Chapter # 6 Paragraph # 5 Study # 15
January 20, 2008
Lincolnton, N.C.
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<408> Thesis:   Turn the other cheek. Introduction:   So far in our studies of Jesus' teaching regarding the true nature of the Kingdom of God in respect to its expression in the kingdoms of men, we have considered Jesus' instructions in a relatively general sense. Love your enemies is a relatively big concept that can easily get lost in the day to day details of living in an ungodly world. For this reason I have prepared the following structural analysis of this segment of Jesus' teaching so that you might have it before you as we get deeper into the actual details.
If You Are Still Listening
V. 27 A -- Love your enemies
B -- Do good to those who hate you
V. 28 C -- Bless those who curse you
D -- Pray for those who denigrate you
V. 29 E -- Turn the other cheek
F -- Withhold not your coat also
V. 30 G -- Give to those who ask of you
V. 31 H -- Do unto others as you would have them do to you
How Have You Been 'Gracious'?
V. 32 A2 -- If you love those who love you, of what sort of "thanks" is it to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
V. 33 B2 -- If you do good to those who do good to you, of what sort of "thanks" is it to you? For sinners do the same.
V. 34 G2 -- If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, of what sort of "thanks" is it to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive the equivalent.
In Great Contrast
V. 35 A3 -- Love your enemies
B3 -- Do good
G3 -- Lend, nothing despairing
Great will be your reward;
By this means you will be "sons" of the Most High because He is "kind" to the unthankful and evil.
Beginning with Jesus' command to "turn the other cheek", we actually move into a pretty concrete expression of what "love your enemies" means. Prior to this issue, we were not actually physically endangered by our practice of the Kingdom's morality in the immoral setting of the kingdoms of men. But, it is difficult indeed to read, "turn the other cheek" and not get the impression that this "practice" of "loving one's enemies" could actually turn physically painful. Therefore, we are going to look into what Jesus meant by His command.