Matthew 5.38-42

Let's just start out today reading our passage:

 ³⁸ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’^[g] 39 But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. ⁴⁰ And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. ⁴¹ If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. ⁴² Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.


What an incredible passage!!!


What a hard passage. 


The whole point of this part of the sermon of the mount is to give examples of what followers of Jesus' righteousness looks like. This is the fourth out of six different examples. And this one is a tough one. Jesus talks about being sued, being oppressed, being struck and giving to others self-sacrificially. 


Everything in our culture and the culture that Jesus was a part of goes against this passage. 


Our culture says "watch out for you own skin", their culture said "eye for eye and tooth for tooth". The purpose was to repay people for injustice done to you. So if someone did you wrong, like punched you in the eye, than you are justified, you have the right to punch them back. But Jesus says this is not how his followers act. Here is one truth that is very hard for us as American Christians to swallow. 


As followers of Jesus, we have given up our rights. We are slaves to our master, Jesus. 


Think about that for a second. At no time can you say, "that is my right!" Because according to Romans 6, we are now slaves to Christ, and slaves don't have rights. 


This is what this passage is all about. It is about being a slave to Christ and giving up our rights even win we are experiencing injustice. When people punch us, or Roman soldiers force the Jews to carry their load for one mile, or when people sue you unjustly and take your cloak from you, Jesus says to literally "go the extra mile." Instead of respond to these injustices in our lives with revenge, we respond with self-sacrificial love. Because this is what Jesus did. 


Romans 5 says that "while we were still sinners", enemies, rebels, "Christ died for us." Christ gave of his life for those that were treating him badly. Jesus, the sinless man that did nothing wrong ever, said of the Roman solders that were nailing him to the cross, "Father forgive them for they know not what they are doing." 


When we fight fire with fire, nothing is every changed. Hate and anger and sin and evil is just elevated. But when someone does something to you that is unjust, and we do what Jesus says, it reveals the evil. 


This is what Jesus meant when he said, "if someone wants to sue you and take your cloak, give him your tunic as well." Because if the man did this, he would literally be standing naked in front of everyone and the guy that sued him would be standing there, not only clothed but with the naked guy's clothes. This act of self-sacrificial service, going the extra mile, literally EXPOSES the injustice of the other guy's actions. 


And this is what happens when we pick up our crosses in the face of violence and oppression and injustice. When people beat you and persecute you, or when you are made fun of or bullied or talked about behind your back, or taken advantage of financially, or even treated badly by your spouse, the way to "fight back" is to pick up your cross. It is to serve that person self-sacrificially. It is to love them the way Christ loves us. 


The way God dealt with the evil in the world was by giving himself up on the cross. And his followers are called to do the same.