"Resist Not Him That Is Evil" (Matthew 5:38-48)

by K.H. Riley, Wembley, U.K. | Category: The Sermon On The Mount | Jul 1984

In this passage the Lord continues His instructions to those who would be his disciples and compares that which they had been given in the past with the newer and higher standards He was now laying upon them. The Matthew passage is closely paralleled by that in Luke 6:27-35, but with significant differences.

The Law had been given to a people to guide them to God's standards. Paul says that the Law had been a tutor to bring us to Christ (Gal. 3:24) and if it had been followed it would have infallibly led God's people to His Son. Sadly, the Law had been added to by well-meaning but misled teachers who, by so doing, had diverted people from the Christ whom He had sent. Conditions laid down by God which were within the grasp of a holy people had been so restricted and added to as to put them outside their grasp. The Lord, however, was now giving His disciples new guidelines capable of being followed only by a people who had the Spirit of the new life within them, a gift which God alone could give. In future, they were to "render to no man evil for evil" (Rom. 12:17).

"An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" (v.48) had certainly been God's instruction in a past day. Modernistic thinkers will be inclined to treat this as a barbaric statement, but nothing could be further from the truth. It was God's limitation upon the retribution that would otherwise be exacted. The natural man would have gone much further and have taken a life for an eye when he exacted vengeance. Witness the boasting words of Lamech as early as Gen. 4:23-24. He would kill a man who wounded him or even only bruised him and he would be avenged seventy times for any slight that he was offered. God's law in Exodus 21:24 was itself a limit which some men might naturally wish to overstep. The Lord goes even further in restricting vengeance. "Whosoever smiteth thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also." It is noteworthy that in Luke the Lord does not specify which cheek is struck first. In the case of a right handed man facing his opponent, a blow on the right cheek could only be delivered with the back of the hand and as such would not be particularly hard, it would be more in the nature of an insult. The Lord says, "Turn the other cheek." The blow would then be immeasurably harder. It is possible that the phraseology used by the Lord in Matthew indicates a legal form of assault (as for instance in verse 40), but the Luke scripture shows that no matter which cheek is struck first, and therefore no matter how hard the blow, there is to be no retaliation, but rather "pray for them that despitefully use you" (Luke 6:28).

In verse 40 the Lord specifically refers to a man going to law against a disciple. He reminds them that the Law would permit a creditor to take a man's coat (inner garment - chiton), but did not permit him to take a man's cloak (outer garment - himation) with the intention of depriving him of it permanently. In both Exodus 22:26-27 and Deut. 24:10-13 there is a specific limitation to damages that may be recovered in that a man's outer garment must be returned to him at nightfall so that he could use it as a covering. Even if the debt is not fully paid by the sale of all the other pledges, the debtor must be left with something to keep him warm at nights. This limitation has been accepted down the ages and even today in enlightened countries a debtor must be left with something to protect him. But the Lord here tells His disciples not to stand on their legal rights. If you are indebted and cannot pay, suffer all your goods to be taken no matter what personal discomfort you will have to endure. The Luke scripture does not deal with the legal side. In this case force is being used, so that the outer garment is taken first. Even in such cases the Lord says "no retaliation." You are to give your assailant the inner garment as well. You do not ask if he really needs it or whether he is using violence for its own sake. The Lord Himself was to lose both such garments at the cross (John 19:23-24). The Psalmist had foretold this in Psalm 22:18 and the Lord would not allow one word of Scripture to fall to the ground unfulfilled.

To be compelled to go one mile (verse 41) was the limit that the Roman authorities could place upon anyone. It was legally enforceable and the impressing into service of Simon of Cyrene is a case in point. The Lord again says: do not stand upon your legal rights - go even further if the Roman or other authorities require you to. To be compelled to do anything that the hated occupiers of the land demanded was an affront to all Jews. No wonder the multitudes who overheard what the Lord was saying were astonished at His teaching (Matt. 7:28).

The instructions in verse 42 were to be even more difficult for His disciples. The application of verses 38 - 41 might be theoretical only. One might never be attacked or in debt or compelled to do anything against one's will, but "the poor ye have always with you" (John 12:8) and would-be borrowers there will always be in plenty. The Psalmist had spoken of those who borrow and never repay and of the righteous who gave and lent graciously. "His seed is blessed", said David (Ps. 37:21, 26). The natural man would say that both he and his seed would suffer if this precept were to be followed, but "I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging their bread" (Ps. 37:25). It is noteworthy here that in Luke the Lord adds the words "and as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise" (Luke 6:31), words found in Matthew 7:12, where the Lord confirms that "this is the law and the prophets." What we are to do is positive, not negative. The natural man would say "Don't do to others what you wouldn't want done to yourself." The Lord urges us to think first of all the things that we would like to have done to us and then go out and do them to others. This is honoured more in the breach than the observance, but the Lord reminds His disciples of their heavenly Father whose giving is without stint even to those who never repay. This giving was to be expressed in its fullest measure when "He gave H is only begotten Son."

In verse 43 the Lord reminds them, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour." This they had known from of old. Leviticus 19:18 and the last five commandments all pointed to this end. One young man could say, "All these things have I observed," (Matt. 19:20) and there can be no doubt that many had done their utmost to live by this precept. However, the Jewish teachers had added "hate thine enemy." This was an unwarrantable addition to Scripture. No doubt those responsible had thought it was a justifiable extension to Deut. 23:6, but any addition to Scripture will bring its own punishment. Eve's failure in this respect by adding "neither shall ye touch it" (Gen. 3:3) had helped to bring about her own downfall. Once we add to God's word we effectively say, "Our word is as good as God's" and once that door is opened there is no end to the heresies that are introduced. The Lord removes the addition completely. They were to pray for their enemies and persecutors just as the Lord did on the cross and as Stephen did when he too was persecuted for righteousness' sake.

If one follows all these precepts, says the Lord, "Ye therefore shall be perfect (complete), even as your heavenly Father is perfect." He makes His blessings to fall upon the just and the unjust alike. If He were to limit His rain and sunshine to the righteous only, there would be little enough upon the tables of those who did not know Him. God had suffered such insolence and disrespect from man whom He had made, and was to suffer even more deeply when His Son was so shamefully treated on the cross. Yet He still provided for those who hated Him and so also should those who profess to be disciples of Christ. Note verse 45: "that ye may be sons of your Father which is in heaven." Paul sets out the difference between "children" and "sons" in Romans 8:14-21. All believers have been baptized in one Spirit and are children of God. On the other hand "as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God." Their conduct is the evidence of their relationship and their likeness to His character. These words emphasize yet once again that the "Sermon on the Mount" was addressed to disciples of the Lord Jesus and not to the multitudes who stood around.

K.H. Riley, Wembley, U.K. | Jul 1984
The Sermon On The Mount