[Propertalk] Sermon tips for Matthew 5:38-48 - Part 2

[Joe Parrish]

 v39. Jesus' exposition on vengeance describes true perfection; "do not retaliate". It could be argued that Jesus is restricting retribution for personal insult while allowing justice to continue at the legal level. The trouble is this serves to reduce the law to the doable, cf. 5:19. In reality, this law cannot be obeyed. Jesus, with the illustration of a strike on the face, makes the point that perfection requires that we take the insult without retaliation. Of course, to not return evil for evil is to place ourselves under the subjection of those with evil intent.

http://www.lectionarystudies.com/studyg/sunday7ag.html

Bryan Findlayson
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When you turn the cross upside down, you get a sword-that uncomfortable
truth has plagued the church throughout its history in our ungodly
holy wars and military crusading. But when you turn a sword upside
down, you get the cross. It is the hope of the world.

http://www.baylor.edu/christianethics/PeaceandWararticleFox.pdf

Bob Fox, 2004
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The story is told of a Christian rice farmer in the south of China who
employed a waterwheel driven by a treadmill to irrigate his crop during
times of drought. On one occasion the farmer found that a neighbor, who
owned two fields below his own, had breached the retaining wall between
their fields in order to drain the irrigation water onto the neighbor's land.
After the first time, the farmer repaired the breach and tried again. But
twice more the neighbor drained away the water. At last the man consulted
friends from his church, who prayed with him and agreed that
something must be done that is beyond mere fairness. The farmer took it
to heart, and the next day he watered the neighbor's two fields first and
then watered his own. The neighbor, when he realized what had been
done, was moved by the mercy of the Christian farmer. He began to inquire
about the faith of this man who would return good for evil.
We may never become friends by making peace with our enemies, but
we might just become neighbors. And that's a beginning. Are we making
a start?

http://www.baylor.edu/christianethics/PeaceandWararticleMason.pdf

George A. Mason, 2004
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Stassen advocates ten peacemaking practices to reduce the threat
of war and foster just relationships among people and nations: (1)
support nonviolent direct action; (2) take independent initiatives to
reduce threat; (3) use cooperative conflict resolution; (4) acknowledge
responsibility for conflict and injustice and seek repentance and
forgiveness; (5) advance democracy, human rights, and religious
liberty; (6) foster just and sustainable economic development; (7)
work with emerging cooperative forces in the international system;
(8) strengthen the United Nations and international efforts for cooperation
and human rights; (9) reduce offensive weapons and
weapons trade; and (10) encourage grassroots peacemaking groups
and voluntary associations.

http://www.baylor.edu/christianethics/PeaceandWarStudyGuide4.pdf

Robert B. Kruschwitz, 2004
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...it is easy to see that
"telos" is embedded in "teleios", used in the sermon on the mount at the climax of
the antitheses (5:21-48).12 There Jesus says, in a free paraphrase of Lev 19:2, "Be
perfect (teleioi) as your heavenly Father is perfect (teleios)!"
This perfection is the condition of being fully mature, all grown up, of having
reached the end and goal (telos) of human life under God. It means being children
of God, sharing in the divine nature that is marked by stunning and indiscriminate
acts of generosity to all. God, who is "teleios", sends sun and rain upon
the evil and the good, the righteous and the unrighteous (5:45). So, if you say you
are children of God, offspring of the Most High, made of the same stuff as God,
then love not only those who will reciprocate, but "love your enemies" (5:44)
<>
If A = 6, and B =
12, and we continue through the alphabet in increments of 6, then COMPUTER =
666!

http://www2.luthersem.edu/word&world/Archives/19-3_Politics/19-3_Smith.pdf

Robert H. Smith, 1999
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