01.10. The Sermon on the Mount (18)
The Sermon on the Mount (18) An Eye for an Eye (Matthew 5:38-42)
Fair Requital The "law of requital" is the fifth of those the Lord Jesus refers to from the law and the traditions of those of old. "Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth" (Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20; Deuteronomy 19:21). This well known expression of requital is often considered as characteristic of the law of Moses. However, this is too simple a way of looking at the law which had been given by God Himself on Mount Sinai, and which Paul considers not only just, but also holy and good (Romans 7:12). This law contained moral directions for the life of each Israelite, ceremonial directions (i.e. the laws of the offerings) for the children of Israel to serve God and also legal directions to regulate the daily life of the people. The principle of "an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth" belongs to the latter group. It is not a principle for the conscience of a particular individual but a legal direction for the authorities and judges of Israel. This is clear from Exodus 21:22 and Deuteronomy 19:18 where the judges are expressly mentioned. The direction was based on the principle of absolute fairness in requiting the deed and was to be a warning and deterrent to the people (Deuteronomy 19:20). That the principle, "an eye for an eye," was only valid before the judges in Israel is also seen in the fact that vengeance was not permitted to the Jew. "Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" (Leviticus 19:18). It is not correct to suppose the Lord Jesus was referring to it because the Pharisees might have allowed it.
Grace and Mercy The Lord Jesus does not speak against a false exposition of this part of the law, but He sets it against a totally different principle: "But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away." The Lord Jesus in His grace does not speak of a less harsh requital or renunciation of requital. He teaches the exact opposite of requital: not to recompense evil for evil but to overcome evil with good (Romans 12:17-21). In this world which is full of injustice, the disciples of the Lord Jesus are to exhibit the same attitude of grace and mercy which their Lord, the rejected King, has shown in His life. We have already seen this in the Beatitudes which show us the features of those who have entered the Kingdom of God by new birth.
Nothing could show more clearly than these words of our Lord that the "Sermon on the Mount" was never intended to be a programme for governing authorities in the world. What chaos would arise if, in a society which consists mostly of sinners, grace instead of justice were to rule! But the Lord Jesus did not at all intend to do away with justice in this world. Romans 13:1; Romans 13:4 tell us that "the powers that be are ordained of God" and that "he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil." The natural man, that is, one who is not born again, cannot live his life by these guidelines. It is true that we find philosophical schools of thought down through history (i.e. the Stoics in Greece) which demanded of men a certain attitude of calmness. But this was often linked with arrogance and pride and in reality cannot be attained by human efforts.
Some Christians would like to take away a little of the sharpness (for the flesh) of these words of the Lord Jesus and to practice them only in certain circumstances. They seek to prove their view from John 18:22-23, saying that the Lord Jesus rebuked the officer but did not turn the other cheek to him. They add that on certain occasions in the Book of Acts Paul claimed his rights as a Roman (Acts 16:35-40; Acts 25:11). But the Lord Jesus put His justified rebuke in the form of a mere question, and bore all other abuses silently (Matthew 27:27-31; John 19:1-3). It also remains to be seen if the attitude of the apostle Paul in Philippi and before Festus was according to the will of the Lord. Some argue that a Christian ought to report injustice done to him in order to prevent criminality. But as Christians in this present evil world, from which we have been delivered according to Galatians 1:4, we are not called to seek justice for ourselves. Of course, we must not renounce our duty in relation to others if the authorities so demand it (i.e. as a witness in court, etc.) We must submit ourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, as Peter writes in his epistle (1 Peter 2:13).
Nevertheless the Lord says: "Resist not evil." The word used for "evil" here (Greek: poneros) does not mean Satan (as in Matthew 13:19; Ephesians 6:16; 1 John 2:13), but it is not very clear whether the correct translation is "evil," that is sin (Luke 3:19; 1 Thessalonians 5:22), or "the evil," that is the offender (Luke 6:35; 1 Corinthians 5:13). As everywhere in the New Testament we are told here too not to resist and not to seek justice for ourselves when evil is done to us by men of the world. We are, by grace, able and called to follow in the steps of our Lord "who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously" (1 Peter 2:23; compare also 1 Peter 2:19; 1 Peter 3:14; 1 Peter 3:17; 1 Peter 4:13). As to our attitude to believers Paul’s words to the Corinthians are still valid (1 Corinthians 6:7): "Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?"
How is it with us who call ourselves disciples of Jesus? Do we not have to confess how little we practise this mind and attitude of suffering and love when we are wronged? Yet our God desires humility, meekness, long-suffering, grace and mercy to be reflected in the lives of those He has redeemed and who profess to follow His Son as Lord. He wants to and will give us the strength to learn of Him, who says, "learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart" (Matthew 11:29).
Four examples The Lord Jesus uses four examples to make His words clear to us. The first one is: "But whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also." At that time a slap in the face was deeply insulting and was even more humiliating if it was given with the back of the hand and therefore landed on the right cheek. According to the Jewish Talmud this offence "weighed double" compared to an ordinary slap. The disciples of the Lord Jesus ought not to look for reparation before men but to suffer offences (cf. 1 Peter 2:20). We are reminded of the words Isaiah spoke prophetically concerning our Lord: "I gave My back to the smiters, and My cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not My face from shame and spitting" (Isaiah 50:6).
"And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also." In this second example we see that the Lord does not allow different guidelines for public life and life in the personal sphere. Under the law it was forbidden to take as pledge a poor debtor’s cloke overnight. The debtor had to have his cloke returned so that he might have a covering for the night (Exodus 22:26; Deuteronomy 24:12-13). This is probably that to which the Lord Jesus was referring. He instructs His disciples not to resist and to give even more than what is demanded. This is grace. In the parallel reference in Luke 6:29 we find the sequence is reversed-first the cloke is mentioned and then the coat: "and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also." The taking away mentioned there may be by an act of robbery. The Lord then gives the third example: "And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain." The word used for "compel" (greek: angareuo) means originally to requisition for a service. It is thus that Simon of Cyrene was compelled to bear the cross of the Lord Jesus. So even if a service is undesired and unpleasant, the disciple should not only fulfil it willingly, but do even more than what is required. The last example shows once more that the Lord Jesus is speaking to the hearts of His disciples: "Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away." Even under the law the Jew was forbidden to lend anything to his brother upon usury (Leviticus 25:35 ff; Deuteronomy 23:19); rather, he was to open his hand wide to him (Deuteronomy 15:7-8). The Lord Jesus here makes no restrictions regarding giving and lending. For God, the great Giver, has not spared His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all. He, who with Him, freely gives us all things, loves a cheerful giver (Romans 8:32; 2 Corinthians 9:7).