By: Mike Kelly
Retired Pastor
We are continuing in our series on the Sermon On the Mount by Jesus as recorded in Matthew chapters 5-7.
This entire series reminds us that we serve Christ in an upside down Kingdom where his values are almost completely opposed to the worlds.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.”
“And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well.
If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” Matt 5:38-42
“An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” as originally given in Lev 24:20, was a check on revenge. It said that the work of the judge was not to do more than even what was taken or lost.
It was an attempt to gain justice for the injured person without creating an imbalance that would open a fresh injustice on the other side.
If someone accidentally caused the loss of an eye in another, then the justice was to see that they lost just their eye.
If more was done, then the scale of justice was unbalanced again and left space for the original perpetrator to ask for more to be taken from the one he originally hurt.
Jesus counters with a whole new idea to the “eye for an eye” justice currently in the Jewish system. He doesn’t just say drop it which would be a huge step from “eye for an eye”, he goes even further and says to respond in love by offering more than was asked.
“Do not resist an evil person.” opens a whole new can of worms. It’s one thing to tell us to not resist and to even be willing to lay it down and forget it.
But, telling us to not only not resist, but to offer even more and with an attitude of love? That’s really pushing it.
Just last Monday I came across this basic scenario in a men’s Bible study I teach. One of the guys was complaining that someone had stolen his soda the previous day.
That doesn’t sound like much to most of us, but this guy is poor, and that soda represented a significant loss. The guys encouraged him to let it go and to not hold a grudge against who he thought stole it.
What most interested me was that not one guy said to offer the thief another soda in love, me included.
It was like a disconnect between the scripture we all clearly know and its application. I think most of us were thinking about the anger and grudge he was struggling with and what that would do to him in the long run but not one of us (and there are 3 pastors in my study) suggested that he buy the guy another soda.
I think I will bring this to the study this Monday for a great object lesson. That aside, the lesson Jesus is getting at is that we are to resist evil not with a sword but with a kiss.
Our heart should be such that when we are insulted or taken advantage of our response would be innately love. And what does love do? It gives more back than was demanded.
If we are insulted by someone, instead of defending ourselves or even just ignoring it, we ought to be willing to give aid to that person if the opportunity comes our way.
This whole section is about the idea of non-resistance. And that is not non-resistance from a position of weakness or fear but from a position of strength.
It is nothing to yield because you have no choice but an entirely different matter to yield out of love for your enemy. The disciple is to meet evil with a manifestation, not of anger, hatred, or intent to inflict harm, but of a willingness to submit to more.
The chief stress is to be laid, not on the outward action, but on the disposition of the heart. If the cheek is turned, or the cloak yielded, or the second mile trudged with a hate or anger boiling in our heart, we are not following the direction of this set of verses. (paraphrased from MacLaren’s Expositions)
What Christ is asking us is to be loving to our enemies and he will clarify that in the next few verses that we will deal with next week.
In the meantime, we need to help train our attitude to be like Christ himself who refuses to be distracted from his mission by those who hated him. Could you take an unwanted and even perhaps an unjust criticism and respond with genuine love?
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Mike Kelly is the founding pastor of Bryan’s Grace Community Church (retired) and Board Chairman of Bryan’s Sanctuary Homeless Shelter and Williams County’s Compassion (free) Medical Clinic.