Matthew 5:38-48

Matthew 5:38-48

1. The Lord Jesus forbids everything like an unforgiving and revengeful spirit.
2. The Lord Jesus enjoins on us a spirit of universal love and charity.
3. If we do not aim at the spirit and temper which are here recommended, we are not yet children of God and are manifestly yet of the world.
4. If the spirit of these ten verses were more continually remembered by true believers, they would recommend Christianity to the world far more than they do.
5. If the spirit of these ten verses had more dominion and power in the world, how much happier the world would be than it is.

"We are to put up with much and bear much, rather than hurt another, or give offence. In all things we are to be unselfish. Our thought must never be, "how do others behave to me?" but "what would Christ have me to do?""

"We have here a lovely picture of the Christian as he ought to be. We cannot look at it without painful feelings. We must all allow that it differs widely from the Christian as he is."

"Unfailing courtesy, kindness, tenderness, and consideration for others, are some of the greatest ornaments to the character of the child of God. The world can understand these things, if it cannot understand doctrine. There is no religion in rudeness, roughness, bluntness, and incivility. The perfection of practical Christianity consists in attending to the little duties of holiness as well as to the great."

"Those who fancy that true religion has any tendency to make men unhappy, are greatly mistaken. It is the absence of it that does this, and not the presence."

Questions:

1. Jesus points out two sayings that would have been common - "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" and "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy" - and declares what God desires. The Christian is called to not resist the one who is evil (of which Jesus gives numerous examples) and love our enemies. The standard is high because the standard is found in Jesus himself. And yet, as Ryle points out, we must not aim for anything less because these things are evidence of having the Spirit. And so, he asks some negative diagnostic questions: am I ready to resent hurts against me? Am I quick to be offended by others? Am I quick to quarrel and fight with others? Do I delight to assert my rights? He then asks some positive questions: Do I return good when others do evil to me? Do I bless when cursed? Do I deny myself and take troubles in order to be kind? As Ryle says, these pictures give a lovely picture of what the Christian ought to be. Do we have some semblance of this picture?
2. Ryle, in considering these standards, states that the world would be far happier if the spirit of these verses had more power and dominion in the world. He says, "Those who fancy that true religion has any tendency to make men unhappy, are greatly mistaken. It is the absence of it that does this, and not the presence." Do we believe that loving our enemies and patiently enduring evil are God being a killjoy or actually what will bring joy to us and a lost world?