I. RESIST NOT EVIL.
Matthew 5:38-42.
MATTHEW 5:38. Oh - it is hard - but “eye for eye, tooth for tooth” belongs to the law courts (cf. Leviticus 24:20), not to personal vendettas.
MATTHEW 5:39a. Jesus rather enjoins, “Resist not evil.”
MATTHEW 5:39b. Traditionally, the slap across the cheek receives a back-handed counter-slap to accept the challenge. But Jesus says, “turn the other cheek also.” ‘Turning the other cheek’ is often used metaphorically of taking an insult without recourse.
MATTHEW 5:40. The “coat” here is an inner garment rather like a long shirt. What is in view here is a legal action whereby a man forfeits his shirt. Rather than resisting, Jesus suggests rather that his “cloak” be offered also, to defuse the situation.
MATTHEW 5:41. “Going the second mile” has its historical setting within the Roman Empire, where a Roman soldier might conscript someone to carry something over a certain distance. Imagine his surprise if you offered to go further! ‘Going the second mile’ is also often used metaphorically.
MATTHEW 5:42. We should always be willing to help the genuinely needy. If we have the wherewithal to help, then we might consider whether a gift or a loan is appropriate.
So the upshot of Jesus’ teaching in this paragraph is: Take the insult (Matthew 5:39), forfeit the garment (Matthew 5:40), go the second mile (Matthew 5:41), be merciful to the scrounger (Matthew 5:42). We are better than all these things.
II. THE CALL TO PERFECT LOVE.
Matthew 5:43-48.
MATTHEW 5:43. “Love your neighbour” is a correct quotation of the Old Testament, but only a partial quotation since ‘as yourself’ (cf. Leviticus 19:18) is replaced here by “and hate your enemy” - a scribal gloss which is found nowhere in the Old Testament Scriptures, and is only quoted here for Jesus’ refutation!
MATTHEW 5:44-45. Jesus gets right in behind the commandment. Love your enemies, bless them, do good to them - pray for them. This is what it means to be the children of your Father in heaven - for He is good to the evil as well as to the good. He was good to me when I was far from Him; He extended His mercy to you, dear Christian, at such a time as you least deserved it!
MATTHEW 5:46-47. Even the hated publicans (of whom, remember, Matthew had been one) loved those who loved them. Even the publicans saluted their brethren: but we are called to love all men, even the worst of men - even our enemies, or those who would count themselves our enemies.
MATTHEW 5:48. This may, in the final analysis, come down to our imitation of God. A child will imitate his father - he will walk like him, talk like him, adopt his attitudes. Jesus says, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
