Sermon on the Mount
Part 3
“Eye for Eye, Love Your Enemies”
Matt 5:38-48 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 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. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
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Now, vs. 38-42 are about kingdom response to personal injustices. It is very important to understand that Jesus is teaching the proper spirit or attitude of a Christian life; he is not giving hard and fast rules to be literally interpreted and carried out no matter the circumstances.
Vs 38-39 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 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.”
This is probably one of the most misunderstood teachings Jesus ever delivered.
He first points out the old law under Moses that was directed to judges to inflict penalties precisely equivalent to the offense—’an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’
Exodus 21:23-25 “But if there is serious injury (caused to another), you are to take life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.”
That instruction was given primarily to guard against excessive retaliation and was a measuring rod for judges to execute justice for wrongs done. There was to be equality of damages divvied out in court.
But instead of confining it to judges, the Jews had extended it to private conduct, and made it the rule by which they took revenge.
They considered themselves justified by this Mosaic law to inflict the same injury on others that they had received.
Jesus takes a stand against this. He declares that the law had no reference to private revenge, that it was given only to guide the judge, and that the private conduct of his followers was to be led by different principles.
First, when Jesus said, “Do not resist an evil person,” (vs. 39a) he did not mean we are to sit by and watch our families slaughtered by savages and do nothing. He did not mean we are not to practice self-defense when attacked. That would fly in the face of all natural, God-given response to danger.
What he WAS focused on was more trivial things. The idea was that we are not to easily be brought into a conflict over petty conflicts, or things we can and should just walk away from. We are not to easily drag someone into court. Nor should we allow ourselves to be continuously occupied with trivial issues.
So…“If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.”—vs 39
What is the “slap” that Jesus says we should endure? Jesus is speaking here of minor personal slights of any kind.
It’s like the passages we read last time of “plucking your eye out” if it offends, or “cutting your hand off” if it offends. That is not literal, but is teaching the inward attitude we should have against sin.
Likewise, the slap here does not for the most part involve literal, physical violence. One sure way of knowing this is that, when Jesus was slapped at his trial, he did not turn the other cheek inviting more!
John 18:22-23 “One of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, ‘Do you answer the high priest like that?’ Jesus answered him, ‘If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike me?”
And when Paul was slapped in Acts 23, we read:
“2 Instantly Ananias the High Priest commanded those close to Paul to slap him on the mouth. 3 Paul said to him, “God shall slap you, you whitewashed pigpen. What kind of judge are you to break the law yourself by ordering me struck like that?”—vs 2-3
In other words, Jesus and Paul both responded with truth and did NOT turn the other cheek!
The Lord was speaking figuratively, not literally. We are to walk in a spirit and attitude of peace, and are to trust God with insults done to us.
You will note that in our day, a “slap in the face” is a metaphor for an unexpected insult or offense. We say, “Well that was a real slap in the face!”
The idea is, if someone insults you give the insult to God. Don’t return insult for insult.
Romans 12:19 “Dear friends, never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God, for he has said that he will repay those who deserve it. Don’t take the law into your own hands.”
In this way we turn the other cheek.
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Vs. 40 “And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well.”
Again, this is not literal to all circumstances. Remember, Jesus is teaching the proper spirit or attitude of a Christian life; he is not giving hard and fast rules to be literally interpreted and carried out no matter the circumstances.
In Vs. 40 Jesus is teaching the attitude of keeping a loose grip on the things of this world in order to walk in peace. He is NOT saying that anytime someone wants something from you you should give it without question. That’s not fair to you or to them!
I love what the great Bible commentator wrote after he was robbed one night of his wallet:
Let me be thankful, first, because he never robbed me before; Second, because although he took my purse, he did not take my life; Third, because although he took all I possessed, it was not much; and Fourth, because it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed.’
That perfectly illustrates the spirit of what Jesus is teaching!
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Vs. 41 “Whoever shall compel you to go a mile, go two.”
In Jesus’s day post-offices were unknown. In order that royal commands to the public might be delivered with safety and speed in different parts of the empire, the Caesars stationed horsemen at various intervals on all the great public highways.
One messenger delivered the message to another, and decrees were this way rapidly and safely communicated. These heralds were permitted to compel any person, or to press any horse, boat, ship, or other vehicle that they might need for the quick transmission of the king’s commandments.
Jesus is referring to this custom. He says that, rather than reacting with a negative attitude to a public authority demanding your help for a certain distance, go peaceably and go further than required. In this case two miles instead of the required one. For the record, a Roman mile was 1,000 steps—two miles 2,000 steps.
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42 “Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”
Again, Jesus’s words are not designed to lead us into unwise decision-making. This passage runs in the same vein. We’ll finish this section with one of my favorite verses:
1 Peter 2:21-23 “This suffering is all part of the work God has given you. Christ, who suffered for you, is your example. Follow in his steps: 22 He never sinned, never told a lie, 23 never answered back when insulted; when he suffered he did not threaten to get even; he left his case in the hands of God who always judges fairly.
3:9-11 “Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t snap back at those who say unkind things about you. Instead, pray for God’s help for them, for we are to be kind to others, and God will bless us for it. 10 If you want a happy, good life, keep control of your tongue, and guard your lips from telling lies. 11 Turn away from evil and do good. Try to live in peace even if you must run after it to catch and hold it!”
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Next we come to more kingdom responses to personal injustices:
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,”
This is not an easy word to obey. Our first reaction to being wronged is to retaliate, fight back, confront the accuser, and so on. So why should we respond with love and prayer?
45 “that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”
This is how God treats the ungrateful, unthankful, the blasphemer, the wicked person. He is good to them. Paul writes regarding the lost:
“Don’t you realize how patient he is being with you? Or don’t you care? Can’t you see that he has been waiting all this time without punishing you, to give you time to turn from your sin? His kindness is meant to lead you to repentance.”—Ro. 2:4
Then Jesus reasons:
46 “If you love (only) those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect (complete in character), therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect (complete in character).”
NEXT TIME: Right motives for spiritual practices