Bless those who curse you, pray for
those who mistreat you.Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the
other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your
shirt from him, either.
Luke 6:28-29
This is not the generation or culture
of meekness. We know our rights...we DEMAND our rights. We think we
have the right to keep everything we have and earn, and to complain
LOUDLY, yelling at rallies and campaigns about how we aren't going to
take it anymore. Life has become a giant political rally instead of
an individual interpersonal interaction. If we even sense that
someone is going to take something from us, we bristle.
Life is full of being cheated. We
expect a certain level of response from those around us...rewards of
smiles at the least, or admiration, or appreciation. And when we
don't get it, we get upset. We stop trying to keep the house clean if
the kids go behind us messing it up. We get angry that they don't see
the mess and do something about it. We expect a bonus from work for
going the extra mile instead of seeing it as our duty as faithful
servants. And we protest. And these are just the things we THINK we
are being cheated of.
Then there is the actual taking of our
things...in this case, the coat, or cloak. Revisiting this, it was
the essential piece of clothing. It kept out the heat of the day,
while being the blanket at night. To take a man's coat was
unthinkable. If it was held as surety during the day, it was to be
given back at night. Deuteronomy 24:13. This showed that you had
compassion and God said that even if they owed you something, having
clothing mercy would make them bless you. To leave him without it was
considered cruel and heartless.
So if someone demanded the coat,
violated the law of mercy, we are instructed not only to not fight
with the unmerciful one, but to offer them the clothes off our back
as a sign of humility and the desire to repay the debt. Jesus warned
us over and over to not fight with unrighteous people. He knew that
the only thing that it would do is harm us more than the injustice
we already suffered. Offering the second garment was a sign to the
world that you were righteous and trustworthy. Taking such a thing
would show the anger and hardness of the demander. We were to show
every sign of good faith and virtue to the world around us. God
reminded the Israelites that they were mistreated in Egypt and
therefore they should not mistreat one another. But if we are to be
mistreated, show yourself not worthy of the mistreatment, and
therefore be like Christ Himself. He was not worthy to be mistreated,
but He was and He didn't fight it. They stripped Him of coat and
tunic, and sold them off.
In 21st century America, how
do we apply this?
Don't be attached to stuff...let it go
if it is demanded of us.
Show a humble, submissive heart to
those who wrong us.
Go the extra mile expecting nothing in
return, ministering to show Christ to others.
Stop grumbling about our rights and
expectations not being met.
Really think...what would Jesus do? He
didn't fight the system...He transformed it and spoke of its proper
use. He spoke with authority that righteous people appreciated and
self-righteous people resented. Do not expect to be loved for
speaking the truth in love.
Be more worried about standing up for
others than standing up for yourself.
Love your enemies...bless those who
curse you...bless and curse not. Romans 12
And if it takes giving them your coat
to do it, hand it over. God's hand will cover you and keep you safe
and warm.
No comments:
Post a Comment