Matthew 5:38-42: 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 someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
Earlier in His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said that He hadn't come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. The saying He quotes is from the Law of Moses. Exodus 21:23-24 says, "If there is a serious injury, you must take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise." It means that no matter who you are, man or woman, rich or poor, you will receive the same punishment as anybody else under the law would. So why would Jesus, who said that He hadn't come to abolish the law, preach against one of the laws of Moses? The answer is simply this: He didn't. What He was abolishing was a misconception of the law. The punishment for a serious injury was to be meted out in a court of law after the accused had been proven guilty. The only explanation about the misconception is that the meaning of the Law of Retaliation, which is what we just read, was gradually forgotten and by the time Jesus was walking the earth had become an excuse to take revenge for any offense.
You may also feel a bit of consternation about Jesus' next words: "Do not resist an evil person." Jesus gives three examples of what he means, however:
1. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
2. If someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.
3. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.
Look at the bold portions. Do they look like serious injuries to you? Maybe the first one does; however, what Jesus was referring to was a left backhand to the right cheek. It certainly isn't life-threatening; however, it was considered a grievous insult in the Middle East around that time. The third one may sound life-threatening, as if somebody is abducting you; however, why would an abductor force you to go only a mile? I believe that what Jesus was referring to was somebody forcing somebody else to carry a load one mile or forcing somebody to journey with him to the next town. It's inconvenient, but not dangerous.
Now the question is, "Do we turn the other cheek if we're in imminent danger?" The Bible has a say on that as well. In the book of Nehemiah, the returned exiles of Judah had returned to Jerusalem and were building the temple. King Xerxes of Persia sent Nehemiah over as a governor. Now, there were people from the surrounding areas who were opposed to the rebuilding of Jerusalem. Two of these people were named Tobiah and Sanballat. To hinder the project, they first tried guile by offering to join in the rebuilding. When that didn't work, they resorted to brute force. Nehemiah 4:7-9, 14 says, "But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the men of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem's walls had gone ahead and that the gapes were being closed, they were very angry. They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble in it. But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat...After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, 'Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.'" (bold mine). The Bible advocates defense. Nehemiah doesn't say it, but I believe he was including the guards themselves in his speech, as in 'Fight for your lives, your brothers, your sons..."
Jesus does not tell you to do nothing while you're being physically attacked. He tells you not to retaliate when you're insulted or inconvenienced.
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