Matthew 5:38-42

Speaker 1: I knew when I heard her practicing that this morning that it was going to hit differently for us today. And I heard recently somebody somebody downplaying the role that emotions play in our worship. And I thought, you are missing out. They were saying that emotion had no place in worship and like, I'm sorry, God gave me these emotions. And if the truth about what he has done for us does not elicit some kind of emotional response, then, then, then there's something wrong there. And I really love that song. I'm glad, thankful for the way that it was sung. Appreciate that mystery. Perfect song for today. So there is there's a young man sitting here. He's younger than me by just a little bit, so I can call him young, I guess. And we want to congratulate Brother Clarence. He looks very, very alert, very bright eyed. I'm wondering now if he maybe has been sneaking out of that hospital and sleeping in his own bed and now know. Okay. But we want to wish congratulations to Brother Clarence and this Britney on the birth of their new baby girl, Tiana. And she got here on Friday as planned and everything went well and smooth. And I love you seen pictures yet? She looks absolutely beautiful. And so pray for Miss Britney. She is scheduled to be released from the hospital this this afternoon. So. Yeah. So if you see Brother Clarence slip out a little early, they'll hold him up. He's got to go pick up his wife and his daughter from the hospital and so cannot wait to meet her. And I know that in the right time you'll be able to see her as well. So very excited for them about that. There was something else I was going to say was up here before I started. Can't remember it was. Oh, Easter. Yes. Okay. So I feel like we've announced this a few times, but I understand there was some confusion about the Easter schedule. So let me just lay it out there, even though it's in print, in your bulletin, if you looked at your bulletin, you know, so Easter morning, we're going to do the same schedule that we've done for the last several years. We're going to have an early service at 9:00 and we will have a nursery for that. For those of you that are in the choir or perhaps helping with the small children's ministry that will take place in the early service. So there will be someone there to help with that. Then at 10:00, we're going to have a breakfast out in the gym and everyone's invited to come for breakfast. I know last year we ran out of food. We will not run out of food this year. But you can come anytime between ten and about 1045, about 1045. We're going to shut the breakfast down so we can make our way back in here for the second service, the late service at 11:00. And both services will be exactly the same. I thought about doing the contemporary service in the traditional service. No, I didn't think about that. But no, they'll be exactly the same. Same specials. Same, I think. Same special. Same choir special. I know that. And so please come to either of those services. I know. Miss Imogene was. Mr. Imogene was. Imogene has always enjoyed the early service because it means she can go home early and start fixing lunch for everybody. So either one of the services, you'll get the same message. But we would like to invite you to come to that and then we will have an evening service at 530. We'll have an evening service and so invite you to come back for that. There are a few times throughout the year we do not have an evening service. Mainly Mother's Day and Father's Day. I just can't justify canceling the evening service on Easter. It's Easter. You know the day for why we meet on Sunday. Okay. So did you get it? So, 9:00, early service, 10:00 breakfast, 11:00. Late service, that's all. We'll have our big children's ministry over here and then 530 evening service. And I hope that you'll be there for that. I hope that you'll help us invite folks to our Easter egg hunt, which would be on Saturday, that Saturday before Easter. And we got two different cards here. We've almost gotten all these out. And if you can help us get the rest of them out, that would be awesome. There's not too many left, but if you haven't, grab some of these or if you've already grabbed some and give them out, grab some more on your way out today and help us pass these out. Give them to whoever you think might come, even if they might not come. Give them one anyway. So anyways. All right, back to chapter five is where we're going to be today, Matthew. Chapter five, verse number 38. And looking forward to getting to the getting into the passage here this morning, Matthew, chapter five, verse number 38. As you find your place as is our custom, if you wouldn't mind standing in honor of reading God's Word if you're physically able that in Chapter five. First number 38. Bible says he have heard that it has been said an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say unto you that she resists, not evil. Whosoever shall smite thee on their right cheek, turn to him the other. Also, if any man will sue the the law, take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak. Also, whosoever shall compel the to go a mile, go with him, Twain give to him that ask if the rim that would borrow of the turn not thou away. Let's pray or ask you to help us now as we look into your word, you give us the word. Give me the word. You tell me to say. The folks that are here to listen and apply to hear their lives. It's in Jesus name. I pray. Amen. Maybe see it. Less than the air. I know. Yeah. A little snotty myself today, so hopefully I don't spray it on the front row here. Huh? How many of you have experienced on a large scale or maybe on a small scale? Duration. Some form of injustice in your life. And just think to yourself. Have you ever experienced injustice against you? At some point in your life? Perhaps you experienced injustice in your home growing up between you and your spouse, and you were most definitely innocent, but you got blamed for it and you got punished even though you had done nothing wrong. It was unjust. Maybe as a young person you were you were thought of unjustly just because of your age. Maybe for some of you you've had to deal with injustice because of your ethnic background. Injustice is a part of us living in a sinful fallen world, isn't it? It bothers us. It should bother us. Do you know why injustice bothers us so much? Because we were made in the image of God. He is a just and righteous God. So there is something in all of us that longs for justice, especially when it applies to somebody else. Now when it comes to us, we want mercy and grace and love and all those things, right? But when someone does us wrong, we long for justice. I don't know how many of you saw the new story about the bodies of the babies that were found this past week? You cannot look at those pictures without longing for justice and you think, who is going to hold such evil people responsible for this? You think is where is the police when this is going on? Where are our courts, when this is going on? It's almost enough to make somebody say, you know what? If no one else is going to do something about this, I will. You see, it's very easy for us to lose faith in the authorities that God has placed over us and think. Something's going to happen. Something is going to be done, and I'm going to be the one that does it. Jesus is teaching against this vigilantism in this passage today. And it's a hard thing for us to hear because we love justice and we want to see justice carried out. Jesus is reminding all of us that there is a proper way for it to happen. And even when our authorities fail us, there is a higher authority that will hold everyone accountable for their actions. Do you believe that? Okay. So you believe that if you believe it, it will impact your decision? Well, let's get into this. All right. So Jesus starts off in verse 38. He says, You've heard that. It has been said an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Now, last week, I talked to you about the fact that the the teaching the saying that Jesus was working on last week really had no concise Old Testament reference. It was a pick and choose kind of thing that had taken little bits and pieces from throughout the law and thrown them together and come up with this this doctrine that they were presenting. But when we read this, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, there are three different verses that we can go to in the law that promote that phrase. And so, you know, to turn all these, I'll read them to you of you'd like to write them down. You can check on my facts later. But x 20 Exodus 2124 The Bible says Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. Leviticus 2420 says breech for breech I for I tooth for a tooth as he has caused a blemish in a man. So shall it be done to him again? And then finally, Deuteronomy 1921 says, I shall not pity, but life shall go for life, eye for I eye, tooth for a tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. And so what God is doing here is he is addressing a problem in the justice system of Moses day. And by giving this law, what God is doing is He is actually holding back the justice system of Moses time. Because what was happening is this a man would get into a fight with somebody else. He would take a tool or his fist and he would punch somebody in the face and their eye would. Lose their eye. So this man, of course, he wants justice to be done. He knew to take it upon himself or he'd take it to the magistrates and the offending party would have his arm chopped off or he'd be killed for hitting his fellow and causing him to lose an eye. God says, No, no, no. We want equitable dispensation of justice. I fear I if you lose your eye, then social will be done to you. If you knock out your friend's tooth, then you will have to pay with a tooth. If you, through an accident or by intention, cut off your partner's hand, well, then you will have your hand cut off. And so what God is doing is he's trying to ensure that there will be equitable dispensation of justice. Now, let me ask you a question. Who do you think was responsible for the discipline, the dispensing of that justice? Was it the individual that was wronged? No. God, if you were to study each one of those passages in their context, God is establishing the judicial authority of the magistrates and judges that were there in Israel. This was not a a command to engage in vigilante justice. This was a an ordination of HUMINT, a human legal system to judge a matter and then to extract justice from the offending party. And so God, through Moses, established a principle for punishments to take place equal to the offense. And that power did not rest with the individual. It rested with the justice system there in Israel. And so you have magistrates in each town. You would have judges in the region. And these people were given authority by God to maintain justice. Now, that sounds great when the justice system is doing its job right. That sounds really nice. If the people that are in the positions of authority are following through with what they've been ordained to do, all authority is ordained by who? Got. That's kind of a bummer thing sometimes, isn't it? Because you may not like the people that are placed in authority over you. But God has ordained them. God has placed them in that position even at the highest level. The King's heart is in God's hand. But yeah, sometimes our justice system does fail us. And by the time Jesus comes on the scene, the justice system was in. It was in shambles. It was a joke. It was corrupt. It was it was it was frustrating for the people. You see, as as we looked at with each one of these commands, the Pharisees had taken God's law. God's law. That I mean, it was given my God, it's it's it's not like God made a mistake when he gave the law. Did he. I mean, if it's God's words, it was perfect for what he intended it to do. And so they had taken God's law and tried to fix it. They had tried to correct it. And we have to be very careful when we start trying to correct or fix what God has said. Right. That's what the Pharisees were doing. You see, the Pharisees were frustrated, or at least had keyed in on the fact that the people were frustrated with the legal system that was in place there in Israel during Jesus day. Who was really in charge of Israel during Jesus day. The. ROMANS That's right. ROMANS And so Rome's occupation of Israel had made the judicial system more complicated than it had ever been. It was much more multilayered and confusing than it had been when it was just, you know, the the the Jews sovereignly governing themselves. We can see a little bit of this even in the in the death of Jesus. I mean, Easter's coming. We are all familiar with the story of how the Sanhedrin arrest Jesus. They tried Jesus, but they can't do anything with Jesus until they get permission from Rome. And so what was taking place was that, you know, there would be a a minor civil dispute, there would be an injury that had taken place, maybe even a murder that had taken place. But the legal system was so corrupt and so delayed that justice was oftentimes not realized in a reasonable amount of time or it was never realized. And so people were getting frustrated. Crimes were going unpunished. Disturbances and offenses were going under, dealt with. And so to combat this, the Pharisees took God's law and changed the application of it. God had said what? The eye for an eye tooth for a tooth. Who was he giving that authority to? The legal system. It wasn't giving it to the individual, but the Pharisees. Reinterpreted things. And they said that God not only allowed, but God commanded them to take an eye for an eye. There was commanded. If somebody knocks out your tooth, God expects you to go and knock their tooth out. So what you had was a shifting of judicial power from the legal system to the individual. Essentially they made individual persons into justified vigilantes. If someone does you wrong, then God commands you to extract justice on your own. The lesson that people were receiving from their spiritual leaders was that God commanded them to go after those that wronged them. If someone wrongs you, it is your God given duty and responsibility to even the score. Now. Does that sound? Very. Oddly. No. Can you imagine how chaotic and unjust this could quickly become to where justice is being carried out without a trial? How many misunderstandings took place? I mean, how many times do do you get falsely accused of something that you didn't do? And a lot of times we are protected by the legal system. But if it's individual justice, then. There is no protection. Jesus offers his disciples not only a better alternative, but a return to the original intent of the law. As we get into verse 39, verse number 42, we're going to see the disciples application. Okay. We've looked at what Moses had in mind when God originally gave him the law. It was a judicial principle that was to be enacted. We see what the Pharisees were doing in Jesus day and we can understand why, right? Can't you understand the frustration of the legal system not working the way it should? Sure we can. You can relate to that. But as Christians. How are we to respond in these types of situations when the justice system can't be trusted, when they are not dispensing justice righteously and fairly? How does a Christian respond? Well, that's what Jesus is going to help us with this morning. First thing he says here is in of 39 that you resist, not evil. Now, this could be very, very irresponsibly applied. As you might say. Well, you know, I struggle with this vice, the sin and God, Jesus said himself, resist not evil, but let's go. Let evil run rampant through me. That's not what he's talking about, as we see in the preceding phrases. The application is much more focused than just all broad forms of evil. Evil in the Bible does not necessarily mean sin. It just means something that's bad. A tornado destroying your house is evil in the Bible is bad. Evil is the result of a sin curse world. It doesn't necessarily have to be direct sin. I mean, we would say murdering somebody is evil, right? But in the Bible, also a car accident that is no one's fault. But someone dies from it. That is evil. I follow me here. So resist. Not evil. What does that look like? That seems kind of weird. Well, if we keep reading, Jesus will explain. Explain it for us. The first illustration that He gives us, it says this. This is very well known. Even people who don't go to church know this one says. But whosoever shall smite thee on their right cheek. Turn to him. The other also. Anybody want to come up here and get slapped? No takers. Oh. Tyler is going to volunteer Brandon to come up here. I don't think I could reach Brandon space if anybody here ever been slapped. It's strange. It's mostly men raising their hand. What that means. A slap is an interesting thing because there's a cultural barrier between our understanding or our experience of being slapped and Jesus people, the people Jesus was speaking to in their understanding of being slapped, a slap. And that day was not just the pain that was inflicted to somebody's face, a slap. And that day was like one of the worst insults and offenses that you could possibly perform against someone else. I mean, I don't know. But you would consider to be the worst insult that somebody could level at you. But just imagine whatever it is, and that's what the slap was equal to in their day. And so what Jesus is saying, he's saying, look, if you are the victim of a personal attack, a personal insult, you are not to take revenge out on the person that performed the insult. Instead, Jesus says, You are to what? Turn the other cheek. If I was to be smacked on the cheek, I'd be annoyed because of the pain to my face. But in their culture, the pain of the smack had more to do with one's pride than anything else. If someone smacked you, it was a deep, personal insult. And if they were to live by the Pharisees philosophy, then that insult must be answered. Otherwise, if you're a man, you would be less of a man. You mean you would if you were a lady, then you're standing in society would have significantly dropped if you did not answer this smack. It was a matter of justice. You insult me. I'm going to insult you after all. Eye for an eye. Jesus tells his disciples that the better response to an insult is to turn the other cheek. You ever watch this? Have this. This is really cool to watch. Where someone is insulted. I mean, everyone around sees it and hears it, but the person who receives the insult lets it run right off their back. Okay. How about this? You know, I used to do martial arts, and, you know, there'd be times where we would try to see who could kick the hardest. We'd have a bag. We'd be holding it like this, you know, to let them go in practice. And we say, All right, let's see if you can knock me backwards. See if you can move me out of this spot. And so we we'd get down like this and we'd be holding that. We'd be bracing ourselves. And there'd be this kid, you know, he's like £30. And he'd do all this stuff be like taking a running start, like that's going to help him. And then he's like swinging his leg back. Like, that's going to help. And he goes home. You're like, Did you touch the bag? I mean, he gave it everything he had. It didn't move. I hope he feels foolish in that moment, not the person who got hit. So the person doing the hitting sometimes, though, it was even more impressive. You, you'd have a big guy come up. And one of the things martial arts is learning how to have a good foundation, knowing how to set your feet and not be moved as big as out come up. He thinks it's full of confidence and he goes, boom, he kicks it and the guy still doesn't move. Well, that's a little different than the kid who kicked because now.

Speaker 3: Oh.

Speaker 1: He didn't even budge. This is saying is, look, somebody is going to throw their best attack at you, their best insult. And if you really want to make your point, you really want to get back at them. It's not going to be for you to haul off and try to answer in kind. The real. The real. Getting back at him. Turn the other cheek. I really the best you got? Go ahead. There's the other side. Well, I like that. It doesn't seem like the Oklahoma way of doing things. And I guarantee you it's not the Texas way of doing things either. But let's say you did decide to haul off and get back at them the same way they got you. Well, if you're like me, you're probably not going to think of an insult right off the bat. It's going to take a while. You're going to take the hit and then you're going to go home and you're going to think about it and you're going to mull it over and it is going to occupy your mind all day. In fact, you're going to be laying in bed that night and you're going to be just about to go to sleep when all of a sudden I thought, that's what I should have said. Well, now you've got a great comeback, but you've got to wait for an opportunity to use it. And so now you're plotting, you're waiting. You're hoping that you'll have a chance to get with that person again. And you're hoping that the conversation will move such that you can use your really bright and brilliant insult that you've been working on. He is saying, why would you do this? If someone wants to insult you, don't expend your energy trying to put them in their place. Don't bear the burden of having to be the one who dispenses justice back to them. You know, probably what happened was this this happened and there were other people around. Maybe this is at work and you get insulted by a coworker. That never happens, does it? Maybe it was an email that went out. Just blasting you and then on it is your boss. Does that ever happen to anybody? Look, it happened in on church staff, so I'm guessing it probably happens in the work world, too. Oh. Yeah. Well, I've got an email answer for you and you send it back out. It's not the way to respond. Yeah, but all my coworkers read it. Nobody stood up for me. My boss saw it. He didn't put this guy in this place. Someone has to extract justice. So I guess it's me. She says, look, you're not responsible for extracting justice. And if the people who are responsible don't extract justice. Just hold on because there's someone even higher than them. That will make sure justice is served. I'm bad at keeping score. All right. Now, if you go to VBS, you have to promise that you will not tell anybody else this. I'm not talking to you. Promise. Waiting. Cross your heart. Okay. If I'm keeping score, it gives. I don't actually keep score. I make it up every day. Basically this if the boys win Monday, the girls are going to win Tuesday. We're going to go back and forth so that on Friday it's so close, it really doesn't anyone could win. Okay. So you see why this is very important for you to keep this on the down low. I'm a bad scorekeeper. God is not. Are you his son? Something like, Well, I'm a girl. So are you his daughter? Is he your heavenly father? If a sparrow cannot fall that he doesn't know. How much more precious are you? Don't you think he sees that email that goes out defaming your character? Yes, he does. Don't you think he hears that insult that is shared to your face or behind your back? Yes, he does. And that's so liberating. You all are so kind, generous, generous and complimentary. I don't hear a whole lot of negative comments. I really don't. Which is awesome. I feel very blessed. I also realize that just because I'm not hearing the negative comments doesn't mean that they're not said. I can't control that. So why should I carry that burden? What's the point of me extracting justice on that if it was false or not true? No point. Well, who's going to. Who's going to hold them accountable? I'm thinking God's probably capable. You said earlier you believe God is the righteous judge. You all mostly agree to that. Do we believe it? Then we should act like it and live like it. You slap me. I don't have to slap you back. In fact, I'm so comfortable in my standing with God, I should be able to just turn the other cheek. That's really the way you want to be. You really want to run up a score of injustice between you and me and God. Have at it. Well, you know, a personal insult. That's that's kind of lame thing. You know, it's really minor. Now, I know sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will break my heart. But words, really. Okay, you're right. You're right. You're not a snowflake and you can handle it, but you are an American. And stuff is very important to you, right? You are materialistic, as minimalist as you try to be. You like your things. Was it your vehicle, your house, clothes, toys? I don't know. Whatever it may be. Maybe your tools, maybe your guns, whatever you like, your stuff. So dismissed. Okay. So you don't necessarily deal with personal insults so much, but you are really attached to your things. Let's say somebody sues you. You go to law, they take you to court and they sue you. And the court decides against you. They take your coat. Unjust. She says, don't resist evil. Don't try to take out revenge. They're going to take your coat. Give them your cloak of. It's layer after layer of clothing. See, the Jews were well versed in the last illustration of lawsuits and all. I mean, with smacking insults. But in this illustration, Jesus is talking about when the court that the legal system actually partially fails you. You did go to court. There was a chance for the law to hear your case, and yet the court decides against you. And so you suspect the decision is unjust. He says, Well, you've got to abide by it. Yeah, but it's not fair. I can take care of you. Even if the legal system or the judicial system is unfair to you. I can take care of you. It's one thing to argue your case in court, but once the verdict is delivered, Jesus tells his disciples to abide by the decision and then to even go beyond what is handed down. You see, one is a personal. A front. Now we've actually gone to court and the court still sides against me. She says, don't take that as your liberty to take matters into your own hands. Abide by the decision, and then go even further. I've never. I'm not going to ask who's been sued because raise your hand about slap. I really don't want to. You shouldn't have to say if you've been sued or not. But this last one. This one's interesting. So we've seen a personal attack. We've seen a failure of the legal system. Look at first number 41. Whosoever shall compelled you to go a mile. Go with him, Twain. The Jews knew what it was, what this was about. Even though you and I may not. In their day with Roman occupation, a Roman soldier could legally compel a Jewish person to carry all of their equipment for a mile. Obviously, the Jews detested this practice. It was an incredible invasion into their personal liberty. I mean, think about it. You're you're going north to the store. You've got your kids with you. And you come upon a Roman soldier who says, you will carry my things. I'm headed south. You have no recourse. You have to do what they're saying. You and your children will now follow this vulgar Roman soldier for up to a mile carrying his stuff. Just try to imagine how you would respond to that. An invasion of your personal liberty. A misuse of authority. It didn't matter what you were doing, didn't matter where you were going. The soldier could conscript you and there was nothing you could do about it. When the authorities that God has ordained, allowed to be in our lives, misuse their authority and invade into our personal liberties. How do we respond? Shouldn't be that hard of a thing for us to think about because. In some of our opinions. That's already happened pretty recently. What does Jesus say to do with authority? Says, You're going to do this and you don't think it's right and you don't think it's fair. She says. You're going to carry that soldier's gear. It'll follow him. You're going to stop what you're doing. You're going to do what you're asked to do, and you're not just going to go with him for a mile. You're going to go with him for two months. Is this an injustice? Yeah. So who can they appeal to? Well, as a Jew, there's really no one in authority they can appeal to except for God. Also as much as lies within you. Live peaceably. It's all meant. Even if that means being inconvenienced or asked to do something. No. Let me make this question to you. Is it a sin to carry Roman soldiers gear? No. So we're not talking about asked to sin. Right. Being inconvenienced. Maybe you could call it a attacks on their time, attacks on their effort. They weren't really willing to pay. She says, No, no. You will pay it. You'll do this. You know why? Because Jesus saw every Roman soldier who mistreated a Jewish pedestrian. Jesus. God was keeping score. God knew where they were. God knew their names. God knew what was happening. God knew it wasn't fair. So he tells them, Listen, even if you feel like you have no legal recourse, you are not without an advocate. Advocate. You see in each case, verse number 39 or 40, in verse or 42, the disciple is afflicted by injustice. Teenagers. I have no doubt that you have had situations in your school where you felt like your teacher was unjust towards you, like you were singled out or you didn't get the treatment as somebody else. Chino is shaking his head more than anyone else. I just want that to be known. You're singled out. It's injustice at all levels. Whether it's a personal attack, you you insult me, whether it's a failing of the legal system. I feel like I was I was given a bad verdict or whether someone is encroaching upon my my personal liberties and my rights. You see, these injustices were exactly what had motivated the Pharisees to deputize the individual, to get justice for themselves. The Pharisees would have said, Hey, if that Roman soldier conscripts you into their service and you have an opportunity to extract justice from them, you better take it. If someone insults you and offends you in public, you better make sure you answer in time. Eye for an eye. Tooth for a tooth. If the judge in your town is unfair to you and gives your lawsuit over to your opponent, well, then you better find a way to get your own justice either from that judge or from the guy that sued you in the first place. Jesus is not here. In this passage, accusing the one who cites, nor is he accusing the unjust court or the uncaring soldier. See, Jesus is not concerned about them right now. He's concerned about his disciples, and Jesus is instructing his disciple on how to respond to injustice. If I am treated unfairly, what is it that is really being attacked? I get slapped. It's not my cheek that is hurt. I get sued. It's not the loss of my coat that I'm upset about. It's not really the mile that I'm forced to walk that burns me up. But it is my pride. Injustice so often is an attack on our pride more than anything else. The answer to these three scenarios how we as disciples are supposed to respond. It can be found back in the Beatitudes. Back in the beginning in Matthew Chapter five. Jesus starts his sermon in verse number five by saying this. Blessed are the meek. But they shall inherit the earth. Meekness is the secret to these responses. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Meekness is having it within your power to do something, and yet you refrain. Meekness is the ability for me to take your eye, for me to take your tooth, for me to take your hand, take your foot because of what you've done to me. And yet I refrain. Meekness is strength. Power under control. Meekness is trusting someone else other than myself to set matters. Right. What shall the meek receive? Earth. Quite capable of giving the earth for myself. No. Meekness is an understanding that someone else is watching out for. Someone else will elevate me in their time. And it's not the legal system it's got. In the law. The individual was to rely on the judicial system to dispense justice. By Jesus day, the judicial system was corrupt. They could not be trusted to be fair. You know. There is someone above the legal system that is capable of upholding justice. And if the courts were corrupt in their time, then that is not a legitimate it's not a justification for them to take matters into their own hands. Any more than it is for us if we think the courts are unfair in our day. See, there is always someone. Who is always righteous in judgment. He is always fair in his dispensation of justice. And it is God. We spend a lot of time talking about the love of God, his grace and his mercy. These are all true and part of his character. But he is also just. He's the avenger of the oppressed and the mistreated. Whether it's a slap on the cheek, an unfair lawsuit, or a soldier interrupting our business, Jesus true disciples will trust Him to settle the score. Rather than taking matters into their own hands. When we have this attitude, we can turn the other cheek. The question really comes down to this Is Jesus trustworthy in your life to avenge the injustices you might endure? Can he be trusted? You've been insulted. You've been stolen from you've been mistreated. You've appealed to the proper authorities to no avail. What do you do next? You take matters into your own hands or do you give it over to God? If you take matters into your own hands, you have to be warned. This is not the better way. You will carry a weight that God never meant for you to bear. You will fret over your plan for revenge. You will miss out on the good things of life as you wait for an opportunity to enact your plan. Then, once things are over and you have extracted your revenge, you have dispensed with your own form of justice. Then I guarantee you you will struggle with guilt over your actions. But he also discovered that revenge never is a satisfying as we think it will be. Maybe you were insulted and you did think of something like that and it was out your mouth before you knew what was going on. And then it was brilliant. It was sharp and cutting. And he's the man. Why did I say that? Instead, God wants us to tell him about the injustice we have observed that we have experienced. And then let him handle it. Let him bear the responsibility for evening the score. Let him bear the responsibility of coming up with an equitable payment. Let him be the one that provides for your compensation for the pain that you have experienced. Can you trust him to do that? If so, then when someone insults you, turn the other cheek and know that God saw it. When someone sues you and wins a case that they shouldn't have. Give them what they want and know that God sees it. When someone infringes upon your rights, forces you to do something you shouldn't have to do, do it. God sees. He is our trustworthy judge and protector. And as his kids. He'll need to worry about fighting evil alone. We can trust him to do what we could never do. And he is much more efficient than we are. You've experienced injustice, I'm sure. Have you come to the place where you can trust God to keep score, protect you, and judge those that have mistreated you? I hope that this passage here has helped you in that way. Let's pray to Heavenly Father. Thank you for this time that we've been able to spend together. Lord, you know every person's situation here today. You know what they've experienced, what they've had to face in their lives. I'm sure. There was freedom and liberty comfort to say we could probably spend the rest of the day discussing the different injustices that we have been afflicted by. Well, I pray that you would help us to have. A true disciples perspective on this or. Perhaps there are those who feel like. The legal system has failed them. There is injustice. They've been mistreated, misused. They don't know who else to turn to. They feel like they've got to handle these things themselves, take matters into their own hands. Well, I pray that today they would be encouraged with the knowledge that you, as their father, have seen and are keeping score. God, that you are our perfect and fair and just avenger. Lord will not allow anyone to mistreat your children. Get away with it. Well, I pray that our trust in you would grow for having been here today. It's in Jesus name. I ask these things. Amen.

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