First Baptist Church Litchfield
chapel 11/5

      • Proverbs 8:13ESV

  • Gratitude
  • Before The Skies

      • 1 Peter 2:17ESV

  • Out of the Mud
  • Where It All Begins

  • Excessive Retribution

    Let’s be honest: every one of us in this room knows what it feels like to want to get even. Your brother smacks you in the arm…you want to smack him harder. A girl in class talks bad about you…you want people to stop liking her. A kid on the team makes you look bad…you want to make him look worse.
    The problem we have as sinners is that we do not just want justice, we want “excessive retribution.” That means paying people back more than they hurt you. And it’s not just kids who do it—grown-ups, nations, even whole empires do it.
    After World War I, some countries treated Germany so harshly that Germany got angry, and a wicked leader named Hitler rose up, and the world went back to war. Millions of people died because someone said, “You hurt me, so I’m going to hurt you worse.” That’s in the fallen human heart.
    And if we’re honest, a little version of that lives in us too.
    But Jesus came and said something totally different—so different that the world thought, “No one lives like that.” And yet Jesus did.
    Today we’re going to hear Jesus tell us how people in His kingdom respond when someone does evil to them.
    “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 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, ESV)

    Big Idea

    Jesus calls you to seek the good of those who do evil to you by letting go of your pride and trusting God to bring justice.
    That’s hard. Everything in you will fight this. Your sinful nature says, “Hit back. Talk back. Post back.” But Jesus is calling you to a better life—a kingdom life—where you trust God’s justice more than your own retribution.
    We want to pay people back. But, Jesus didn’t pay us back—He took our place. And now His Spirit helps us respond like Him.
    So let’s walk through Jesus’ teaching the way Dr. Plumer would with you on a Wednesday: clear, biblical, and pointed at your heart.

    1. God’s law was never meant to let you beat people up (Matt. 5:38)

    Jesus starts with a line His audience knew:
    “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’”
    Some of you hear that and think, “That’s rough.” But in the Old Testament (Ex. 21:23–25; Lev. 24:19–20; Deut. 19:21), God gave that to protect people. It was saying, “The punishment must fit the crime.” If someone knocked out your tooth, you couldn’t burn down their house. No overreaction. No revenge-level-1000.
    Why? Because people are like Lamech in Genesis 4—he said, “A young man hurt me, so I killed him.” That’s our problem—we go bigger than the hurt.
    So the law said, “No. Only equal justice.”
    Jesus isn’t saying that law was bad. He’s saying: that law belonged in the courtroom; it wasn’t meant for your personal anger. Your dad, your teacher, the government—God uses them to restrain evil (Rom. 13:1–4). But you don’t get to walk around as the personal avenger of the universe.
    So Jesus turns and looks right at your heart—at your personal payback.

    2. Jesus tells His disciples: don’t hit back, lean in (Matt. 5:39–42)

    Hearing those words might make you shrink back or squirm. What do you mean, “lean in,” pastor Jason? Jesus says,
    “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.”
    He’s not talking about letting bad people hurt other people—no, the Bible says defend the weak (James 1:27; Ex. 22:22). He’s talking about when someone insults you, embarrasses you, takes advantage of YOU. That’s when your pride wants to explode.
    Jesus gives three pictures to help us.

    Picture 1: When someone insults you (v. 39)

    Back then, a slap on the right cheek was a backhand—that was like saying, “You’re nothing.” It was an honor attack.
    Jesus says: “Turn to him the other also.” That does not mean: “Stay in abuse.” If you are around people who want to hurt you, get away from them. They are not good people. However, what Jesus does mean is don’t let pride rule you. Don’t let their sin pull you into sin.
    Peter tells us how Jesus did it:
    “When he was reviled, he did not revile in return… but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.” (1 Pet. 2:23)
    So the question isn’t, “Will they stop?” The question is, “Who are you trusting—your fists or your Father?”
    Illustration: You’re at recess. Kid walks by and says something mean to you, words that make fun of your clothing or how you look. Everybody laughs. Your ears get hot. You want to fire back. Jesus says, “Right now, trust Me. You don’t have to win this moment. I already won for you.”

    Picture 2: When someone tries to take from you (v. 40)

    “And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.”
    In other words: sometimes people are unfair. Sometimes people push it. Sometimes they want more than they should. Jesus’ point: Don’t spend your life defending your honor. You don’t have to prove you’re important. Your Father already said, “You are Mine.”
    Some of you get so upset over small stuff:
    “She took my spot.”
    “He copied my idea.”
    “My teacher didn’t notice me.”
    “She jumped in front of me.”
    Jesus says: “Let it go. Love covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Pet. 4:8)

    Picture 3: When someone makes you do something you don’t want to do (vv. 41–42)

    “And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.”
    Roman soldiers could make a Jewish person carry their gear for a mile. That felt unfair. That felt like being bossed around. Jesus says: “Instead of rolling your eyes and doing the bare minimum—surprise them. Go farther.” This is so unworldly. R. T. France says doing this for an enemy was unheard of. That’s the point—Jesus wants His people to look like Jesus, to act like citizens of heaven.
    Then He says:
    “Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.” (v. 42)
    That means: be generous. Don’t look for reasons to say no. Don’t punish people by withholding kindness.
    William Wordsworth said,
    “The best portion of a good man’s life is little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love.”
    That’s exactly what Jesus is saying: kingdom kids do quiet kindness even to people who annoy them.

    3. But how can we do this? We love revenge.

    This is where we need the gospel solution.
    You and I are not naturally like this. We like excessive retribution when we are the ones giving it. If someone did wrong to me, I want them to suffer three times as much.”

    How do we live like Jesus?

    (1) Look at Jesus on the cross (Via Dolorosa)

    Of anyone born on this earth, Jesus had the right to retaliate. Why didn’t he seek immediate retribution? Because He came to satisfy God’s justice by taking it on Himself.
    When the soldiers mocked Him, when they nailed Him to the cross, when the crowd laughed—He could have called “ten thousand legions of angels.” But He didn’t. He “entrusted himself to the one who judges justly.” He chose the cross so vengeance-seeking sinners like us could be forgiven.
    So first: you receive that grace. You say, “Lord Jesus, I’m the kid who wants to hit back. Thank You for not hitting back at me.”

    (2) Walk by the Spirit

    Galatians 5:22–23 says the Spirit gives love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
    Do you see it? That’s the heart you need to turn the other cheek. You can’t do Matthew 5 without Galatians 5.
    So when someone insults you, instead of reacting, you pray quietly, “Holy Spirit, help me bear Your fruit right now.”

    (3) Trust God with justice

    Romans 12:19–21 says:
    “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God… ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ … Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
    That means: God saw it. God will deal with it. You don’t have to.
    One day, Matthew 25 says, Jesus will sit on His glorious throne and separate people like sheep and goats. Nobody will get away with anything. Every bullying word, every cruel act, every injustice—Jesus will judge. That frees you to love now.

    Bringing it down to LCS

    In your home: when your brother takes your charger—don’t start a war. Offer it. (Yes, really.)
    In your classroom: when someone makes fun of your reading level—don’t roast them back. Return good for evil.
    On your team: when a player blames you for losing—play harder next practice and encourage him.
    Online: when someone subtweets you—don’t fire back. Silence can be holy.
    Every time you do that, you are saying, “I trust Jesus more than I trust revenge.”

    Gospel Invitation

    Some of you can’t live like this yet because you don’t belong to Jesus. You can’t give grace until you’ve received grace. The One who said, “Turn the other cheek,” is the same One who turned His cheek toward the cross for you.
    Come to Him. Repent of your sin (turn from it). Believe Him. Let Him forgive your revengeful heart.

    Conclusion

    So here’s the whole sermon in two sentences:
    Your heart wants to hit back.
    Jesus wants to make your heart like His.
    So, for Jesus’ sake:
    Endure humiliation.
    Let go of your honor.
    Follow Jesus’ example.
    Walk by the Spirit.
    Entrust yourself to the One who judges rightly.
    That’s kingdom living. That’s what LCS is training you for. That’s what Jesus died to give you.
    Let’s pray.

      • Matthew 5:38–42ESV

  • Empowered by the Spirit, Guided by the Word

      • 2 Thessalonians 2:16–17ESV

First Baptist Church Litchfield
pastorjason.fbcl@gmail.com
217-324-4232
http://www.firstbaptistlitchfield.org/
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