The 'Abnormal' yet Extraordinary
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 anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.
40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well.
41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.
42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
📖 Truth Beyond the Seemingly Unrealistic Word
When we encounter today’s passage, we cannot help but wonder: “Is it actually possible to live like this?” At first glance, these words feel like unrealistic demands that are far removed from reality. However, Jesus clearly proclaims a “life that transcends the normal”—a life that Christians living in this world must pursue.
📖 ‘An Eye for an Eye’: Relinquish the Right to Revenge
The Old Testament law of “eye for eye, tooth for tooth” originally meant that punishment should be administered only according to an equal standard. It was a boundary set to prevent humans from engaging in infinite emotional conflict based on their instincts. However, laws always have loopholes. Tolstoy was so moved by these words from the Sermon on the Mount that he believed a believer should live as a non-violent, non-resistant pacifist. Jesus wants us to break free from the instinctive logic of revenge.
📖 Self-Esteem that Overcomes Insult: Right Cheek and Left Cheek
Being struck on the right cheek signifies a situation far more insulting than mere physical violence. In Jewish society, striking someone’s cheek with the back of the hand was an act of overt contempt and mockery. Our instinct is to give back as much as we received, but the world is trapped in a vicious cycle where perpetrators and victims constantly overlap due to these retaliations, both large and small. Instinct ultimately follows the logic of evil. In Romans 12, Paul exhorts us: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” One must know how to become “weak” even when they are not. Restraining one’s power is a noble act of suppressing one’s instincts. Though we believe we have the right to seek revenge when harmed, we must lay that right down because final judgment belongs to God. Even while being insulted on the cross, Jesus prayed for their sins to be forgiven.
📖 Devotion Beyond Survival: Love that Gives Even the Outer Garment
For Jews at that time, clothing held a value beyond mere apparel. It served as clothing during the day and a blanket at night; thus, it was a vital asset directly linked to survival. The command to give your outer garment (cloak) to one who asks for your undergarment (shirt) is a radical demand to willingly give up even your last remaining assets and means of survival. The world is very calculated and fierce in its pursuit of profit and loss. However, the Lord tells us to respond with a heart that thinks, “Perhaps that person needs it more than I do.” Consideration for what was not even requested might look like a lack of realism from a worldly perspective, but this is precisely the image of a citizen of heaven who transcends common sense.
📖 Voluntary Accompanying Beyond Duty: The Rule of the Second Mile
Under the law of the Roman Empire, if one was forced to go five ri (approx. 2km / one mile), to accompany them for ten ri (approx. 4km / two miles) means to give joyfully even more than what the other party desires. This is not succumbing to oppression but a voluntary choice. Jesus’ death on the cross is the ultimate example of voluntarily and joyfully obeying a task that everyone else avoided. Just as offerings cannot be collected by force, what creates a believer’s voluntary devotion is not the law, but grace. The motivation for working at a job must also be the confession that it is a task governed by God, rather than simply a means to earn money. When we move beyond the “logic of money,” where actions are limited by the amount of pay, and act with spontaneity rather than a sense of obligation, the attitude and quality of our lives change.
📖 Boundless Generosity that Abandons Stinginess
In Luke 6:35, Jesus demands a life that is not stingy. This is because Christ has already given Himself unreservedly to us. He has poured out His grace upon us more generously and abundantly than we could ever imagine. The logic of the Bible is based on the infinity of God. The miracle at the wedding in Cana and the feeding of the five thousand demonstrate the abundance of God, which knows no lack. Therefore, Christians should not be stingy in embracing and serving those around them. Our perspective must reach the level that the Lord has shown us.
✨ Conclusion: A Life Where Difference Becomes Light
What has changed since you believed in Jesus? The charm of a Christian lies in their “difference” and “distinctness” from the world. At some point, that difference becomes a light in the darkness. The ripples created by one person transform their surroundings. Though we cannot perfectly keep this law by our own strength, nothing is impossible when the power of the Gospel is with us. We can live differently in this world. It is okay if we suffer loss or cannot claim our full share. This is because God Himself will personally fill our portion. Living differently is not the goal itself; rather, becoming more like the Lord should be the true goal of our lives.
📖 Audio Summary
💡 Reflection Q&A
Q1. What was the original purpose of the law ‘An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth’?
A1. It was to prevent instinctive emotional conflict and to set legal limits so that excessive retaliation beyond a fixed standard would not occur.
Q2. What is the social significance of being struck on the right cheek?
A2. It is not just a physical blow; it signifies giving extreme contempt and insult to the opponent by striking them with the back of the hand.
Q3. Why should we not directly oppose or retaliate against an evil person?
A3. It is to break the vicious cycle of revenge, and because the authority for final judgment over all human actions belongs to God.
Q4. What is the core message of giving your cloak to the one who wants your shirt?
A4. It means performing “radical goodness” by willingly giving up even the last assets directly linked to one’s right to survival, out of a heart that considers others more than oneself.
Q5. What does ‘If anyone forces you to go five ri, go with them ten ri’ mean?
A5. It means to provide even greater grace through voluntary choice and joy, going beyond reluctant actions driven by legal obligation or oppression.
Q6. What should be our motivation when working at a job or being devoted?
A6. Our motivation should be grace and the faith that God moves us, rather than a life limited by rewards or the amount of money.
Q7. What is the fundamental reason Christians should abandon a stingy life?
A7. Because we must reflect the character of Jesus Christ, who gave Himself unreservedly for us, and because God’s provision is infinite.
Q8. What lessons do the Wedding at Cana and the Feeding of the Five Thousand provide?
A8. They show that the Kingdom of God and His works always operate on the principle of providing abundantly and overflowingly, beyond all calculations.
Q9. What is the greatest charm a Christian should exhibit in the world?
A9. It is the “difference” in possessing entirely different values and attitudes toward life compared to people of the world, which then becomes the light of the world.
Q10. What is the secret to actually living this ‘unrealistic’ life?
A10. It is relying on the Lord’s help and the power of the Gospel rather than our own will, and having the conviction that God takes responsibility for our portion.