Living in the Image of God M06S07
In this bible study, we discuss Christ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount regarding “what the Lord has given us.” He provides the eye-for-eye teaching, love-your-enemies teaching, and a teaching on the motivation for assistance. He conveys a message through the teachings that God is pleased when you attend to a need that he has shown you, irrespective of your previous experience regarding the needy. Whether the needy is a friend or an enemy, God expects you to attend to the need with a pure motivation to alleviate the need.
We discuss Christ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount on using “what the Lord has given us” that you control to attend to needs that he will show you, irrespective of whether the need is for a friend or an enemy. We examine the eye-for-eye teaching (Matthew 5:38–42), love-your-enemies teaching (Matthew 5:43–48), and a teaching regarding the motivation for assistance (Matthew 6:1–4). The teachings provide a message that when God calls your attention to a need around you, he expects you to focus on recognizing and understanding the need and committing to doing what you can to alleviate the need. Respond to the need with a pure motivation to alleviate the need, even if the needy is your enemy.
A call for assistance by a friend will likely appeal to your goodwill and generosity. In contrast, an enemy’s call for assistance could be based on a claim of coercive authority over you. Christ teaching is that you should recognize the call for assistance and focus on doing what you can to alleviate the need. He used several examples to illustrate you should focus on the need and not whether the needy is a friend or enemy. In one example, he uses a law that existed at the time that a Roman soldier could ask any Jew to carry his [the soldier’s] gear for one mile. Christ said you should respond by carrying the gear for two miles: “If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles” [Matthew 5:41]. That is, you recognize the soldier’s order as a call for assistance and respond by providing more than he had authority to compel from you.
Your only motivation for attending to a need should be that you care and seek to alleviate the need. Do not allow other motivation to influence the assistance you provide or how you provide it. For example, if you are influenced by a motivation to receive human recognition or accolade, then the recognition or accolade you seek is your reward even if not received. God is pleased when you assist others only because you care and seek to alleviate the need. Any other motivation does not please God.
Eye for Eye Teaching
In the eye-for-eye teaching (Matthew 5:38–42), Christ conveys a message that if someone asks something from you based on a claim of coercive authority over you, recognize the asking as a call for assistance and respond to the call as you would respond to a call for assistance from a friend. Give willingly and generously to alleviate the need using “what the Lord has given us” that you control.
[Matthew 5:38–41]: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.” Having recognized the call for assistance irrespective of coming from a friend or enemy, focus on responding to the call: “Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” [Matthew 5:42].
One of the examples in the teaching is based on a Roman law at the time, whereby every Jew was required by law to carry a soldier’s gear for one mile if the soldier demanded so. Christ teaching in the passage is that you should respond by carrying the gear for two miles: “If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles” [Matthew 5:41]. That is, you recognize the soldier’s order as a call for assistance and respond by providing more than he had authority to compel from you (compare our previous discussion under M05S01, Extra Mile for Peace).
Love Your Enemies Teaching
In the Love Your Enemies teaching, Christ describes people in two categories regarding those that may seek interactions with you: viz., friend or enemy, good or evil, and righteous or unrighteous. One category (described as friend, good, or righteous) would appeal to your goodwill and generosity in a call for assistance. In contrast, the other category (described as enemy, evil, or unrighteous) would generally ask from you based on a claim of coercive authority over you. Christ teaches that you should recognize their asking as a call for assistance, the same way you recognize a call for assistance from a friend.
Having recognized a call for assistance, your response should be based on your assessment of the need and capabilities to alleviate the need, irrespective of categorization of the needy as friend or enemy, good or evil, and righteous or unrighteous. Focus on doing what you can to alleviate the need [Matthew 5:45]: “that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” Therefore, as you evaluate using “what the Lord has given us” that you control to attend to the need of others, focus on the need irrespective of the needy being a friend or enemy, good or evil, and righteous or unrighteous.
Motivation for Assistance
When you provide goods or service to benefit others in need, your only motivation should be that you care and seek to alleviate the need. Do not allow other motivation to influence the assistance you provide or how you provide it. For example, if you are influenced by a motivation to receive accolade, then the accolade you seek is your reward, even if not received. God promises no reward for such assistance [Matthew 6:2]: “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.”
God is pleased when you assist others for a pure motivation of seeking to alleviate the need. He is displeased when your giving is influenced by other motivation such as seeking accolade.
Summary of What We Learned
We discussed Christ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount regarding “what the Lord has given us.” He provides the eye-for-eye teaching, love-your-enemies teaching, and a teaching on the motivation for assistance. He conveys a message through the teachings that God is pleased when you attend to a need that he has shown you, irrespective of your previous experience regarding the needy. Whether the needy is a friend or an enemy, God expects you to attend to the need with a pure motivation to alleviate the need.