Are You Different?
Pastor Bill Nichols - February 21, 2010Introduction
Many years ago I read an article in Leadership Magazine which had an interview with Evangelist Billy Graham. I will never forget his response to a question about Christians being different from other people. To paraphrase his response, he basically said, "Christians are normal, everyone else is abnormal." This morning we will be looking at two responses that Christians should have to circumstances in their lives that sets them apart from the world.
I. Oath Taking
The first passage, Matthew 5:33-37 (NIV) has to do with making oaths or promises.
"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one."
I swear to God! I see it on television, I hear it when I listen to young people speak, every day, every where, people invoke the name of God as a means of validating their word, their oath, their promise. The phrase has become so commonplace today that I believe that most people do not even take it seriously anymore.
When you go into court you place your hands on a Bible and swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God.
My favorite author is John Grisham. Most of his books have to do with the law. He weaves a great story, usually from the lawyers point of view. You see all of the manipulations that take place among attorneys, judges, clients, etc. And most of the time, it is not in an attempt to get to the real truth, but to define truth in such a way that your side will win.
People hire attorneys with the intention of getting them to help manipulate the truth in order to get them out of trouble or to get the decision they think they deserve. We want to define terms precisely in order to excuse our behavior. I think we really see this today in the political arena today when someone makes a statement in front of the camera and then later has to define precisely what he meant when he made that statement. Sometimes what was said and what was meant can be strikingly different.
In real life, my favorite example of trying to manipulate the system was when a certain political leader asked the court to define what "is" is.
Some people use oaths intentionally to lie to others. Others use oaths to lie to themselves. They think, if I only invoke the name of God, this time I'll do things differently.
Of course, Jesus is trying to introduce something that was radically different than what was being practiced at the time, by both the people and the religious elite to whom the people came to for justice.
The Scriptures said that if you made an oath in Gods name, you were bound to keep it. But the religious leaders would get around this by making an oath without invoking Gods name specifically. They would use Gods throne or the Earth or the city of Jerusalem, knowing that these things did not bind them to keeping their oath. If called to account they would simply dismiss it because it was not an oath in the name of God.
Jesus says, forget all that nonsense and simply be true to your character. If you say you are going to do something, do it. Let your yes be yes, let your no be no. Anything beyond this is motivated by evil, or by the evil one. How simple is that? How different is that?
II. Do Not Demand Justice in Every Circumstance
In verses 38-42 Jesus presents an attitude that is so radically opposite of our nature that Im not sure that most of us could ever live up to it.
"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you."
In the Old Testament, the law was established to keep people from over reacting to injustices that occurred. Our human nature cries out for revenge when we are injured. If someone punches me and breaks my nose, I want to break his nose and his jaw and whatever other damage I can do. So the law said, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. The punishment should fit the crime.
Once again, people try and find a way to get around the law with technicalities. I read, for example, that if one clan of Hebrews got into a fight with another, and a young mans eye was put out, there would be a great debate as to whether an old, blind man from the offending clan could have his eye taken rather than taking the eye of one of the healthy young men.
In today's world, revenge usually boils down to some sort of financial settlement. Damages are awarded for actual damages, damages for emotional duress and punitive damages.
Where Jesus radically departs from these practices is that He says not to always insist on justice. You might have the right to slap a person back, but thats only going to escalate the issue. If someone takes your coat, give him your shirt too. If we take seriously the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:33, we should not worry about food, clothing, shelter should we? If someone forces you to go one mile, go the extra mile. (Roman Soldiers had the authority to make you carry his load one mile if he needed the help.)
This was radical thinking then, and it is radical thinking now. How many of us insist on getting what is rightfully ours, including justice?
I do not think that Jesus is advocating that we ignore the rule of law, but in so many things, our witness as a follower of Christ is damaged when we get into these battles of who is right and who is wrong. Sometimes, it is better to just let it go, and more than that, go the extra mile rather than have the name of Christ impugned by our insistence on our own justice.
Think about it. Jesus was falsely accused, tried, convicted and led to a cross; and yet He did not cry out about the injustice that was being done for Him. He took our punishment and glorified His Father by His obedience.
Conclusion
Jesus calls us to be different from the world. He wants kingdom people to be people of character. That is why he warns us about oath taking. When you live your life in such a way that people know that you are a person of good character, then your word should be sufficient. When you say yes, people know you mean yes. When you do not always insist on your rights, and you do not complain when you have been wronged, people will know that you are different from most people. They may or may not know that you are a believer, but it will definitely make an impression, and that may lead to the opportunity to share your faith with them.
You might be wondering, how can I live this kind of kingdom life? You cannot, unless you have a relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord. And even then, it will not be easy. It will take daily surrender of your personal will to the will of Christ in your life. The Apostle Paul said, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I believe that you too can do all things if you have Jesus in your life.