“You Are Better Than That”
By Rev. Everett R. Kimble, Sr.
“You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too. If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles. Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow.” — Matthew 5:38-42
I am just going to be real with you this morning. It is hard to let go of bad habits and bad teaching. Most of us have come to this place in Jesus with a lot of baggage. We were taught at an early age, if someone hits you, hit them back. If someone takes something from you, take it back and if someone tries to get you to do something you don’t want to do, don’t do it.
But Jesus comes to us in this passage with a teaching that blows that all away. He says in essence, “I know what the world had taught you, but you are greater than all the hurt you have gone through. You are greater than the anything bad that has been said about you. You are greater than the stuff that has been taken from you, and you are much greater than any of the things that you have done to make you feel ashamed or less than. You are greater because you are a child of the Most High King and you are royalty.”
Romans 8:17 states, “And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.”
I know that it is hard to not hit back, fight back, take back, or give it back to people when that they are taking advantage of you, but Jesus says that because you are a child of God and a joint with Him, you can endure anything because you are much greater than your situation. You Are Better Than That.
Shake off all of those things from the past and step into your place in Christ.
Don’t let someone else’s perception of reality destroy your royalty. You are a child of the king and you don’t have to prove yourself to anybody. Just keep on doing the right things and the right things will happen to you. God will care of you, He always has, and He always will because you are a child of the King.
Be bold and have a bright, beautiful, and blessed Friday!
