly govern the people. Now question. What did these Old Testament passages mean? How were these passages meant to be applied in their religious system and then also in their culture? It's one thing to read them, but it's another thing to understand how it's fleshed out in their life. Now simply, the law here contains a very important principle. The punishment must fit the crime. You heard that every time I read it. The punishment must fit the crime.

It was not a leg for an eye or a life for an eye, no. And this law was for two basic purposes. First, it was to prevent any more crime. We read that earlier. If a person commits a crime and was punished justly, then it was a deterrent for other crime in the culture. And then second, it was also meant to prevent excessive punishment. It was meant to prevent revenge and retaliation. But the context of the law is extremely important. The context and how it was supposed to be administered. This was not a law to be taken into one's own hand. This was a part of Israel's judicial system.

And you heard that many times when we read through those scriptures. The punishment was at times carried out by the victim, yes, but there were always rightly appointed judges or rightly appointed representatives from the populace who held the trial and handed down the sentencing. We can say it like this. This might be some of our language, but it's accurate. This was taken care of in their court system by duly authorized persons, not by the victims and not by individuals. And we see this also in Deuteronomy 19 verse 18. But don't misunderstand. This was not some vicious heinous law.

Scholars tell us that this law was almost never carried out literally. The norm was that something of equal value was to be paid or given to fit the crime. The punishment fit the crime, but it was literally rare. It was rare that it was literally an eye for an eye. It was usually something monetary and of equal value. But this wasn't merciless. This wasn't loveless. This wasn't some harsh, merciless legal code. No, this was not a loveless system. There was plenty of mercy and love and grace within what we would call the Old Testament code or the Old Testament ethic. Listen to Leviticus 19, 18.

You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people. These were the own Jews. But you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. You shall see the love and the grace and the mercy. Two Proverbs, and there are many others. Proverbs 25, 21. If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat. And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. And then Proverbs 24, 29. Do not say I will do to him as he has done to me. That sounds like eye for an eye, doesn't it? He says, do not do to him as he has done to me. I will pay the man back for what he has done. So we see there this law of an eye for an eye.

The punishment, it must fit the crime. But God did teach his people to administer mercy and compassion and kindness. And this was always supposed to be worked out in there if I can use my language, our language, their judicial system. Now at this point, we really must think about our day and our time. Truthfully, we really do see these verses abused in our day horribly. These verses are very often quoted or referenced when someone wants retribution or retaliation. You know, when some violent individual or some merciless mob wants revenge for something which has been committed.

You know, they do it in the spirit of the old Hatfields and McCoy's feud. I'm from Jones County. Most of you know, some of you know the story of Jones County. You know, the free state of Jones. That's an interesting infamous story. But you know, being from Jones County, we always heard of the infamous Sullivan's Hollow there in Smith County, Mississippi around the little town of Mize. There is this local tradition surrounding the original Sullivan clan that settled the region there and what is called Sullivan's Hollow.

And legend has it that they were a notorious man who were known for taking the law in their own hands and they were known for dealing rough with folks when they were wrong. You know, taking the law in their own hands and eye for an eye. You know, I don't watch a lot of TV. My wife will laugh when I say this, but I do enjoy catching an old Western from time to time. I kind of poke fun at Keith 'cause I don't think he enjoys those kinds of movies. He should, I'm praying that he'll come to that place, you know. But you know, if you think about it, we see a lot of this type of revenge and retaliation in those old movies, do we not?

I mean, think about it. In those old Westerns, if you insulted the wrong fellow, what was gonna happen? If someone called a gunfighter a liar, what was gonna happen? If you cheated a man in cards, what was going to happen? See a part of those characters within those movies, it was an eye for an eye and really so much more. Now, what do we see in these examples from real life and not so much real life? An individual or a group that would seek retaliation when wronged. They would take revenge and retribution when someone wronged them. You know, an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. What about the Jews? We've talked about their tradition.

What about the Jews? They're in Jesus' day and in the previous generations. This leads us to the third observation, their perversion of the Old Testament law. What I just talked about was exactly what the Jewish teachers and their forefathers had done. They had become judge, jury and executioner personally. They had reduced the Old Testament scripture into a personal license for retribution and retaliation instead of bringing the offense before the appropriate authorities. I'll give you a good one to study. This was way back in Genesis, Genesis four, the story of Limmock.

I mean, he bragged that he had killed a man for wounding him and he bragged that he had killed a boy for hitting him. That's taking the law into their own hands. So this is what I'm calling their tradition. Jesus was talking about that right here in verse 38. Look back at the verse. You have heard that it was said. See, they heard this all their life. You have heard that it was said an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. That was their tradition, but they had reduced it and changed it to fit their own sin, their revenge, their retribution.

And sure, this law was a part of the legal codes of their cultures, yes, but this law was a part of God's law given to God's people to punish certain crimes, not in excess. Scholars say that the Pharisees became rich abusing this law. But for generations, the Jewish leaders and the Jewish people, they had reduced the law. They had made it all about their personal wants and their emotions. They took the law into their own hands. And again, it was about retaliation, retribution, and revenge. And there is no portion of scripture in the Old Testament that would allow a Jew to take matters in their own hands. There's not one.

But what we need to see is how the Jewish leaders and their tradition was maybe more American than we may know. We might not realize it. They were a lot more American than they realize. Notice the Jews saw this as a religious right. They believed that they had the right to extort an eye for an eye and even more, you see? And they were using the Old Testament scriptures for this practice. Look, in our language, it had become their inalienable right, it was given by God. And for the Jews, this was almost a national right. Remember, the Jewish people were a part of the nation of Israel.

And the Jewish people, they did this, it was ingrained in their culture in every way. So it was almost like a national right. Scholars tell us this. And listen, folks, for us, we can't demand and we can't expect a right that God's word does not give us. Isn't that what they did? We cannot demand and we cannot expect a right that God's word does not give us. And also, we cannot manipulate God's word to fit our own contrived rights or even rights within our society. We cannot Christianize rights around us to benefit us. And if we do, we're just like the Jewish leaders. We're perverting the scripture.

We're adjusting the scripture, reducing the scripture, manipulating the scripture for our own needs. And we definitely can't be vengeful. Now, at this point in the message, we really should transition to verse 39. Look back at verse 38. "But you have heard that it was said, "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth." See, it's hard for us because we're not there in that day. They knew what was taking place. They knew the tradition. That's why the backdrop is important. Verse 39, "But I say to you," Jesus moves right here to the explanation of what he expects for the Christian life. He deals with their rights. He deals with this retaliation.

He deals with this revenge. But you see, we cannot receive how Jesus would want us to live until we identify the possible center in our lives concerning our rights and retaliation. Listen, that which will hinder us from living as Jesus is teaching here. I don't know if you've ever been around when people are cooking crawfish. We like crawfish, do we not? If you don't like crawfish, you probably need to. It's not something we have all the time or I don't. But you know, if you've ever been around when they're cooking crawfish, they purge the crawfish. It's not a very pretty sight. See, what I'm trying to show you is this.

If we have any of this in our life, it must be purged. That which will hinder us from living as Jesus is talking about, starting right here in verse 39. You see, we need to see that revenge and retaliation can be a virtue by some and in some. Think about it. Revenge and retaliation can be seen as a virtue, a good trait. Some are admired if they have those qualities. You know, they won't take anything off anybody and they pay back fourfold. You know anybody like that? Can you be like that? Also, this behavior can be seen as an asset. This behavior can be seen as an asset in certain parts of our life.

You know, if we're like this in business, that means we're getting ahead. If we're like this at sports, that means we're winning. See, maybe if we're using this kind of behavior to advance our career, it's accepted, it's a good quality. You know, he's just aggressive and he's got that zeal to get ahead. Are you vengeful like this in certain areas of your life? An eye for an eye. Oh, maybe a leg for an eye. This one's gonna surprise some of you and it's very needed. We may know people who can be like this and they spiritualize this behavior.

In the name of being godly, in the name of having high standards and convictions, they are really mean and vengeful towards other people. They cover over their sin with spiritual excuses and being a lot more spiritual than other people. I've known people like that. I never forget a man in the life of a church I was a part of years ago. You know, he was just so zealous and he just seemed to be a lot more zealous than everybody else. But that zeal and that supposed godliness always seemed to overshadow some of this kind of behavior.

But when you really cut down to it, it didn't matter how godly he seemed or how zealous he was, he was just downright vengeful. Mean. And ultimately, if you were around him very long, you realized he was out for a leg instead of an eye. You know, we can see this behavior at times in the life of the church. I've seen church leaders exhibit this kind of behavior. I've seen church members exhibit this kind of behavior towards church staff. Now I can't beat up everybody in the pew. I've seen church staff exhibit this kind of behavior towards people in the pew. You see? I've seen it. Some of you have been a victim of it.

Remember the Leviticus passage? I'd like you to turn back to Leviticus 19. Notice what Leviticus says. "You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people." This was Jew to Jew, see? Brother to brother. "You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord." What is he saying? Whether it's pew to pew or pulpit to pew or pew to pulpit. What is he saying? You're to love your neighbor. No vengeance, no retaliation. I've been really studying personally. 1 Corinthians 12 and 13 a lot lately. Just meditating over these chapters.

I'd like you to turn over to 1 Corinthians 13. Remember Paul's writing to a church, trouble church, or really trouble church. A lot of division, a lot of fights. People were accusing Paul of not being a true apostle. Let me start in verse one. What does Paul say? "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but I have not love, I am a noisy, gong, or a clanging cymbal." And if I have prophetic powers and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so as to move mountains, but I do not have love, I am nothing.

And if I give away all that I have and I deliver up my body to be burned, but I have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind. Love does not envy or boast. It is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist its own way. It is not irritable or resentful. It does not rejoice at the wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. In verse seven, love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. But what did I say? Some of us have seen some of this vengeful behavior all in the life of the church, but yet what is Leviticus and just that passage in 1 Corinthians say? This reminds me of a story, a negative story.

Years ago, I was at a church where there was a lot of infighting, the pew attacking the pulpit, pew attacking pew. It ended up in a lot of hurt, a lot of people left. And I'll never forget, probably two or three years later, I was in the company of a lost man, not a churchgoer. And I listened to him describe all the events that took place in the life of that church. And I had been in those meetings. It was as if he was sitting there. He knew everything that was said, by who, what, when, where? A lost man. Now contrast that with what John 13, 34 and 35 says.

Jesus said, "A new commandment I give you that you love one another, just as I have loved you, but you also are to love one another. By this, all people will know that you are my disciples if you love one another." But yet we see this behavior. Out there and in here. What I mean by in here is sometimes in the church. But you know, you might be surprised there's another level. You may not act out in revenge and retaliation. You may not act out in revenge and retaliation. You know that I for an I, but you do have an attitude of revenge and retaliation in your heart. You may have this spirit and you see it as your right.

I mean, you may have this spirit and this attitude and whether you know it or not, you see it as your right. And you might say, "Well, pastor, you do not know how they have wronged me. You do not know how they have cheated me. I have a right to feel this way." Do you really have a right if you're a Christian? Are you demanding a right for revenge and retaliation that God never gives you? You may remember all of these events. You may harp on them. You might harp on every wrong the person has ever committed to you. You may be keeping score in all of these things and all of the things that the person did to you. But let me turn it around.

You may be keeping score of all of the things that the person did not do for you, things that you think you deserve. And you hold a grudge and you keep score and you fester all about it. And is that not demanding your rights? Are you not extorting an I for an I, really a leg for an I? Maybe not in action, but you're doing it in your heart and in your thoughts and in your meditations. Now you know why I said what I said earlier, that which can hinder us from living as Jesus starts to teach us about starting here in verse 39, it must be dealt with.

And listen, folks, we cannot embrace what God wants to say to us concerning our rights, concerning being wrong, concerning even being destroyed in life. We cannot, unless we are able to rid our lives of any revenge, of any retaliation, of any retribution. Remember my crawfish illustration? Some of you, most of you know that we partner with a group, anchored in truth, group of churches, like-minded churches and doctrine, theology, methodology. Many of you know, and some of you have heard Brother Jeff preach. Brother Jeff is a pastor of Grace Life Church in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

And Brother Jeff came down and spent some time with some of our men. He came and preached when we were at our other location. And you know, I didn't realize this, but Brother Jeff loves crawfish. But being in North Alabama, they don't have access to crawfish. Well, when he came down, he found him a good place to buy some crawfish. And when he came into town, he called me and maybe I think a couple of the men, maybe one of the men here, you know, come out to the trunk of my car and he had a rental car and he popped the trunk. And there was a huge ice chest just full of crawfish. Taking them back home.

But remember the story about preparing them to cook. See, you gotta take those crawfish and you put them in a big pool of water. You fill it full of salt. You fill them full of salt water. And see what happens is when you put those crawfish in that salt water, they're purged. And everything that they've been eating comes out and that nice, clean, clear water gets really ugly, really quick. And see what I'm trying to show you is all of these things, not just in action, but in attitude, it's all ugly and it needs to be repented of and it needs to be purged out of our life.

See, we will not get what the Lord wants us to get starting in verse 39, unless all of this stuff is purged out of our life. Yes, the secret things that we hold onto which is nothing more than revenge. And you think it's your right. What are we looking at this morning? You see the title of the message? Rights, retaliation, and gracious giving. We gotta deal with our rights and we gotta deal with this retaliation or we will not ever be able to understand gracious living. Go back to those verses. Let's read them and then we'll close. You have heard that it was said, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

All those people knew exactly what he was saying. I gotta believe it got real silent when he started talking like that. But I say to you, do not resist 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 tuning, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles and oh, here's the pinnacle. Give to the one who begs of you and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

And again, I say, until we deal with what's in our heart in life, until we deal with any rights, any retaliation, and the rights to that retaliation, we will never get what the Lord has for us starting in verse 39. You know, I think about those disciples sitting there. If they could get it, we can with God's help. Let's pray and then we will dismiss.