You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 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. 40 If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. 41 Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.
In this portion of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus addresses the ancient law of retaliation, known as the lex talionis—the law of proportional retribution. This principle, found in Ex. 21:24, Lev. 24:20, and Deut. 19:21, was originally meant to limit vengeance and ensure justice did not escalate into unrestrained violence. It was a legal standard, not a personal directive, and was administered in courts of law to ensure fairness and proportionality. However, by Jesus’ time, it had become a popular justification for personal vengeance.
In contrast, Jesus calls His disciples to a radical new ethic—not simply refraining from revenge, but actively choosing mercy in the face of insult, injury, and injustice. His teaching is not a legal code but a transformation of the heart. "Offer no resistance to one who is evil" (v. 39) does not advocate passive acceptance of evil in the world, but rather forbids personal vengeance and retributive violence. The command to “turn the other cheek” or “go the extra mile” speaks to the freedom of the one who loves, who refuses to be ruled by hatred or dominated by the aggressor’s terms.
Jesus offers four vivid examples to illustrate the spirit of non-retaliation and generous love: turning the other cheek, which shows a non-violent response to insult; giving one’s cloak, which reflects a generosity that goes beyond what is owed; walking the extra mile, which embraces voluntary endurance under unjust demands; and giving to the one who asks, which reveals a heart of charity that places others’ needs above self-interest. Each example challenges the disciple to break the cycle of retribution and respond instead with a love that reflects the mercy of God.
The early Church understood this not as a call to weakness but as a reflection of Christ’s own example. He “was led like a lamb to the slaughter... and opened not his mouth” (Is. 53:7). St. Peter, writing to persecuted Christians, would echo this same spirit: “When he was insulted, he returned no insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten” (1 Pet. 2:23). The early Christians believed that such forbearance was not cowardice but participation in the very life of Christ.
Jesus is not abolishing justice but elevating it to the level of divine charity. His teaching does not undermine the Law; rather, it fulfills it through self-giving love that surpasses mere obligation. He speaks not to the legal structures of society, which still have their rightful place, but to the personal sphere—how His disciples are to respond when wronged. The earliest Christians understood this not as passive surrender, but as an invitation to imitate Christ crucified, who overcame evil not by force, but by the power of sacrificial love.
Because in a culture shaped by reciprocal obligation—where favors were given with the expectation of return—Jesus calls for unconditional generosity, even toward those who may take advantage. This too is a renunciation of retaliation, for it undermines the tit-for-tat logic of the world. “Give to the one who asks” is not an economic policy but a spiritual posture—a willingness to be vulnerable, generous, and free, even when it costs us something.
Lord Jesus, teach us to love as You loved—to bear insult with patience, to give generously without counting the cost, and to choose mercy over vengeance. Conform our hearts to Yours, that we may be witnesses of Your kingdom in a world still governed by fear and retaliation. Amen!
Sources
- McSorley, Joseph. An Outline History of the Church by Centuries (From St. Peter to Pius XII). 2nd ed., B. Herder Book Co., 1944.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: The Pentateuch. Four Courts Press, 2017
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Charpentier, Etienne. How to Read the Old Testament. Translated by John Bowden, 1981.
- Komonchak, Joseph, et al., editors. The New Dictionary of Theology.
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