Matthew 5:38-42: a reflection

Jesus overturns the law of retaliation with a radical call: rather than repay evil for evil, do not resist the evildoer in kind, but respond with surprising generosity, turning the other cheek, going the second mile. You have heard that it was said, an eye for an eye, Jesus says; but I tell you, do not resist him who is evil; if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. If anyone would sue you and take your coat, give him your cloak as well; if anyone compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Instead of the natural response of retaliation, matching wrong for wrong, Jesus calls for a non-retaliatory, even generous response that refuses to be drawn into the cycle of returning evil for evil. This shows Christ's call not to retaliate, but to respond to wrong with surprising generosity. Do not retaliate; respond to wrong without returning evil for evil. Christ calls us not to match wrong for wrong. Refuse the cycle of retaliation; respond with generosity. Overcome the impulse to repay evil for evil.

Notice how radically Jesus overturns the natural response to being wronged. The old principle limited retaliation to an equal measure, an eye for an eye, no more. But Jesus goes further, calling us not to retaliate at all in kind, not to repay wrong for wrong, but to respond to evil with a surprising, non-retaliatory generosity: turning the other cheek, giving more than is taken, going further than we are compelled. This is not weakness or mere passivity; it is a refusal to be drawn into the cycle of returning evil for evil, a breaking of that cycle by responding with generosity instead. Our natural impulse, when wronged, is to retaliate, to strike back, to repay in kind or worse; and this only perpetuates the cycle of wrong. But Jesus calls us to a different way: not to retaliate, but to overcome evil by refusing to return it, responding instead with a generosity that surprises and disarms. This is hard, and goes against our instincts; but it is the way of Christ, who himself did not retaliate when wronged but bore it and responded with love. We do well to follow this call, not retaliating but responding to wrong without returning evil for evil. Do not retaliate; break the cycle of evil by refusing to return it. Respond to wrong with generosity, not retaliation. Christ's way is not to repay evil for evil but to overcome it. Follow Christ, who did not retaliate but bore wrong with love.

That is worth taking to heart, for Christ calls us not to retaliate, but to respond to wrong without returning evil for evil, breaking the cycle with surprising generosity, as he taught us to turn the other cheek and go the second mile. Our natural impulse, when wronged, is to retaliate, to repay in kind or worse, which only perpetuates the cycle of wrong; but Jesus calls us to a different way, not retaliating but responding with generosity that breaks the cycle. This is the way of Christ. When you are wronged, do not retaliate; respond without returning evil for evil, as Christ calls and as he himself did. Do not retaliate when you are wronged, but respond without returning evil for evil, breaking the cycle with a surprising generosity, as Jesus overturned the law of retaliation, teaching that rather than repay wrong for wrong we should not resist the evildoer in kind but turn the other cheek, give our cloak as well as our coat, and go two miles when compelled to go one; for our natural impulse when wronged is to retaliate, to strike back and repay in kind or worse, which only perpetuates the cycle of wrong, but Jesus calls us to a different way, not to retaliate at all in kind but to respond to evil with a non-retaliatory, even generous response that refuses to be drawn into returning evil for evil and breaks that cycle, which is not weakness or mere passivity but a refusal to perpetuate wrong, and though it is hard and goes against our instincts, it is the way of Christ, who himself did not retaliate when wronged but bore it and responded with love, so that we do well to follow his call, responding to wrong with generosity rather than retaliation.