Matthew 5:38-41
Bending over Backwards in Love

"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 an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you."

New Revised Standard Version

In the teaching that we call the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus presented radical changes in how we will live if we are a part of the Kingdom of God. Our value systems change ("blessed are the merciful", "blessed are the peacemakers"), what we consider to be important changes ("let your light shine before others"), how we measure success changes ("blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth"), and most importantly, how we relate to other people changes.

In this passage, Jesus calls his followers to respond in love when the rest of the world responds in hate. The Hebrew law had established order and justice in place of the tyranny of the strongest when it spelled out a measured response to a wrong, thus "an eye for an eye" was a big improvement over killing all the offspring of the one that put out your eye. But Jesus said this measured response comes from human resolve, not from God's control of our lives. The evidence of God in us is when we do not retaliate for wrong-doing, when we instead answer hatred with love. In Jesus' day, any Roman soldier could legally command any person to carry their pack for a mile, but God's love would be obvious, a light on a hill, when a Christian carried that pack for two miles.

Today, we are still to show God's love in how we respond to disrespect or hate. One of the strongest testimonies of how God has changed our lives is how we show unexpected love to unbelievers. We can rejoice in those times when we are under attack, knowing that as we respond in grace, we are planting a seed.

But we usually find this grace much more difficult to give when we react to criticism or attack from another Christian! We know how they are supposed to behave and respond, so we have a higher standard for them than we do the unbeliever. Harsh words or rudeness coming from a fellow Christian often hurts more than the same coming from an unbeliever.

And for those circumstances, we need to reread this passage and pay close attention to the word "anyone." Jesus certainly meant the passage to apply to unbelievers when he references an "evildoer" and alludes to the Roman law on helping soldiers, but Jesus opened the passage up completely by the use of the word "anyone." We are to show as much love and grace to those inside the church as we show to those outside. If our response to others comes from God's love inside us, we will treat everyone with the same grace; and if we do not treat everyone with the same grace, we are likely not letting the love of God rule our lives!

Sadly, there are many areas of service inside a church that attract tense moments, conflicts, and harsh words, and serving within the strength of God's love is essential at those times. Those working with young children know about big disagreements with parents on the care of their children. Those managing the church finances can have strong differences of opinions. Particularly frequent over the decades are disagreements between members of worship teams, like pastors and music leaders. Every sound technician has stories about unfair criticisms and harsh words from those in front of the microphone -- but Jesus teaches us to respond in God's grace to these circumstances! We are to "turn the other cheek," to "give them our cloak as well," to "bend over backwards" for them because God loves them, and God loves us.

Why would we do this? Why would we agree to smile when they insult us, when they deny that we have the knowledge and experience that we do in our area of service? Why do we let them get away with this?

Because the thing we are doing is never as important to God as the person with whom we are interacting, and the person that we are in Christ. Getting a fellow Christian's focus back on God from worldly pressures is what matters. Having us grow in our faith as we are tested is more important than the tasks we do for the church. I think Paul would agree that if I create the perfect audio mix to move the whole congregation to praise, but I don't do this in God's love, I might as well be playing traffic noise through the sound system.