(Text and Audio)
Title: Context is King
We have been in the book of Ruth for 10 months now, can you believe it? In that time, we have seen time and time again, the importance of CONTEXT to fully understand the story and dialogue between the main characters. Probably the best example is when Ruth sneaks in to the threshing floor at night as asks Boaz, “take your maidservant under your wing…”
If we did not understand the context of that request, we may have mistakenly just assumed that Ruth was saying, “Will you take care of me?”
But, knowing the culture and context, that is what NOT what she’s asking. What is she asking? (Marry Me!) That changes the story quite a bit, right?
With that in mind, I wanted to look at one of my favorite passages in the Gospel of Matthew, when Jesus is delivering the Sermon on the Mount, because it contains some of the most misunderstood, and misapplied teaching of Jesus in all of Scripture. If we know the cultural context, and the original audience, we can come to a clearer understanding of how to actually interpret and apply Jesus’s teaching.
(Story of Vaeh telling daddy, “Daddy, you are the Legacy of Love!”)
Without context, Mary and I were so very confused.
One of the things that I was very fortunate to have drilled into my brain as a very young believer was this idea that context is king, meaning, we must put everything that we read in scripture into its proper context, or we run the risk of either misunderstanding scripture, or not understanding it as much as we could otherwise.
Today we are going to look at some familiar teachings in our short passage, and I’m first going to show you how we have often missed the point on the teaching, mainly because we haven’t understood the various contexts the teaching appears in. And then we will flesh out the real intention, meaning, and application of what we are called to do as we follow Christ.
(read/pray)
- An Eye for an Eye
The common misinterpretation: Seek exact revenge when you are wronged.
Jesus here is quoting the Mosaic Law from Deuteronomy 21:24 but the point that Jesus was making is this: The punishment should fit the crime. There is a difference between these two points. The first option seeks to fulfill out lust for revenge, while the second protects justice by making sure that there were not different penalties for different social classes.
Today we still struggle mightily with this principle in our justice system. The rich, the Caucasian, the famous, and the connected often have a hugely unfair advantage in the court systems when it comes to punishments being handed out. While the poor, the African American, the Latino, and the disenfranchised have definitive disadvantages in our courts systems.
God’s justice, perfect justice, is by definition, perfect because:
- It has no biases.
- It knows all contexts
- It knows all motivations
- It never judges wrongly
- “But I tell you not to resist an evil person.”
What exactly is the connection here? What is Jesus saying? Is he saying, “Don’t seek justice?”
Is he telling us that we should allow ourselves to be taken advantage of? To be insulted? To be sued? To become slaves to others?
The answer is yes…in a way…but we must understand the context to understand the reason for these teachings.
In context, the phrase, “Do not resist” means, “Do not seek restitution in court.”
Jesus doesn’t want us dragging each other to court. He says, “be wronged…I am justice, I am vengeance. Don’t react how the world expects you to, even if you have the right to. Instead, imitate me.”
And then Jesus gives us four teachings that emulate that exact line of thinking.
- Turn the other cheek.
Now, we’ve all heard this, but I’m not sure we really understand what it means. Most of us think this has something to do with non-violence, or pacifism, that we ought to just sit there and let ourselves be hit in the face, fortunately, there is a bit more to it than that.
When the text says “whoever slaps you on the right cheek” there is a clue as to what is going on. (Call for Slapping Volunteer and demonstrate)
To be slapped on the right cheek means you’ve been backhanded. This isn’t so much a physical assault as it is an insult, usually done publicly. Today it would be the equivalent of spitting at someone’s feet or making a certain gesture to them for all to see.
So what Jesus is really saying is this: “Endure the insults that you will inevitable face because of me. Remember that I told you they would hate you because of me.”
Precept: Turn the other cheek
Principle: We are called to suffer for our King
Point: You be faithful, trust God for Justice
2. Let him have your cloak also
In the second example we see someone being sued, and Jesus shortcuts the issue and says, “If they are suing you for your tunic, give them even more than that. Gladly part with the physical things of this world for the sake of me.”
One of the ways that people got vengeance on each other is to take them to court…but we don’t do that today as a society, do we?
Jesus wants us to be above all that pettiness, and why?
Precept: Give him your tunic and then your coat
Principle: We don’t own any of these things, therefore, don’t be tied to the material world.
Point: We trust that God is our provision.
- Go with him two
The contextual key here is the word “compels.” In the first century, as the Jews found themselves under the Roman Empire, it was not uncommon for a Roman soldier to coerce a Jew to serve as a guide, or a carrier of heavy things. The Romans wouldn’t force you to do this, they didn’t have to. It was understood that you either did it, or you got on a list where bad things tended to happen to you and your family. The real issue here was one of inconvenience. But Jesus says, “If you are asked to serve, do so gladly, joyfully, and go beyond what is asked of you.”
This will no doubt confuse and shock others, and probably make them wonder about the God that you serve. But today, we do an awful job of this. I run into Christians all the time that roll their eyes at their bosses, complain about the most petty and silly things, and I never see them doing anything but the bare minimum that is asked of them.
Precept: Go the extra mile
Principle: Even your time is not your own, you are ALWAYS on the clock for Christ.
Point: Don’t act or react like the world, gladly help others, especially when it’s not expected.
So, here’s the key: Jesus begins this dialogue by saying: “You have heard it said that things must be totally equal at all times, but I’m telling you that is not the case. I’m telling you to be on the short end of the stick. I’m telling you that if you follow me, you need to be prepared to suffer.”
The fourth and final example that Jesus gives us is in verse 42…the idea that we are called to generosity. We don’t have the right to turn anyone away, because whatever we have, whatever we might call “ours” is God’s. Even we, ourselves, are God’s property.
Could you imagine going to your bank and going up to the teller and saying, “I’d like to withdraw $100 from my checking account”
And the teller responds by saying, “I’m sorry, that’s my money.”
“No it isn’t, it’s in my account.”
“I know that, but it’s currently in my possession. And I’m choosing to hold on to it now.”
How long will you remain a client of that bank?
How long will that teller remain an employee of that bank?
Yet we play the same games with God all the time. Lord, it’s my money, it’s my time, it’s my car, house, reputation, schedule…
Really?
And where exactly did those things come from?
pray
Q/A