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Week:08, Season:1,
2014
Posted on Saturday by PCT
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Pay Double Back
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Scripture：《
Matthew 5:38-48
》
5：38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. 41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. 42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. 43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
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‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth’ seems a very popular saying which influences our life. If you have ever watched the following TV series, “Empresses in the Palace” “Lan Ling Wang” “Hanzawa Naoki” “Feng Shui Family”, etc. and whenever the villains were planning their schemes to draw innocent people into the traps, would you feel the same as hating the villains in the shows and think, “if I were xxx, I would do this in revenge!” When there is a scene showing the villains paying for their wrong doings, wouldn’t you feel very pleased?
A typical line from the TV series “Hanzawa Naoki”: “Tooth for tooth, pay you back double” seems human nature. From quarrels between children: “he hit me first! So I hit him back!” to adults’ relationships: “Why can’t I treat you in the same way since you treat me badly?” It is sad that in our life, the philosophy of “an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth” is always following us.
A new interpretation of “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”
In Jesus’ time, “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” was also an attitude deeply rooted in the human heart. The principle of life inherited from Moses’ time was not new to Israelites at all. However, Jesus presented a new approach to “pay someone back double” in the verses we just read. He said, “If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”
The way of “paying someone back double” told by Jesus had surprised all Jews. Being slapped on the right cheek is absolutely humiliating but we should even “pay the person back double” by turning another cheek? Being sued and asked for our shirt, we should “pay the person back double” by handing over our coat which keeps us warm in the night and make ourselves almost naked and more humiliated? The worst is, if being forced to go one mile, we should “pay the person back double” by walking with him for two miles? This is far from the human nature we know!
The “love” which is “paid double back”
Jesus taught us a different strategy to deal with villains’ attacks, humiliation, dark schemes etc., which is to “pay someone back double”, not to take revenge but, beyond all our thoughts, to “love” in double. Jesus said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Love those who sin against us and love those who we cannot get along with. Pray for them with a sincere heart. This action of love taught by Jesus is that we should not treat others based on how they treat us but rather, treat others according to the teaching of Jesus.
The way Jesus loves people is that he stood in front of Pilate and accepted humiliation. He was mocked and flogged. His shirt was taken and he was still silent. He did not blame anyone when he was crucified on the cross. He only called to God and asked God to forgive. Jesus Christ took all this humiliation because he loves us. There is only one reason that Jesus “pays us back double” with “love”: whether the evil or the good, we all belong to God as his children. In Father’s eyes, we are all worthy to be loved.
“Pay double back” because of “love”
Jesus Christ sacrificed his life to love for those who love him and those who persecute him. Theologian Bonheoffer said that this kind of love is beyond our ability to love and surpasses human nature; a completed love. Jesus requests us, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” However, it is not a simple task to love completely as we are weak. We cannot be like Jesus to love our enemies truly. What we might achieve the most is to maintain an ostensible peace between us and our enemies; it is a tremendous task to keep not offending each other. Somehow behind such a harmony, there might be concealed voices of insults and attacks.
The request from Jesus to us is too difficult! At the time that The Presbyterian Church in Taiwan is going to celebrate its mission for 150th years, how many opposite voices within the church are attacking one another? How can we love completely? The “completed” here means we should give up arrogance and extravagance and abandon the thinking of “an eye for an eye; a tooth for a tooth” and follow the perfect example of Jesus to be bonded with him. In other words, Jesus asks us to remember his completed love whenever we face our enemies and persecutions. He asks us to pray sincerely for our enemies and to “pay double back” with love. Jesus loves us like this.
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For discussion：
1.What consequences are there from the belief of “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”?
2.Can you think of some practical examples of loving our enemies? How will you love your enemies?
Please pray for：
1.For all Christians to follow the example of Jesus and respond to the love of God.
2.For all churches to love one another, solve conflicts and humbly follow the way of Christ.
Prayer：
Loving Abba Father, we thank you for your unconditional love for us. You gave us Jesus to walk on the road of cross to be our saviour and redeem our lives. Your love is so perfect. Please help us to understand your love more and renew our hearts; help us to be filled by your love and open our eyes to see that, even with our enemies, there is your love for them. Help us to learn from your example to pray for those who persecute us. Help us to respond with love to our enemies and those who persecute us. In the name of Christ, Amen.
Something you can do：
1.Before responding to your enemy’s attack, remind yourself of the love of Christ.
2.Pray for those whom you have found it difficult to get along with well.
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