WHAT RIGHTS DO I HAVE?
Matthew 5:40-42

One of the most often heard expressions in our society today is this one:  I have my rights, you know.  As we continue our study of this section of the Sermon on the Mount, I notice in verse 40 of Matthew 5, that Jesus addresses the issue of the rights of properties.  Listen to these words of Jesus:  And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.  In Jesus’ day, a person could have many shirts or tunics but he only had one coat.  The Jewish law prevented a person from loosing this that kept him warm.

Jesus is teaching that those things that we regard as our rights by law, we must be prepared to abandon.  Everything we have comes from God and we are not to hold them tightly.  That automobile that is parked in my garage is not really mine, but God’s and I must not cling too tightly to it.  Because it has been given to me by God, I must be willing to give it back to Him by allowing others to use it perhaps.  Friends, the moment we start clinging to what we have and claiming it is ours, we have violated the spirit of this portion of Jesus’ teaching.

What does this next verse mean?  If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.  Roman law gave a soldier the right to force civilians to carry the soldier’s pack and weapons for one mile.  Most civilians despised this law as it meant you were helping your oppressors. 

Jesus is teaching that a person should be willing to give up his liberties rather than to retaliate.  I may have the freedom to do what I want to do, but I give up that freedom to help another in his journey with life.  I don’t do this because I seek something in return.  I don’t ask, “What can I get out of this?”  I do it because that is what Jesus would have me do.

How can a person achieve this type of freedom to use his rights in this way?  He needs to have died to self first.  George Mueller, the great man of faith who founded many orphanages in England during the 19th century, wrote:  There was a day when I died, utterly died to George Mueller and his opinions, his preference, and his tastes and his will.  I died to the world, to its approval and its censure.  I died to the approval or the blame of even my brethren and friends.  And since then I have studied only to show myself approved unto God.   Is this dying to self easy?  Absolutely not!  Must it be done?  Positively yes if we are to have an impact upon our world.  To have rights is fine, but I must not cling to them so tenaciously.  I may be called to sacrifice them for the cause of Christ.

Father, Thank You for making us people who have been given rights and responsibilities.  Forgive us for just focusing upon the rights to the exclusion of the responsibilities to use those rights in a way that will bring honor to You.  Help us to daily sacrifice our rights so that Your will might be accomplished.  We pray this in Christ’s name.  Amen.

 

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