The apostle Paul, writing to the church in Colosse said, "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:" (Colossians 1:12-13). In essence, when an individual is saved, they are translated spiritually from one kingdom to another. That is, they are translated from the kingdom of darkness whose ruler is Satan into the kingdom of light whose ruler is the Lord.
As the result of this spiritual translation, believers are now placed in a peculiar situation. In a spiritual sense they are living in a kingdom dominated by righteousness, while in the physical realm they live in a world dominated by sin and ruled by Satan himself. The result is constant conflict. The question that arises at this point is "How does a member of the kingdom of God function in a society manipulated not by the God whom he or she worships, but by a ruler in total opposition to Him?"
I. THE OLD TESTAMENT INJUNCTION
In verse 34, Jesus quotes directly from three Old Testament passages: Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20; and Deuteronomy 19:21.
A. The Limitation
1. It is obvious from the Scriptures sited above that the Mosaic Law allowed an "eye for an eye" and a "tooth for a tooth", but nothing more.
2. The idea put forth is that the punishment must fit the crime (Judges 1:6-7).
B. The Administration
1. It should be noted that in each of these passages the context is one of civil justice. The law was not designed to be discharged by individuals who were caught up in personal vendettas, but rather by those who had been placed in judiciary positions.
2. Exodus 21 opens with the words "Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them." The word "judgments" suggests judicial verdicts. Deuteronomy 19 speaks of "the judges, which shall be in those days" (Deuteronomy 19:18).
3. The judicial powers that be are ordained of God and they are to be His instruments for preserving law and order (Romans 13:1-4).
II. THE NEW TESTAMENT INSTRUCTION
Once again we find that the Divine statutes set forth in the Law had been grossly perverted by the scribes and Pharisees. Instead of leaving the punishment of crime to the "powers that be", the Jewish leaders had corrupted the teaching of the Old Testament to the point that people were taking the law into their own hands and avenging their own wrongs.
In an attempt to correct the false teaching of the Jewish leaders and to exhort the people to display a righteousness which exceeded that of the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 5:20), Jesus sets forth His teaching in verses 39-42.
A. Prohibiting Retaliation
1. Jesus prohibited any acts of personal retaliation when He said "resist not evil." However, these words of the Lord do not prohibit us from exercising good sense in defending ourselves, our families, or any others who may be in danger of harm.
2. Retaliation has been the way of human beings since the beginning of time. Our natural reaction when we have been wronged is to get even. Whenever anyone threatens our rights or takes what we think belongs to us, we are inclined to retaliate.
3. If men were left to themselves to meet out judgment and justice as they saw fit, sooner or later the entire world would be blind and toothless.
4. As Christians we are called to a higher standard of conduct than that which is so commonly displayed in the world. This standard of conduct is clearly set forth in the Word of God. We are not to requite evil for evil in thought, word, or deed.
a. Proverbs 20:22; 24:29
b. Romans 12:17-19
c. 1 Thessalonians 5:15
d. 1 Peter 2:21-23; 3:8-9
5. Not only are we to refrain from returning evil for evil, but we must return good for evil, blessing those who curse us and praying for those who despitefully use us (Matthew 5:44).
6. A good rule to live by would be that we will not desire or do anything which we could not, in good faith, ask Christ to be a part of.
B. Practicing Restraint
The principle that regulates our actions toward others is a principle found elsewhere in the teachings of Christ. It is the principle of dying to self. Rather than giving in to the evil desires of retaliation, we are called upon by the Lord to exercise restraint in our dealings with others. By taking matters into our own hands we merely feed the selfish, sinful desires of our own human hearts.
It is the Lord’s desire that we exhibit a spirit of selflessness by exercising self-control, self-denial, and self-sacrifice.
1. Self-control
a. Matthew 5:39
b. Nothing can be as insulting or humiliating, or can call for retaliation any more than a slap in the face, but it is the Lord’s desire that we exhibit self-control in not striking back.
c. Galatians 5:22-23; Colossians 3:12-13
2. Self-denial
a. Matthew 5:40
b. We live in a society where everyone seems to be demanding their rights. There is much talk today about civil rights, women’s rights, children’s rights, worker’s rights, victim’s rights, defendant’s rights, gay rights, prisoner’s rights and on and on.
c. This Scripture does not prohibit the legitimate use of the courts in matters that relate to issues much larger than the loss of a coat. A person’s anxiousness to go to court over matters of little or no importance demonstrates a contentious spirit and a heart that is set on revenge.
3. Self-sacrifice
a. Matthew 5:41-42
b. The statement concerning going the extra mile is in reference to a practice that was common in the days of Jesus. The Roman army had power to commandeer a man at any time and demand that he carry baggage or cargo or whatever was in need of being transported. The teaching of Jesus was that if a man was commanded to carry something a mile, in a spirit of self-sacrifice he should be willing to carry it two.
c. The same spirit of self-sacrifice is to be exhibited in our giving to others.
NOTE: It should be noted that the Lord is not promoting some type of Christian passivity in these verses. What Christ is dealing with are actions that are directed at us as individuals and our response to such actions. He is condemning a response that says "I must be concerned about myself first. I was struck, therefore I must defend myself and my honor." It is an improper concern for self that the Lord is condemning.
On the other hand, we are not to excuse the abuse of power or the unrestrained and unrestricted practice of sin that permeates our society. The principle of "turning the other cheek" does not mean that we turn away from sin as if it were not happening. For example, if we are witness to the ill-treating or abusing of a child, we are to restrain the one doing the abusing.
As a Christian we ought to be outraged at the misuse and abuse of the law in our society. Consider John 18:22-23 and Acts 16:37. When Jesus was unjustly smitten on the face He immediately protested. When Paul was unlawfully treated he insisted that the officials responsible come to him personally. Neither one of these cases are examples of individuals demanding their personal rights, but rather they were protesting the breaking of the law. As Christians we are not to be too concerned with our rights, but when it is a matter of righteousness and truth we must take a stand. Our stand should not be taken as a matter of personal interest or as a means of protecting ourselves, but as a matter of protecting the interests and well-being of others.
In the matter of giving to others, we are to use discretion. John tells us that we are not to withhold anything from those who have a legitimate need (1 John 3:17-18), but that does not mean that we are to give to every person who asks. There are some instances in which our giving may very well lend to that individual’s laziness and vice. Such is the case with professional beggars and drunkards.
At the center of the Lord’s teaching in this passage is the denial of and dying to self, a practice that is all too often ignored by those who call themselves children of God.
