The Sermon On The Mount Series: Relationship With Others [PT. 2]

The Sermon On The Mount Series: Relationship With others [PT. 2]

Read: Matthew 5:38-48

I would like to write this 10 verse passage in two points:-

• If anyone does bad to you, don't do bad in return (Matthew 5:38-40 & 5:43-48).
• If anyone does good to you, do more than good in return (Matthew 5:41-42).

1. If anyone does bad to you, don't do bad in return:-

In verse 38, Jesus recites a saying, "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth". Followed by some examples, i.e. if a person slaps you on your left cheek, turn your right cheek towards the person to slap and if a person sues you and takes away your tunic, give him your cloak as well. 

From verses 38 to 48, Jesus tells us to resist an evil person, which means keeping distance from an evil person's presence. The evil person here is a metaphor for wrong deeds. This means Jesus tells us to resist doing evil and seeking revenge.

Seeing the parable of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18:21-35, The King forgives His servant's debt but the servant does not forgive his fellow servant's debt, rather he punishes him.

Seeing it in the context of the parable, God forgave all our sins and transgression inconsiderate of how big or small they were. Then instead of seeking revenge or evil, we have to forgive the people who harm us.

We also recite in The Lord's Prayer [Matthew 6:9-13], "...And forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us....".

We all are made in the image of God Himself [Genesis 1:26], and as His children, it is our duty to show God-like behavior of forgiving the people who harm us and as it says in verse 44, "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who hate you and persecute you," 

2. If anyone does good to you, do more than good in return:-

As already read about what we should do when someone does bad to us. Now when someone does good to us or asks us for help, we must go the second mile.

Jesus gives us one example in verse 41, i.e. if someone forces us to go 1 mile, we must go 2 miles with them.

In verse 42, Jesus instructs us not to refuse the people who want to borrow from us and to give to the ones who ask. 

Let me repeat the point that we are made in the image of God, James 1:5 says "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you." Here we can see the generous nature of God, and as we are made in the image of God we need to keep up to that image.

We must be forgiving and loving towards our enemies and generous to those who ask. As humans, we are not perfect, but we can try. God himself knows that we are not perfect in our ways as it says in verse 48, "Be perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect." But we must also remember that by the Holy Spirit's guidance, we will be able to accomplish it. Let us pray to God to give us and help us in all our ways so that we can be perfect to some extent like our Father in heaven.

All praises to God, peace be with you!