Many think that the mot\u00adto \u00aban eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth\u00bb is a very anar\u00adchic and bloodthirsty one. The oppo\u00adsi\u00adte is the case: this direc\u00adti\u00adve ser\u00adved as a pre\u00adcept of the public courts and hel\u00adped to curb evil. Jesus then addres\u00adses the per\u00adso\u00adnal dealings among his fol\u00adlo\u00adwers. The\u00adre, vir\u00adtu\u00ades such as gent\u00adle\u00adness and magn\u00adani\u00admi\u00adty are to be pro\u00admo\u00adted. The\u00adre is a clear dif\u00adfe\u00adren\u00adtia\u00adti\u00adon bet\u00adween the task of the sta\u00adte and the per\u00adso\u00adnal hand\u00adling of conflicts.<\/p>\n
A sand\u00adbox sce\u00adna\u00adrio could look like this: Jonas ste\u00adals the small sho\u00advel from Lars, his neighbour\u2019s boy, who is play\u00ading with him in the sand\u00adpit. Lars does\u00adn\u2019t take this lying down and snat\u00adches the sho\u00advel from his fri\u00adend. The con\u00adflict escala\u00adtes. Jonas des\u00adtroys the bridge con\u00ads\u00adtruc\u00adtion that Lars has built, until final\u00adly the beau\u00adtiful sand cast\u00adle lies in ruins. Con\u00adflicts have a ten\u00adden\u00adcy to esca\u00adla\u00adte, simi\u00adlar to Mani Matter\u2019s song, in which the sce\u00adna\u00adrio occurs that a world war could result from the light\u00ading of a match. \tRead Romans 12:17\u201321 and compa\u00adre this pas\u00adsa\u00adge with the ser\u00admon text. What stands out? Many think that the mot\u00adto \u00aban eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth\u00bb is a very anar\u00adchic and bloodthirsty one. The oppo\u00adsi\u00adte is the case: this direc\u00adti\u00adve ser\u00adved as a pre\u00adcept of the public courts and hel\u00adped to curb evil. Jesus then addres\u00adses the per\u00adso\u00adnal dealings among his fol\u00adlo\u00adwers. The\u00adre vir\u00adtu\u00ades such as gent\u00adle\u00adness and magn\u00adani\u00admi\u00adty are to be pro\u00admo\u00adted. It\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[23],"wpfc_sermon_series":[72],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-matthias-altwegg","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-metamorphose","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-3515","4":"wpfc_sermon","5":"type-wpfc_sermon","6":"status-publish","7":"hentry","10":"wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"},"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nThe reven\u00adge has a ten\u00adden\u00adcy to esca\u00adla\u00adte. Lamech decla\u00adres who\u00adle\u00adhe\u00adar\u00adted\u00adly to his two wives that he would imme\u00addia\u00adte\u00adly kill a per\u00adson who even slight\u00adly inju\u00adred him. \u00abIf Cain is aven\u00adged seven\u00adfold, Lamech shall be aven\u00adged seven\u00adty-seven\u00adfold!\u00bb (Gene\u00adsis 4:24 NLB<\/span>). I won\u00adder if he could impress his wives with that.
\nRegu\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon befo\u00adre the public court
\n\u00abYou have heard that the Law of Moses says, \u00abWhoe\u00adver hurts someone\u2019s eye shall hims\u00adelf be hurt in the eye. And whoe\u00adver knocks out another\u2019s tooth shall hims\u00adelf lose a tooth for it\u00bb \u00bb (Matthew 5:38 NLB<\/span>). What you hear again and again is: \u00abAn eye for an eye, that is the bar\u00adba\u00adric mot\u00adto, the Jewish reta\u00adlia\u00adti\u00adon prac\u00adti\u00adce of the Old Tes\u00adta\u00adment. For us Chris\u00adti\u00adans, the New Tes\u00adta\u00adment com\u00admandment is: Love your neigh\u00adbour as yours\u00adelf!\u00bb This pits Chris\u00adtia\u00adni\u00adty against Juda\u00adism. Moreo\u00adver, one deri\u00adves from this, among other things, the view that Chris\u00adti\u00adans should not offer resis\u00adtance, and paci\u00adfism is glo\u00adri\u00adfied. This has no basis whatsoever.
\nJesus draws on three bibli\u00adcal pas\u00adsa\u00adges from the Torah for the prin\u00adci\u00adple of \u00aban eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth\u00bb. If one reads the\u00adse texts wit\u00adhout bias, it beco\u00admes clear that it is not about retri\u00adbu\u00adti\u00adon, but about com\u00adpen\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon for dama\u00adges. All texts deal with the public tri\u00adal, sta\u00adte law is defi\u00adned. At that time, pagan peo\u00adp\u00adles lived around the Jews, who reac\u00adted with blood reven\u00adge. One of the basic prin\u00adci\u00adples of the Torah was to estab\u00adlish law and jus\u00adti\u00adce. The punish\u00adment for a crime is named as pre\u00adcis\u00ade\u00adly as pos\u00adsi\u00adble and the com\u00adpen\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon for the vic\u00adtim is limi\u00adt\u00aded. The focus of \u00aban eye for an eye\u00bb is that one does not have to pay for the dama\u00adge with \u00abdou\u00adble coin\u00bb.
\nThis is the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre the public regu\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon of the law and not per\u00adso\u00adnal reven\u00adge. The punish\u00adment should not be hig\u00adher than the trans\u00adgres\u00adsi\u00adon. The sta\u00adte can\u00adnot dis\u00adpen\u00adse with punish\u00adment to pro\u00adtect its citi\u00adzens. Tole\u00adra\u00adting the aggres\u00adsor des\u00adtroys socie\u00adty. It was never Jesus\u00bb inten\u00adti\u00adon to ques\u00adti\u00adon the legal basis of the Torah. He does not advo\u00adca\u00adte anar\u00adchism or pacifism.
\nA few years ago we had a talk with Susan\u00adne Ges\u00adke. Her hus\u00adband, along with two other men, was tor\u00adtu\u00adred and bru\u00adt\u00adally mur\u00adde\u00adred for three hours by five young Tur\u00adki\u00adsh men. At almost 100 court hea\u00adrings she saw the per\u00adpe\u00adtra\u00adtors again and again. On the tele\u00advi\u00adsi\u00adon she said, \u00abI wish for the\u00adse five young Tur\u00adki\u00adsh men that God for\u00adgi\u00adve them, becau\u00adse they don\u2019t know what they are doing.\u00bb A jour\u00adna\u00adlist had writ\u00adten in respon\u00adse, \u00abShe has said more with that one sen\u00adtence than a thousand mis\u00adsio\u00adna\u00adries can say in a thousand years.\u00bb It is admi\u00adra\u00adble that this woman said that God may for\u00adgi\u00adve men even though they have done some\u00adthing ter\u00adri\u00adble. But it is equal\u00adly right that the Tur\u00adki\u00adsh govern\u00adment holds the\u00adse men accoun\u00adta\u00adble and punis\u00adhes them. The sta\u00adte is respon\u00adsi\u00adble for public law and must enforce it. Howe\u00adver, we should not take per\u00adso\u00adnal reven\u00adge and detest, put down or des\u00adtroy people.
\nRegu\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon among the fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus
\n\u00abBut I say, do not resist anyo\u00adne who does you harm. Whoe\u00adver strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also\u00bb (Matthew 5:39 NLB<\/span>). Now Jesus is tal\u00adking about how it should work among his fol\u00adlo\u00adwers. So now we are tal\u00adking about per\u00adso\u00adnal feuds in pri\u00adva\u00adte. Paul is sur\u00adpri\u00adsed that the\u00adre were peo\u00adp\u00adle in Corinth who took their dis\u00adpu\u00adte with ano\u00adther church mem\u00adber to a secu\u00adlar court (1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 6:1). After a short dis\u00adcus\u00adsion he arri\u00adves at the quint\u00adessence: \u00abThe fact that you go to court against each other at all is alre\u00ada\u00addy a defeat for all of you. Why are you not rea\u00addy to be wron\u00adged? Why can\u2019t you bear it when someone enri\u00adches hims\u00adelf at your expen\u00adse?\u00bb (V.7 NLB<\/span>). Jesus is taking a simi\u00adlar line here.
\n\u00abWhoe\u00adver slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other\u00bb. A nor\u00admal slap with the right hand hits the left cheek. Jesus means the slap with the back of the hand. A per\u00adson who does this is very aggres\u00adsi\u00adve insi\u00adde. But he does not want to show his aggres\u00adsi\u00adon \u2013 other\u00adwi\u00adse he would hit with his fist \u2013 becau\u00adse he would lose face. You don\u2019t do some\u00adthing like that in the heat of the moment, but with full cal\u00adcu\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon. Accor\u00addin\u00adgly, in the Mish\u00adnah, the punish\u00adment for hit\u00adting with the back of the hand is twice as seve\u00adre as hit\u00adting with a fist.
\nJesus actual\u00adly asks: How should a per\u00adson react when he is offen\u00added like this? How do you pro\u00adper\u00adly resol\u00adve con\u00adflict situa\u00adtions with your neigh\u00adbour? Accor\u00adding to Jesus, we must not decla\u00adre war on our neigh\u00adbour. The call to turn the left cheek is not\u00adhing more than an image of acting out the con\u00adflict, just as striking the right side is an image of an unjust act. The tur\u00adning of the left cheek forces the tor\u00admen\u00adtor to recon\u00adsider his aggression.
\nIf someone insults you with a kick in the shin (slap with the back of the hand), then bring the mat\u00adter to the table so that the other per\u00adson has to take a stand and so his anger comes to light (offer him the left cheek). This is the solu\u00adti\u00adon to the con\u00adflict within the com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty, so as not to go to court.
\nHow do we react when we are trea\u00adted unf\u00adair\u00adly? If we let our\u00adsel\u00adves be gui\u00added by our fee\u00adlings, then we can beco\u00adme very angry. In this case, we hard\u00adly think \u00abtooth for a tooth\u00bb, but would like to tear the opponent\u2019s head off: Head for a tooth. If, on the other hand, we let our\u00adsel\u00adves be gui\u00added by the spi\u00adrit and con\u00adtrol our fee\u00adlings, we can offer the oppo\u00adnent con\u00ads\u00adtruc\u00adti\u00adve con\u00adver\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon as a respon\u00adse. This cor\u00adre\u00adsponds to tur\u00adning the other cheek. This dis\u00adarms the other per\u00adson of his aggres\u00adsi\u00adon. And after the emo\u00adti\u00adons have been expres\u00adsed in the con\u00adver\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon, we can try to res\u00adto\u00adre unity. This was alre\u00ada\u00addy recom\u00admen\u00added by the wise Solo\u00admon: \u00abA fri\u00adend\u00adly ans\u00adwer soot\u00adhes anger; grie\u00advous words arou\u00adse it\u00bb (Pro\u00adverbs 15:1 NLB<\/span>). And Paul says: \u00abSee that no one repays evil with evil, but always try to do good to one ano\u00adther and also to ever\u00adyo\u00adne else!\u00bb (1Thessalonians 5:15 NLB<\/span>). In the high song of love we also learn that for\u00adbea\u00adring and loving belong tog\u00ade\u00adther: \u00abLove endu\u00adres all things\u00bb (1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 13:7 NLB<\/span>).
\n\u00abIf you have to appear in court and your shirt is taken from you, add your coat to it\u00bb (Matthew 5:40 NLB<\/span>). In anci\u00adent Isra\u00adel, the guil\u00adty per\u00adson had to depo\u00adsit a pledge. Poor peo\u00adp\u00adle depo\u00adsi\u00adted their coat by day and their shirt by night. But the\u00adre were peo\u00adp\u00adle who refu\u00adsed to give their pledge. Jesus says: You do not have to pro\u00advo\u00adke your oppo\u00adnent unneces\u00ads\u00ada\u00adri\u00adly and should accept this rule.
\nActual\u00adly, this is about the atti\u00adtu\u00adde towards mate\u00adri\u00adal pos\u00adses\u00adsi\u00adons. Jesus chal\u00adlenges us to renoun\u00adce our own rights. The Jewish tra\u00addi\u00adti\u00adon knows such a kind of jus\u00adti\u00adce: a four\u00adfold mind\u00adset exists among peo\u00adp\u00adle: He who says, \u00abMine is mine and yours is yours,\u00bb that is the kind of the medio\u00adcre. [\u2026] \u00abMine is thi\u00adne and thi\u00adne is mine,\u00bb that is the man\u00adner of the law\u00adless. \u00abThat which is mine is yours and that which is yours is yours\u00bb, that is the pious. \u00abYours is mine and yours is mine\u00bb, that is the sacrilegious.
\nGiving others what is theirs and at the same time being gene\u00adrous with one\u2019s own is the atti\u00adtu\u00adde of a fol\u00adlower of Jesus. Due to expe\u00adri\u00adence to the con\u00adtra\u00adry, the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing pro\u00adverb has ari\u00adsen: \u00abBeing a Chris\u00adti\u00adan stops at the purse!
\n\u00abIf anyo\u00adne asks you to go one mile with him, go two miles with him\u00bb (Matthew 5:41 NLB<\/span>). Yes\u00adter\u00adday, the bles\u00adsing feast and wed\u00adding of an Eri\u00adtre\u00adan fami\u00adly took place in our bis\u00adtro. For some time now, we have beco\u00adme some\u00adthing like a fami\u00adly of refe\u00adrence for them. Sin\u00adce they have to live very mode\u00adst\u00adly finan\u00adci\u00adal\u00adly, I offe\u00adred them the bis\u00adtro for free to hold the feast. So far so good. But sud\u00adden\u00adly they asked me if I would dri\u00adve with them to Hei\u00adden AR<\/span> at 5:00 a.m. on Satur\u00adday mor\u00adning, becau\u00adse that is whe\u00adre the church is, whe\u00adre they will be bles\u00adsed. Do I want to invest so much time and expen\u00adse? When I accept\u00aded this ser\u00advice, I did not know that today it was about the second mile.
\nThe Roman sol\u00addiers had clai\u00admed for them\u00adsel\u00adves the right to force other peo\u00adp\u00adle to go with them in order to car\u00adry some\u00adthing hea\u00advy for no con\u00adside\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon. The most famous exam\u00adp\u00adle is Simon of Cyre\u00adne, who was coer\u00adced to car\u00adry Jesus\u00bb cross after him, even though he had just come tired from the field (Mark 15:21). Jesus wants to tell us with the\u00adse words: Not frus\u00adtra\u00adti\u00adon about dis\u00adcri\u00admi\u00adna\u00adti\u00adon, but bet\u00adter jus\u00adti\u00adce should moti\u00adva\u00adte us to go a second mile bey\u00adond the mini\u00admum. We also owe sta\u00adte power bea\u00adrers the tes\u00adtim\u00ado\u00adny of tole\u00adra\u00adting love. In con\u00adtrast, how pathe\u00adtic is con\u00adstant cri\u00adti\u00adcism of the sta\u00adte, in which not infre\u00adquent\u00adly Chris\u00adti\u00adans also participate.
\n\u00abGive to tho\u00adse who ask you, and do not turn your backs on tho\u00adse who want to bor\u00adrow from you\u00bb (Matthew 5:42 NLB<\/span>). Does Jesus want to obli\u00adge us to give of our mate\u00adri\u00adal goods to anyo\u00adne who asks? May\u00adbe the other per\u00adson will use it to buy alco\u00adhol or other drugs. Have we not lear\u00adned not to give to beggars? Jesus inter\u00adprets the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing Bible pas\u00adsa\u00adge: \u00abGive glad\u00adly wit\u00adhout com\u00adplai\u00adning. Then the Lord your God will bless you in all that you do. The\u00adre will always be poor peo\u00adp\u00adle in the land. The\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre I com\u00admand you to be gene\u00adrous to the poor and nee\u00addy Israe\u00adli\u00adtes\u00bb (Deut 15:10f NLB<\/span>). So it is not a mat\u00adter of begging or care\u00adless pum\u00adping, but of hel\u00adping in need. And \u2013 it is bet\u00adter to decei\u00adve yours\u00adelf once in favour of the nee\u00addy than always in my favour.
\n
\nThe Ser\u00admon on the Mount is about vir\u00adtu\u00ades and cha\u00adrac\u00adter. In the last few weeks it has been about sere\u00adni\u00adty and gent\u00adle\u00adness, self-con\u00adtrol, faithful\u00adness and love, truthful\u00adness and hones\u00adty, and today it is about magn\u00adani\u00admi\u00adty and meekness. The\u00adse are all vir\u00adtu\u00ades that we find in God and that make up his cha\u00adrac\u00adter. When Christ lives and is given space in us, we are trans\u00adfor\u00admed into his image. And this hap\u00adpens at the very points we are tar\u00adge\u00adting. God does not work past us!
\n
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\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small groups
\nRead Bible text: Matthew 5:38\u201342; Romans 12:17\u201321<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat would hap\u00adpen if the sta\u00adte acted accor\u00adding to Matthew 5:39 in its courts?
\n\tSup\u00adpo\u00adse you were to keep ver\u00adses 39\u201342: What does this thought do to you? What effects would this have on your environment?
\n\tWhat does it mean in con\u00adcre\u00adte terms to turn the \u00ableft cheek\u00bb? What does the image stand for? Is this con\u00adcept realisable?
\n\tLove tole\u00adra\u00adtes ever\u00ady\u00adthing (1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 13:7). What should one tole\u00adra\u00adte in life? What not?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"