The Fruit of the Holy Spirit - Pt. 5

 

[Jesus said] “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:38-45 ESV).

 

The next fruit of the Holy Spirit that the Apostle Paul lists in his letter to the Galatians is “patience.” Our reading today is Jesus’ instruction of the practical use of patience in some of our daily experiences. Few teachings of Jesus are more difficult to follow than this instruction to turn the other cheek. When we are wronged, it is natural to want to get even. Yet God calls us to turn the other cheek. Is this a call for us to simply let ourselves be bullied? To never stand up for ourselves? No, it runs far deeper than that.

 

Now, I know that you may be tempted to say, “I’ve got a lot of patience.” That may well be true. However, it’s not how much you have, but what you do with what you have. When we are wronged, it helps to remember that no wrong will go unpunished. Every sin that is committed will be paid for. “It is mine to avenge,” says the Lord, “I will repay” (cf. Deuteronomy 32:35; Romans 12:17-21). This is a great comfort to believers who are being wronged! Every wrong against us will be punished. Patience is about trusting the promise of God concerning our good (cf. Romans 8:28).

 

The good news of Jesus is that if the wrong that was committed is repented of, and the wrongdoer asks for forgiveness, the wrong is paid for by Christ on the cross. Jesus came into this world to take on the punishment for all human sin, so that all who look to him can be saved. When a wrong is committed against us, we might think, “Well, I want the one who hurt me to be punished. I want them punished, not Christ.” But we need to remember that we too have wronged many others and that Christ took on our punishment, paying for our guilt as well. How well do you practice this gift of the Holy Spirit?