Retaliation (Matt 5:38-42)

Matthew 5:38-42  38 "You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.'  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. 

The Old Testament Law, "An eye for an eye..." was not meant to be a form of personal retaliation, but a way of administering justice in the courts - a way of limiting punishment and making it fit the crime - and the ultimate purpose of punishment was reconciliation.  Seeking retaliation was never acceptable even in the Old Testament: "'Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD" (Leviticus 19:18).

But once again, Jesus is setting an even higher standard for his followers than following the law.  These verses pertain to the individual allowing themselves to be taken advantage of by evil.  It describes why Jesus does not fight back at his trial and persecution.  And Jesus invites us to follow his example in equally terrible situations.  Jesus does not want his followers to seek personal retaliation.  This doesn't mean we don't protect others and we certainly don't force (or expect) others to be self-sacrificing.  But we offer it ourselves.

Following Jesus is all about self-sacrifice.  The Jews were expecting a Messiah who would rally the troops and overturn the Roman occupation of Jerusalem.  Instead, they got a Messiah who told them to turn the other cheek.  You can see why Jesus quickly became unpopular.  Are we really willing to follow someone who tells us to give up everything?

Note:  I have read/heard Rob Bell's interpretation of these verses.  Recently I heard a young preacher using them to justify wars of aggression!  Seriously?  Rob Bell believes that when Jesus said to turn the cheek, he was actually forcing the person doing the hitting to become unclean and therefore making the person being hit his equal - which would then allow the person being hit to legally fight back.  He claims that Jesus was teaching his followers to be subversive and defiant not meek (meek is "strength under control").  In other words, Jesus was being manipulative by inciting the person into a justified legal fight.  But manipulation is completely counter to the previous verses.  Followers of Jesus are not weak, but their power is under control.


Rob Bell has equally odd interpretations for letting someone take your cloak or going the extra mile with them.  And he has provided nothing in scripture or first century Hebrew literature to back up these claims other than supposition.  Rob Bell wants these things to be acts of defiance instead of the demonstration of unselfish love, because he wants to justify that people who are being abused should take action.  And I agree that they should take action - but not by inciting the abuser, but by removing themselves from the situation completely.  If you are suffering abuse - get out of the situation - there are many organization who will help you.


While we come to the same conclusion, I am really confused with Rob Bell's logic.  But one thing is for sure, Jesus obviously lived out these teachings at his trial and torture on the cross.  His purpose on the cross was not to be defiant and subversive - not to put one up on his enemies - not to put himself in a situation where he could legally fight back, but to demonstrate unconditional, unselfish love to his enemies (us!).  I think Rob Bell missed the boat on this one completely.   I don't think it even fits with the rest of Rob Bell's teachings.     And it certainly doesn't fit with anything else Jesus says or does.  Nor does it fit within the context of these verses which end by calling on his followers to give unselfishly. Nothing about them says, "Get one up on your enemies - get them into a position where you can legally fight them."  Jesus is teaching us that following him is going to require self-sacrifice.  There isn't a way around it.

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Another gospel weighs in...

Luke 6:29-30  29 If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic.  30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.