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Introduction
Recently we have been making our way through Yeshua’s “Sermon on the Mount” which is His signature teaching. Over the centuries, famous rabbis have been known for having their own signature teachings; notable perhaps for emphasis on a particular aspect of Torah or focus on a specific attribute of God’s nature, or for having a unique interpretation on an historical event. Across history, to be a disciple meant that you were expected to be able to articulate your rabbi’s signature teaching. More than that; it was expected that your life would reflect that teaching.
As Yeshua’s disciples, we are expected to have His signature teachings committed to memory, and we ought to be able to articulate them and if we are really His disciples, we will make every effort to live them out. This is something much easier said than done. His teachings are simple enough that young children understand them, and yet profound enough to cut to the core of our being, and give us fits.
Politicians love to cite the “Sermon on the Mount” when they’re put on the spot about what Bible passage they like best; but in reality: the Sermon on the Mount is far and away the most difficult teaching ever given, in terms of our inability to attain to it. A few weeks ago we finished the section dealing with the “Beatitudes” – which is what the politicians usually have in mind when they pay lip service to it, because it offers a lot of comfort.
But we are now in the midst of a much more difficult section of Yeshua’s teaching, and it is likely to make us uncomfortable. But that’s okay. You were not brought into the world for the sake of comfort. It’s been said that Adonai has a way of comforting the afflicted, and afflicting the comfortable. The refining process is usually difficult, but as Rabbi Paul affirmed, “momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison!” (1 Cor. 4:17).
Overview of the seven-part series:
I. Blessed are they… (The Beatitudes, part 1) (5:1-9)
II. Blessed are YOU… (The Beatitudes, part 2) (5:10-12)
III. Who we are and aren’t (5:13-20)
IV. You have heard… But I say (Yeshua’s Torah) (5:21-48)
V. When you… (give, pray, fast) (6:1-18)
VI. The futility of materialism (6:19-34)
VII. Things that could keep you out of Heaven (hypocrisy, following the crowd, false teachers, refusal to act on Yeshua’s teaching) (7:1-29)
IV. You have heard… But I say (Yeshua’s Torah) (5:21-48)
A. Verses 21-32 (last week)
(hatred=murder, reconciling with adversaries, lust=adultery, divorce)
B. Verses 33-48 (this morning)
(futility of vows, mercy triumphs over judgment, loving our enemies)
Verses 33-37
“Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall fulfill your vows to the Lord.’ But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by Heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the Earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the City of the Great King. Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil.”
What audacious words: “You have heard… but I say to you…!” I have no doubt that many in that crowd gathered on the Galilean hillside bristled every time Yeshua prefaced a teaching with those words. After all, who was this carpenter-turned-rabbi to claim to have greater authority than the Torah? As we explained last Shabbat, this is an important point. It is a long-held teaching of the rabbis that on any matter of Torah about which there might be dispute or ambiguity, when Messiah comes, all matters are settled. His is the last word on the Torah.
So each time Yeshua says, “You have heard… but I say to you…” you should understand that He is making a clear, unambiguous claim to be the long-awaited, promised Messiah of Israel. And according to the words of the prophets, Messiah’s origins are from the days of eternity – He is God-come-in-the-flesh. As such, His is the final word on all matters of Torah, and everything else!
As we also asserted last Shabbat, Yeshua’s purpose was more than just confronting the religious minimalism and hypocrisy of His day. I believe He means to make all of us uncomfortable, as we are confronted with the expectations of the Kingdom of Heaven. It is contrary to our natural inclinations, and in polar opposition to the ways of this sin-saturated world.
Making vows can really get you into trouble. Just ask popular Pittsburgh Steeler wide receiver Antonio Brown. Earlier this week he made a promise on Facebook to autograph anything anyone sends him while they are at training camp at St. Vincent College in Pennsylvania. The school has been swamped by mail. Brown’s room is nearly floor-to-ceiling with letters, asking for one of those promised autographs.
Yeshua is quoting the Torah in a composite way; in this case, Leviticus 19:12 and Numbers 30:2. I think it is a mistake to take this as a woodenly literal prohibition against any and all vows, verbal promises or agreements. Otherwise, you could not give testimony in a court of law, nor could you take marriage vows. Furthermore, God Himself has sworn oaths (for example, to Abraham, as noted in Hebrews 6 and Luke 1:73), Messiah gave answer to the High Priest under oath, and Rabbi Paul made oaths, such as in Romans 1:9, saying, “For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the Good News of His Son is my witness…” and again in 2 Corinthians 1:23, saying, “But I call God as witness upon my soul…” and again in Galatians 1:20, saying, “Now in what I am writing to you, I assure you before God that I am not lying…”
So how should we understand Yeshua’s instruction not to make oaths, since evidently, in proper circumstances, oaths or vows are permitted? Rather than interpret this by the “letter of the law” (outright prohibition) we should take it to be an admonition that we be lovers of truth, and God-fearing so that we always make good on our word. First of all, if you have to swear or make an oath in order for people to believe you, then obviously you have a terrible track record with the truth. Secondly, what good are verbal promises coming from people who have no intention of honoring them?
As an aside, this brings up a point about the effort to stop worldwide Islamic terrorism. We cannot afford to be naïve. There is a doctrine in Islam, prevalent among the Shia, that permits and even encourages deception – including lying under oath in courts of law, and even lying to fellow Muslims – if it will advance the cause of dar al Islam (worldwide Islamic conquest). That doctrine is called Taqiyya, and it is often employed by Muslims and even Muslim clerics when they are interviewed in the media, assuring us that Islam is peaceful and respects the rights of other religions.
There was a tradition within First-Century Judaism that oaths accompanied by the Divine Name were binding, but oaths taken without invoking God’s name were not binding. In fact, the Pharisees and Torah teachers were taken to task by Yeshua for creating loopholes and thus missing the whole point.
“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the Temple, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the Temple is obligated.’ You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the Temple that sanctified the gold? And (you say) ‘Whoever swears by the altar, that is nothing, but whoever swears by the offering on it, he is obligated.’ You blind men, which is more important, the offering, or the altar that sanctifies the offering? Therefore, whoever swears by the altar, swears both by the altar and by everything on it. And whoever swears by the Temple, swears both by the Temple and by Him who dwells within it. And whoever swears by heaven, swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it” (Matthew 23:16-22).
Now the commandment to Israel was simple and clear: out of reverence for Adonai, when you make a verbal promise, you are expected to fulfill it. We are to speak the truth at all times. Imagine for a moment the disarray, the utter chaos of a society in which people routinely lie or make promises they don’t intend to keep, or sign contracts they have no intention of honoring. Nothing would get done. Nothing could be built. Without any basis for trust, you can’t even have a cohesive family!
It was common practice in the ancient world to swear by something or someone greater than oneself. This was also true in Israel. People would take oaths or vows, swearing by the name of God, or by Heaven, or by the angels, etc.
In fact, the New Testament word for “promise” is epaggelia – literally, “upon the angels” – reflecting a Jewish concept underlying the Greek of the New Testament! The writer of Hebrews expressed this idea when he wrote,“For men swear by one greater than themselves…” And we see this idea of swearing oaths on the basis of great things reflected in Yeshua’s delineation of why not to do it:
Make no oath…
…either by Heaven
(Why? Because it is God’s throne)
…or by the Earth
(Why? Because it is God’s footstool)
…or by Jerusalem
(Why? Because it is where King Messiah will rule)
…or by your head
(Why? Because you have no authority or power)
Since God, the Creator, fills the entire universe, for you or me to swear an oath by anything or anyone at all is, by extension, to invoke God Himself. And given our nature – our predisposition to fail to perform all that we say, wouldn’t you agree that we should leave God’s glory out of it. Wise King Solomon wrote, “Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few” (Ecclesiastes 5:2).
I think that’s the key. Yeshua’s instruction that we let our ‘yes’ or our ‘no’ stand by itself without swearing oaths is best obeyed by guarding our tongues, and by having the sincere desire to please God in all our conduct. If you have genuine reverence for God, you will be honest in your dealings; and you will be careful with your words. And both these things will prevent you from making promises you can’t keep. Meanwhile, as a disciple of Yeshua of Nazareth, you are expected to honor your word, with or without a vow, with or without an oath, a promise or a contract.
Verses 38-42
“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 evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.”
The “eye for an eye” principle was known in the ancient world as Lex Talionis (Latin for “law of retaliation”). It dates back to the time of Hammurabi (18th century BC), and is repeated three times in the Torah (Exodus 21, Leviticus 24 and Deuteronomy 19). The purpose of this commandment was to ensure that justice, and not personal vengeance, was the standard in Israel. Yes, there was to be judgment, but it was to be meted out by Levitical judges rather than people taking matters into their own hands, and it had to be commensurate with the offense. Human nature being what it is on account of sin, Adonai had to establish limits, so that revenge would not be excessive.
But apparently the statute had been misapplied by the rabbis, and was taken as the right to retribution, rather than a limit on it. Yes, the Torah allowed commensurate justice, but Messiah Yeshua tells us that we have a choice about it. We don’t have to exact justice. We don’t have to respond in kind. We can opt for kindness in the face of insult or injury from an evil person.
And that is all a slap on the face was – an insult. Unfortunately, otherwise well-meaning teachers have misinterpreted this statement, and made it a rationale for complete pacifism. But in no way was Yeshua instructing us to sit by and allow ourselves or others to be violently attacked. He Himself confronted evil in the Temple when He drove out the profiteers. Nor is Messiah suggesting that we do away with the judicial process and the penal system, whereby evil is restrained. What He is telling us to do is to refrain from responding to personal insult with insult. Likewise with those who would wrongly employ legal aggression to take what is yours. If the evil person would sue you for your tunic (shirt), let him have your cloak (jacket) as well.
Rather than returning insult for insult, or attempting a counter-suit, Yeshua would have us respond with uncharacteristic charity. Charles Spurgeon maintained that even in a country where law prevails and justice can be had, we shouldn’t assert our legal rights for every wrong done to us. We should show a measure of patience, rather than always be crying, “I’ll sue you!”
We’ve all heard and used the expression “going the extra mile”. It originated with this teaching. Yeshua said, “Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two.” At that time,Israel was under Roman occupation, and between the taxation and repression, they deeply resented it. To make matters worse, under military law, any Roman soldier could order any Jewish man to carry his pack, but only as far as one mile. So imagine how pleasantly blindsided a Roman soldier would be if, after conscripting a Jewish man to carry his pack for a mile, this particular Jewish man (who, by the way, just happens to be a disciple of Yeshua) smiles at him and offers to carry it another mile!
SO WHAT…?
And this brings us to the point of it. Why all this? Why would Messiah instruct us, not only to refrain from seeking personal revenge, but to allow ourselves the additional insult or hardship or inconvenience? There are three very good reasons.
1. In patiently enduring insult or hardship, we identify with Yeshua, who Himself endured hardships, insults, injury and false accusations. He was called a glutton and drunkard, a madman, a blasphemer – even a mamzer (illegitimate child). Hebrews 12 tells us, “for consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” And as He Himself said, “A servant is not greater than his master. If they called the head of the house ‘Beelzebul’, how much more will they malign the members of His household?” (Matt. 10:25).
2. In patiently enduring insult or hardship, we learn to trust in God more deeply, rather than rely on ourselves or human institutions for payback. Rest assured that in His time we will be vindicated.
3. The other person, once they get over their bewilderment, will want to know why we are being kind to them, and that will give us an opportunity to share the Good News with them. Just think, this former adversary could well become your brother and friend, and you will have made a difference in their life for time and for eternity!
To conclude, let’s look at verses 43 through 48, which really is a summary of this section of Messiah Yeshua’s Sermon on the Mount.
Verses 43-48
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Loving your neighbor is not only a good and right thing, but according to Messiah Yeshua it’s half the intent of the entire Torah! The problem again was a minimalist attitude (remember the question put to Yeshua – “…and who is my neighbor?” – as in, “how far do I have to take this love thing?”), as well as a wrongful rabbinical reinterpretation of God’s Word.
You shall love your neighbor as yourself is found in Leviticus 19:18. Hate your enemy is found exactly nowhere! It may be our natural inclination to hate our adversary, but it certainly isn’t a Scriptural teaching. And if we, as Messiah Yeshua’s disciples, only love the people who love us, how will spiritually lost men and women ever come to know the Redeemer?
Yeshua speaks of Gentiles and tax-collectors in what appears to be a disparaging manner, but all He was doing was referencing the prevailing attitude of the Jewish people toward them. Gentiles were viewed at that time with suspicion and with contempt for their paganism. Tax collectors were fellow Jews who worked for “the enemy” and profited from it, so they were hated as turncoats – traitors to their own people. When the word ‘neighbor’ includes people you find distasteful and contemptible, loving your neighbor suddenly becomes – at the very least – inconvenient, and genuinely difficult.
But God is the Sovereign One. He allows good things to happen even to the wicked. They, too, benefit from the sun and the rain and all that He has created. Adonai doesn’t by any means condone sin, but His love transcends the present moment, and He sees the good that could be in human beings. And if we would be sons and daughters of the Most High, we need to see beyond the crude exterior, and beyond the momentary insult, and believe that even the worst offender can be transformed by the love of God through Messiah Yeshua. But how will they hear and believe and be saved unless someone tells them? And in a fallen, satanically-controlled world, it often requires our patience and the exchange of our kindness for their insult to break that hard exterior and move a person to openness. But I have good news: it’s happened more times than you can possibly imagine! And it is possible!
Loving your enemy includes praying for them (though they don’t need to know that), and praying for them means seeking their best. It doesn’t mean turning a blind eye to sin and wrongdoing. Sometimes the most loving thing is the hardest thing for the other person. The point is, if we are loving with Yeshua’s love, we will let the insult or injury go by us, and seek their good.
Does this love-in-the-face-of-persecution sound daunting? Does it seem way beyond your ability? Yeshua says we are to be perfect. Is such a thing even possible? I fall pitifully short of this. Maybe some of you feel the same way. How are we to understand what entails being perfect?
It brings us back to the grace of God. We are not redeemed because we are perfect. We are not even close to perfect. We are redeemed because we are the beneficiaries of salvation that was purchased for us by Messiah Yeshua when He yielded His life on the cross and accomplished eternal salvation. This teaching is stratospheric in its purity and righteousness, and we are so far from righteous in ourselves. But that’s the point: Messiah Himself is our righteousness. That’s what grace means.
So here we have it. A nearly impossible teaching to attain to. But it is my Master’s instruction, and as a disciple, I am required to know it, teach it, live it. And again, let me quote G. K. Chesterton:
“Christianity hasn’t been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried!”
May the Lord God of Israel grant us grace, patience and strength to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us. May we be more like Yeshua, and may our enemies soon become our brothers and sisters and friends.