Lesson 10, Loving Everyone

Sunday School Lesson for the Adult Class

Witnessing as Jesus and the Bible instructs us to witness

X. Loving everyone                                                                          Matthew 5:38 – 47

          A. Jesus reminds of the law once again                                 Matthew 5:38, Deuteronomy 19:21

          B. Turn the other cheek                                                                   Matthew 5:39, Luke 6:29

Christianity is about going above and beyond for love; Christ’s love. If there is any doubt, we can read Isaiah 50:6

I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.

The idea that is so unique about Christianity and salvation is that we have an example to follow that walked and partook of every trial he asks us to go through. He is our example and not a man made law, not cultural norms and not our own selves, but old testament fulfilling example of Jesus Christ.

          C. Sue you at law                                                                             Matthew 5:40, Luke 6:29

Notice this is not only Christian instructions but deeds Christ himself eventually performed. Matthew 27:28.

Also, this is not about law in a court so much as it is about teaching that there is no holding onto ‘self’ in our service to Christ.

          D. Go the extra mile                                                               Matthew 5:41

          E. Ready to Give                                                                    Matthew 5:42, Luke 6:30

What is the example of Christ but readily and willingly giving of himself for others that did not deserve his love.

          F. Loving everyone                                                                 Matthew 5:43-48, Luke 6:31-36

         

          To follow this example and to live this life seems hard and it is if you try to live this kind of life without Jesus. He is not only an example for this Christian life but also helps carry the load while we are walking with him.

Matthew 11:30

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Genesis 19

Genesis chapter 19

To start of the chapter we see the angels coming to Sodom. The good hospitality that Abraham had seems to run in the family. Lot, once seeing the angels, runs to greet them and give them a place to stay and refresh themselves. After some insisting, the angels agree to stay with Lot, but this scene takes place in front of others in the city. After going indoors to eat the people outside gain up courage and knock on the door of Lot's house. You can argue what they wanted with the angels until the eighth verse where Lot, evidently knowing their intentions, offers his daughters to the assailants. Offering his daughters doesn't make this situation in any way better. Although there is a place in judges where a similar incident happens, at no time does the bible ever instruct or give us permission to offer anyone else up to assuage evil. We may offer our own lives to save another, but we can never give another for sacrifice to sin, that is evil. The mob from Sodom will have none of this, so the angels pull Lot back inside and blind the people outside. What is even more disturbing about this is the fact that is appears the people outside, even though they were blinded, still tried to get in. That is the definition of Evil.

The angels insist that Lot gather his family and go because they are going to destroy the city. There are not five righteous and it is time for them to leave if they want to spare their own lives. This is the example for all of us, leave sin now while you can before judgment comes and there is no more escaping. Lot lingers, either from paralyzed fear or procrastination and the angel must take him and his family by the hand and remove them from the city. They are warned to not look back on the city for fear of being turned into a pillar of salt. Before the journey is completed Lot begs that they may enter into the city of Zoar because they are tired from the journey. On the way, Lot's wife looks back on the city and is turned to a pillar of salt just as they are warned.  After God has purged us from our sins there is nothing to go back to or nothing to look back upon. Nothing good can come from us looking longingly back on the life that we no longer have a part of. Also, God will not give us a journey that he will also not supply the grace to travel completely. Lot was tired, disheartened and afraid, but he should have taken the full journey with the angels and not stopped short.

So God sends his judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah. They were not without hope or opportunities to come clean. Christianity is not about what God is going to do to us, but about what we decide to do with our lives with our own free will. We make the choice, the consequences are very clear and the warning has been given. Abraham wakes up in the morning and sees the smoke coming from Sodom. You know his first thoughts were of Lot and his family. He also knows that God was not able to find five righteous. Lot is spared, and God does hear our prayers and pleas.

Lot and his family are dwelling in a cave in a mountain by Zoar. Isolation is not for a servant of God. Lot discovers this too late even with the warning of Sodom before him. His daughters imagine an evil thing and Lot gets too drunk to know or do anything about it. What a sad state that we would get so far from God we don't remember our actions. No doubt, when we get in a situation like this, nothing good is going to come of it. So the 'righteous' that was saved from Sodom will give birth to a people that will be a thorn in the side of Israel forever.

Genesis 3

Genesis chapter 3

As we start out in the third chapter there seems to be something amiss from the beginning. Why is Eve or anyone for that matter having a conversation with an animal. Why is Eve talking with an animal much less debating one? The world must have been an interesting place before sin entered into it. No doubt many things were different before sin. To answer this strange situation, what else was Satan going to appear as? If we appeared as anything else other than what Adam and Eve were familiar with, no doubt they would have been afraid, or at the very least knew not to trust him. That also goes to the point that Adam and Eve probably had nothing to fear ever. So appearing as an animal and talking probably was the best way to entice Adam and Eve.

Some points we can take from this are obvious. Do not talk to mysterious strangers, do not argue with strangers, and do  not debate Satan, ever! Our strength lies in our Lord and Savior, not our lousy debating skills. Debating or arguing with Satan will just lead us to lose every time. I'm also not saying I've ever spoken directly with Satan, but we all have those moments when we're trying to justify something deep down we know we should  just give the benefit of the doubt to Jesus. Those are the moments I'm referring too.

Satan mixes in a bit of truth when he temps Eve. He says you won't 'surely' die? As soon as she ate of that fruit death was on its way, but she would not actually choke on it and die that instant. That is the way of our sins as well. When we first sin we are just planting the seed, the real fruit comes out later. Satan also tempted her since of pride. He told her she would know the difference between good and evil. Now that we have hindsight to help us with a conclusion, was Adam and Eve better off with that knowledge? Just some politicians will go on about the poor and injustice of American society, but will themselves will never mention that the 'poor' in this country are far richer than most of the population of this planet. It doesn't help their argument so they leave it out. Satan tempted Eve with true but useless information. What she gave up was far worse than what she gained. Just as people are better off trying to improve themselves then listen to the one-sided truth of a politician with selfish ulterior motives. (As a side note, I did not start out to compare some politicians to Satan, it just turned out that way).

Notice the big fight that Adam puts up when he is tempted? Notice how the verse makes it sound like he was there the whole time and didn't say a word? Adam didn't put up a fight whatsoever, he willingly and unflinchingly went along with the sin. Some sin will stop in its tracks if you just don't give in to it. Gossip is one of those cases where you are in control to stop with you.Oh, but Adam just goes on to blame it on Eve, not even taking responsibility for his own actions.

With their new found wisdom they realize they are naked. Again, I do not see how this makes them better off, because they are not better off. Satan gives us compelling ideas and desires for things we don't need in the first place; he is the consummate sales person. They cover themselves up and God comes looking for them. Here is an illustration that only the Saviors blood can hide our naked sin. God also has to make them clothes because the clothes they made are insufficient. This also is a precursor to show us we cannot earn our way to Heaven.

Make no mistake that God knew where they were and that they were not hiding from anyone. God knows our sins and he even knows before we commit them. As punishment Adam and Eve are kicked out of the Garden and hard work and travail in birth are also punishments. God lets them know that he still loves them and that there will one day be redemption for their sin. God always has mercy while we live.