MATTHEW 5:38-42
“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.
Extreme love
I am challenged by this passage of scripture when I take it to heart in every area of my life. I have never been sued and no one has taken my coat from me. I have given my coat to people but I initiated the action, not them. I have helped people out, but they were grateful for my help, not demanding it. The examples Jesus uses here are too far removed from our society to make us feel squeamish. The problem is we do not apply the principle to the other parts of our lives.
What if Jesus had said, if your neighbor asks you to watch her kids after school one day you should volunteer to watch them two days. If a guy without a job borrows your car to go grocery shopping one day, let him have your car two days a week while you ride the bus to work. If the lady on welfare asks for gas money, fill her tank. I think these examples would have brought the passage to light for our lives.
Treating hostile soldiers generously and giving my shirt in court are not part of my life. Giving to people who lie about their needs, are complacent about finding work, or need help in ways I don’t enjoy serving, are real aspects of my life. This passage is more about our attitude and willingness to be radically different from the world around us in showing love to others. Turning the other cheek just became a lot more real to me.
Jesus, I confess my attitude stinks at times when I see others taking advantage of me. I get offended that they are enjoying something I should be enjoying. Father, help me to give joyfully with a cheerful attitude even to those who abuse my help. - Dan Jones
More questions than answers
These verses provided the groundwork for Mahatmas Gandhi’s nonviolent “rebellion” against British rule in
Once again, rather than giving hard and fast rules Christians must literally follow, Jesus, I think, offers a broader and, frankly, more difficult principle to follow using hyperbole. He’s calling his followers to a non-violent life. Somebody’s got to stop the fighting on this planet, and that somebody’s going to be his followers.
It’s not that there is no fight in us. Quite the contrary. Christ equips his followers with the power and resources to fight the real enemy; not flesh and blood but spiritual rulers. And one of the ways Christians fight the dominance of evil in the world is to refuse to participate in the cycle of human fighting. We are the world’s short circuit in the fighting machine.
And it’s not that there is no strength or courage in us. Standing up against physical attack without counter attacking demands super human strength. It takes courage to return good for evil and love for injury. And it’s risky, life threatening, and feels completely illogical.
Some of my favorite movies feature underdogs fighting for a just cause and winning. Star Wars and the Bourne series are but two examples. I too hailed our military response to 9/11. Go after bin Laden and his lunatics! But is there a better way? A way that de-escalates violence rather than adding to the raging storm?
Is it possible that those Christians in the Pacifist traditions have some answers I need?
Giver of the Sermon on the Mount, it’s easy for me to pass over your difficult sayings, to spiritualize them, or to get hung up in rationalizing them. Forgive me. I want to understand what you meant on that ancient day and what you mean for me to live out in today’s violent world. - Mike Leamon
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