A man whose foot had been stepped on received an apology, and yet remained offended, because what he wanted was not an apology but satisfaction. That anecdote opens a reflection on Jesus’ words from the Sermon on the Mount about an eye for an eye, turning the other cheek and loving your enemies (Matthew 5). The sermon shows that retaliation never ends a conflict, and that Jesus is not after corrected behavior but a transformed heart, all the way to praying for those who have hurt us. Listen if you carry a wound and do not know what to do with it.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- In Matthew 5:38 Jesus quotes the principle of "an eye for an eye" from Exodus. What was its original purpose, and how did people distort it over time?
- The sermon explains turning the left cheek, giving up the cloak, and carrying a load the second mile. What do these images have in common, and why do they not mean passively accepting harm?
- Boswell said of the offended man: "He doesn't want an apology, he wants satisfaction." In what situations do you notice in yourself a desire to settle the score rather than simply end the conflict?
- The speaker stresses that what matters most is the kind of person you become when you are wronged. How can you set boundaries against harm and ask, like Jesus, "Why do you strike me?" without paying back in kind?
- God makes the sun rise on the evil and the good, and the word "perfect" means mature and complete. What does it mean to you that loving your enemies is the test of maturity in Christ?
- Think of someone you often think about with resentment. How can you pray for that person this week, asking what must be going on in their life to make them act this way?
