FIGHT CLUB
A STUDY OVER THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT: PART XVIII (TOPIC: Biblical Resistance)
INTRO: There is a famous movie a couple of years ago called Fight Club. And for those who have seen it, what is the first rule (let the students answer, they will know it, so you know it, the first rule is no one talks about fight club). Well today, we are going to break the first rule of fight club, we are going to talk about fighting. But not the way we are accustomed to seeing around us, God’s way of fighting. It may surprise you.
BIBLE VERSE: Matthew 5:38
5:38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 45 5:39 But I say to you, do not resist the evildoer. But whoever strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other to him as well. 5:40 And if someone wants to sue you and to take your tunic, give him your coat also. 5:41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two. 5:42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not reject the one who wants to borrow from you.
5:43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘hate your enemy.’ 5:44 But I say to you, love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you, 5:45 so that you may be like your Father in heaven, since he causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 5:46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors do the same, don’t they? 5:47 And if you only greet your brothers, what more do you do? Even the Gentiles do the same, don’t they? 5:48 So then, be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
1. AN EYE FOR AN EYE AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH:
BIBLE VERSE: Exodus 21:23-25
21:23 But if there is serious injury, then you will give a life for a life, 21:24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 21:25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.
Code of Hammurabi: It is a law code written by a Babylon with 282 specific laws and punishments. It is the oldest surviving law system created, and perhaps the first one officially enacted over a major dynasty.
Examples:
3. If any one bring an accusation of any crime before the elders, and does not prove what he has charged, he shall, if it be a capital offense charged, be put to death.
14. If any one steal the minor son of another, he shall be put to death.
21. If any one break a hole into a house (break in to steal), he shall be put to death before that hole and be buried.
129. If a man’s wife be surprised (in flagrante delicto) with another man, both shall be tied and thrown into the water, but the husband may pardon his wife and the king his slaves
282. If a slave say to his master: "You are not my master," if they convict him his master shall cut off his ear.
Looks Like God is Teaching Revenge: On the surface, it looks like God is teaching revenge, He is teaching if someone breaks your arm, go break their arm. But in all reality, he is establishing a real sense of law. Up until the codes, if someone harmed you, it would result in their death. What God is really saying here is, “if someone breaks your arm, you do NOT have the right to go kill them.” Instead, “one should provide an equal trade off for the harm done to you.” In this process, God is establishing a civil court system. God is fair.
Turn the Cheek: Is Jesus teaching us here to be doormats? Is he teaching us to be pacifists? If Tom Papez is threatened in the streets of Guayaquil, Ecuador by an attacker holding a broking bottle of alcohol which is placed in a stabbing position, does that mean Tom should allowed himself to be stabbed? Though there is some attempt to say staying away from violence is a good thing, that is not exactly the answer.
The Right Cheek: Back in the day, people fought right handed, even left handed people had to fight this way (at this point, stand up a person, and show everyone which side of the head contact is made by a right handed punch, they will soon figure out it is the left cheek). So how can contact with the right cheek made? It can be made by a back-handed slap, like something you might see in a Hollywood movie when someone is trying to degrade someone else, especially a woman.
The Insult: In these old times, just like in medieval times, just like in now times, the ultimate insult is a back-handed slap. It is sort of like being spit on, very degrading. The only people slapped in such a way in these ancient times were women or slaves—people considered lower in society. The response to this insult by turning the cheek is somewhat amazing, let me read what one pastor wrote because it is describe so eloquently:
“For a person who was struck like so, to then turn the other cheek, the left cheek, was to offer the person the cheek they would need to strike with a fist rather than the back of a hand. It was to reject the claim of inferiority, it was to claim, I am not worthless, I do not deserve your contempt. Treat me like a man, in other words. If you are going to strike me, do it as you would with an equal and someone worthy of your respect. This was not becoming a door mat. This was standing up for yourself and your dignity. This was issuing a challenge but without hitting back and stooping to their level. This was about making a statement without resorting to violence. By the same token, if someone was intent on beating you up they wouldn’t start with a backhanded slap. A backhanded slap was a dismissal, a sign you were not worth beating up. Something that put you in your place.”
So Jesus’ response to those who attack you, is to answer with dignity and to love them anyway.
2. THE SECOND MILE:
Back in the days of Christ, the Roman government ran rough shot over the Hebrew people. Their treatment of the Jewish people was one of abuse, neglect, and often times even torture. Roman soldiers were despised by the citizens in Jerusalem not just because of who they were and what they did, but because of what they represented—bondage.
One of the policies hated by the Hebrew people was the “one mile” principle. In effect, a Roman soldier wishing to have the heavy burden of carrying his military supplies lifted from him could compel any Hebrew male twelve years or older to carry it for him. This policy greatly angered the Hebrew people, for the cause and effect of this demeaning law was it forced men to assist the very soldiers that just severely punished their friends or even their families. Anger towards this governmental action was so severe that rival political parties were formed such as the zealots, who professed an allegiance to the entire overthrow of the abusive laws.
The question of what to do fell at the feet of Jesus, of whom many felt was the revolutionary that would the revolt and overthrow of the Roman government. His answer was nothing the people had ever imagined. Listed in the fifth chapter of Matthew, Jesus stated, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, do not resist the evildoer. But whoever strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other to him as well. And if someone wants to sue you and to take your tunic, give him your coat also. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to the one who asks you, and do not reject the one who wants to borrow from you.”
In one sense, Jesus was telling his followers that we were created to serve, and one way of serving is by going above and beyond all expectations. In another sense, we are to serve all people, regardless of who were serving, regardless of time constraints, regardless of fairness. And the Lord gave us this command to help others—and to help ourselves.
Niccolo Paganin: Let me put it another way. The 1800s had a great violin player named Niccolo Paganini. The man wrote and performed hundreds of works and was beloved all throughout Italy and later on all of Europe. In one instance as a young teen, Paganini was loaned a high quality violin to play for a large crowd. When the concert was over, Paganini was told to keep the violin, for the instrument had never sounded so good. When Paginni was old and retired, he offered that violin to the city of Genoa as a memorial, under the circumstances that it would never be played again.
How is that violin today? It is locked in a glass case, rotten, decayed, and worm eaten. And I believe that is what happens to the hearts of Christians unwilling to serve, unwilling to go the extra mile. Over time, that which once gave life to all around us now begs to scarcely live itself. So during this week, for the sake of ourselves and of those around us, let us all serve, and go one more mile than we had before.
3. LOVE YOUR ENEMY:
Clarence Darrow: A famous criminal lawyer (for older youths, he is the one who fought against God in the famous Scopes Monkey Trial). Darrow said, “Everyone is a potential murderer. I have not killed anyone, but I frequently get satisfaction out of obituary notices.”
It is easy to hate isn’t it? It is easy to not wish your enemy well isn’t it (in fact, I think there is a song out right called “I wish you h***.” Wow, huh? But Christ calls us to love our enemies.
Leonardo Da Vinci: It is a well known fact that while Leonardo Da Vinci painted his epic painting about Christ called The Last Supper, he had had a major falling out with one of his friends. What did he do? He actually painted his friends face in the face of Judas in the portrait. Wow! Only one problem, while he had anger towards his friend, he was unable to paint the face of Jesus. He went back, erased the face, put more of an average looking bland face on Jesus, and he had no problem at all seeing the image of God he wanted to portray and finished the famous painting by coloring the face of Jesus.
Unforgiveness is like that, it prevents us from seeing Christ clearly. Following is an example of what we should be like,
BIBLE VERSE: Acts 7:54-60
7:54 When they heard these things, they became furious and ground their teeth at him. 7:55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently toward heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 7:56 “Look!” he said. “I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” 7:57 But they covered their ears, shouting out with a loud voice, and rushed at him with one intent. 7:58 When they had driven him out of the city, they began to stone him,and the witnesses laid their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul. 7:59 They continued to stone Stephen while he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” 7:60 Then he fell to his knees and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” When he had said this, he died.
Stephen’s Death: While Stephen is dying for the name of Christ (describe how horrible it would be to die of stoning, the death would be rather unimaginable). But his thoughts are not thoughts of bitterness toward his attackers, they are thoughts of asking God on their behalf to forgive them, it is really unbelievable.
Death by Stoning: Just talk about how horrible this is, knowing that large concrete blocks designed to break and smother on contact, understand that the people throwing them were able to aim for certain parts, it is just awful (and it is still used in the world today, some Muslim countries such as Iran stone women to death who are accused of adultery).
Standing at the Right Hand of the Father (this is a strong close, so make sure this is a point of emphasis): Notice in this passage, that when Stephen sees Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father. Standing at the right hand of the father? Why would he stand at the right hand of the father? Everywhere else in the Bible, Jesus is seated at the right hand of the father. So, why stand here?
When a military funeral is held, when a great human being has died, what is done out of respect for the person? You stand. That has always been the case during the course of civilized history. So why is Jesus standing here? To pay respects to a man who died in the line of duty, God’s duty. Amen!
Sources:
Papez, Tom. The Extra Mile. Newstime, Lake St. Louis, 2009.
Petticrew, David. Turning the Other Cheek, Are You Sure? Pen-Y-Cae Church of the Nazarene. January 2004.
Strite, Jeff. Living With the Enemy. Church of Christ at Logansport, Indiana, January 1996.
FIGHT CLUB
A STUDY OVER THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT: PART XVIII (TOPIC: Biblical Resistance)
INTRO: What is the first rule of Fight Club? ________________________________
BIBLE VERSE: Matthew 5:38
1. AN EYE FOR AN EYE AND A ___________________________________________:
BIBLE VERSE: Exodus 21:23-25
21:23 But if there is serious injury, then you will give a life for a life, 21:24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for ___________________, foot for _____________________, 21:25 burn for _____________, wound for ____________________, bruise for bruise.
Code of Hammurabi Examples:
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Is God Teaching Revenge? YES NO I DON’T KNOW
Meaning Behind Turn the Cheek: ________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________
2. THE SECOND __________________:
The Extra Mile Principle: ________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________
Example of Niccolo Paganin: ____________________________________________________________
That Violin Today: _____________________________________________________________________
3. LOVE YOUR _________________________________:
Clarence Darrow: ______________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________
Leonardo Da Vinci: ____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________
BIBLE VERSE: Acts 7:54-60
Stephen’s Death: ______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
“Standing at the Right Hand of God:” _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________