"Jesus speaks into the world and calls us to a very different life" Wednesday of Trinity 15 2025
01. October 2025
Wednesday of Trinity 15
Matthew 5:33-42
I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away (Mt 5:39–42).
This is the Word of the Lord that came to me, so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing, you may have life in His + Name. AMEN.
Jesus’ words in Matthew 5 are not easy. “Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No.’ Anything more than this comes from evil.” “Do not resist the one who is evil. If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also. If anyone takes your shirt, give him your cloak. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go two.”
They sound impossible. They sound naïve. They sound like they don’t belong in the world we live in. Because the world we live in is full of contracts and lawsuits, promises and betrayals, grudges and payback. We know how the game is played: you protect yourself, you defend your rights, you make sure you don’t look weak. But Jesus speaks into that world and calls us to something very different.
And His words aren’t a trick. They aren’t just lofty ideals meant to inspire us without being taken seriously. They are His truth. They are His life. They are what His kingdom looks like. And when we hear them, we realize just how far our hearts are from His.
We live in a culture drowning in words. Words on screens, words in contracts, words in arguments. So many words, and so little truth. People swear oaths because their word alone can’t be trusted. We see it in politics, in business, even in personal relationships. How often do we make promises we can’t keep, just to keep up appearances? How often do we exaggerate to make ourselves look better? How often do we pile up extra assurances—“I swear to God, I promise you, cross my heart”—because deep down, we know our “yes” and “no” don’t carry enough weight on their own?
And Jesus says: enough. Let your yes mean yes. Let your no mean no. Anything else is from evil. This isn’t just about speech—it’s about character. It’s about living truthfully, living simply, living without manipulation or pretense. It’s about being people whose words match their hearts. That’s hard. Because it means repenting of the ways we bend the truth to make ourselves look better, or to get what we want, or to hide what we’ve done. It means learning to live in honesty, even when the truth costs us.
Then Jesus presses further: “An eye for an eye.” That was God’s command in the Old Testament for justice, so that punishment would fit the crime and not spiral into endless revenge. But Jesus says something greater: “Do not resist the one who is evil.” Do not meet violence with violence. Do not meet insult with insult. Do not meet hatred with hatred. If someone wrongs you, endure it. If someone takes from you, give even more. If someone forces you, walk farther than they ask.
Again, it sounds impossible. We know what happens when you live like that. You get taken advantage of. You get mocked. You get treated as weak. And yet this is the way of Christ. Because this is the way He Himself lived. He endured insult without answering back. He let Himself be struck, mocked, stripped, humiliated, and still He prayed, “Father, forgive them.” He gave not only His cloak but His very life.
And this is where Christian charity begins—not with us trying to be nicer, but with Christ giving Himself for us. He does not deal with us as we deserve. He does not pay us back in kind. He meets our sin with mercy, our rebellion with forgiveness, our hatred with love. That is the foundation. That is the source. And when we receive that kind of love, it changes us.
Christian charity is not about weakness. It is about strength—the strength of Christ, who could have called down angels but chose instead to give Himself up for sinners. It is about freedom—the freedom that comes when you don’t have to guard your pride, your possessions, or your reputation, because all of that is safe in Christ. It is about generosity—the kind that gives without keeping score, that serves without demanding repayment, that forgives seventy times seven.
This doesn’t mean Christians close their eyes to evil or pretend wrong doesn’t exist. The government still bears the sword to restrain evil. Justice still matters in this world. But for us, in our personal lives, in our stations as neighbors, co-workers, family members, Christ calls us to something higher than payback. He calls us to bear wrongs with patience, to forgive as we have been forgiven, to overcome evil with good.
And yes, this is hard. It goes against every instinct of our sinful nature. It goes against the way the world works. That’s why these words don’t just guide us; they also accuse us. They show us our lack of love, our lack of honesty, our thirst for revenge. They strip away our excuses and leave us exposed. And in that moment, when we see that we cannot live this way on our own, we are driven to Christ.
Because He alone fulfills this law. He alone speaks the truth without embellishment. He alone endures evil without retaliation. He alone gives without limit. He alone loves without condition. And He does it all for us. He takes our broken promises, our grudges, our sins, and carries them to the cross. And in their place He gives us His faithfulness, His mercy, His righteousness.
And when He gives us Himself, He frees us. He frees us to live differently. Not in fear. Not in bitterness. Not always guarding what is ours. But in charity. In truth. In love. Because we know that nothing we give up is ever lost in Him. Because we know that nothing taken from us can rob us of His kingdom. Because we know that every insult, every slight, every injustice we endure for His sake will be made right in His resurrection.
So when Jesus says, “Let your yes be yes and your no be no,” He is calling us to live truthfully as His children. When He says, “Do not resist the one who is evil,” He is calling us to live mercifully as those who have received His mercy. When He says, “Go the extra mile,” He is calling us to live generously, as those who have been given more than we could ever repay.
This is Christian charity. It is not sentimental. It is not shallow kindness. It is costly love. It is truth without lies, forgiveness without limit, mercy without conditions. It is the life of Christ flowing through His people. And yes, the world may not understand it. It may call it foolish or weak. But this is the life of the kingdom of God. This is the life of those who belong to Christ. This is the life that reflects the One who gave Himself up for us all. And here is the promise: when you live in this charity, even when you fail, even when you stumble, Christ remains your righteousness. He remains your strength. He remains your life. And in Him, even without anything else, you are complete.
This is the Word of the Lord that came to me, so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing, you may have life in His + Name. AMEN.
Rev. Christopher R. Gillespie
St. John Ev. Lutheran Church & School - Sherman Center
Random Lake, Wisconsin