“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on [your] right cheek, turn the other one to him as well. If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow (Mt. 5:38-42). '
With respect to an eye for an eye, the legal rule in Exodus is, “When men have a fight and hurt a pregnant woman, so that she suffers a miscarriage, but no further injury, the guilty one shall be fined as much as the woman’s husband demands of him, and he shall pay in the presence of the judges. But if injury ensues, you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe (Ex. 21:22-25).” This was meant to limit retaliation in OT times although it sounds very harsh. Jesus warned against physical retaliation to evil which gave an opponent the opportunity to have a change of heart. It was not an indifference to evil. Being struck on the right cheek with the back of the hand was an insult and we should not retaliate against insults. Litigation should be avoided and we must have a generous heart.
Almighty God, in your love and mercy grant us the grace to hold only goodness in our and that neither anger nor malice may drive us to retaliate against others. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
References
Raymond E. Brown, Joseph A. Fitzmyer, & Roland E. Murphy, (Eds.). (1990, 1968). The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentis Hall, Inc.
Jose M. Casciaro, Santiago Ausin, Gonzalo Aranda, Claudio Basevi, Vincente Balaguer, Francisco Varo, James Gavigan, Brian McCarthy & Thomas McGovern (Eds.). (2017). The Navarre Bible - New Testament. Dublin 8, Ireland: Four Courts Press.
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