Been awhile since I have written. I am going to have to catch up! 

The other week at New Life we looked at yet another provocative text from the Sermon on the Mount. It goes like this:

"You have heard that is was said, 'an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you" (Matthew 5:38-42).

 Look at some of the comparisons between Jesus' instructions to His followers and His own Passion recorded at the end of the Gospels:

1) "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth"

"and some began to spit on him and to cover his face and strike him, saying to him, "Prophesy!" And the guards received him with blows" (Mark 14:65). I bet you any amount of money Jesus lost not just "a tooth" but teeth; yet He did not return the favor. He did not resist "the evil one."

2) "if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also."

Matthew in describing Jesus' beatings uses the same language Jesus does here. Listen to it as it parallels the above Mark passage: "Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him, saying, "Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?" (Matthew 26:67-68) No doubt Jesus had to turn His cheek several times before the night ended.

3) "let him have your cloak as well." This was the inner robe of the day. Once this was taken from you there was nothing left. If you allow your enemy "the cloak" its like saying they can take the very last of your clothes. Congradulations, your back to day one in life! Thats how far Jesus' disciples are to go with those who persecute, hate, despise, and try to provoke us.

"And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, 'Hail, King of the Jews!' And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him... and when they crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots" (Matthew 27:28-35). When Jesus was on the cross He had no clothes. Whereas Adam and Eve were naked and unashamed before the blow of original sin, Jesus after original sin had to become naked in shame to save us and take the blow of God's wrath in our place.

His Passion is our Pattern.

4) "And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles."

"And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus." The pathway to Golgotha was a good walk. It was too far for Jesus to carry the cross all the way. So this poor guy, Simon, is made rich by carrying the Savior's cross. We are to carry it too by going the extra mile with the enemies of God and sharing His love even if it means we have to make the sacrifice, look stupid, or feel insecure.

5) "Give to the one who begs you."

"And he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. And he said to him, 'Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise'" (Matthew 23:42-43). Here dying on the cross next to Jesus is a criminal. He is the enemy of God. But He asks anyway... no wait, lets get realistic: He begged Jesus, "take me with you!" And Jesus gave him the salvation He was looking for, even though he did not deserve it. Jesus made an enemy of God His missional priority. Have you asked Jesus to take you with Him? He promises to not "refuse the one who would borrow." He says in another place "anyone who comes to me I will in no way cast out." Or, as one more example, He states, "ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you" (Matthew 7:7).

You see now don't you? Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount was asking His followers alone to live out His very Passion. Jesus was not asking the oridinary person to do this but His disciples who are saved by grace through faith. After all who else could live like this except those who experience Jesus and are united to Him through the Holy Spirit? Who else can suffer for the joy of being like Him? Only those who have received His love. We love because He first loved us!

Once love is received the instructions are pretty simple: We are to live as He died.