The following is my understanding of it and surmise of it.
It's a bit long.
Matthew 5:38-42
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41 And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.
Tonight's command is a term that we have probably heard as "Go the extra mile"
As you can see above the preceding verses Jesus talks about an eye for an eye, then goes on to say "if someone slaps you on your cheek let him slap the other cheek, if someone wants to sue you for some of your possessions give them all you have.
I'm not sure if you know but in v38 Jesus is referring to an Old Testament Law known as the Law of
Lex Talionis or in today's speak the Law of retaliation, basically this law covered what type of punishment should be meted out to transgressors. It limited the retribution that an offender would have to endure. Basically the punishment was dependent upon the intent of the transgression.
Then we find in v39-40 Jesus saying if someone is evil enough that he wants to slap you on the face let them do it again, if an evil person wants your shirt, hey let him have your coat as well.
To me it is obvious that if Jesus is referring to an evil person then it is obvious that their intent is to harm you. If we only read his words then to me it seems like Jesus is saying "Roll over and be a door mat, be a punch bag and don't retaliate"
I have to say that I don't think that Jesus is saying roll over and be a punch bag.
We need to remember that what Jesus related to those around him in a way that they would have understood, the culture, the religion of Judaism and the law of the land.
As I said above the Law of Retaliation was used to determine what punishment was appropriate for any harm done and to ensure it was fair. So there was a deterrent in place, that protected the abused from further abuse and the abuser from being accused falsely. Rome had laws in place to ensure civil rights as well.
Today we have laws in the land which ensure civil rights as well, the right to be protected. When we are in a situation that we are being continually harmed we have a right to say no and if need be take further action, either by reporting it or walking away from that situation.
Now to the command which I will try to put into its context.
Jesus lived in a time of Roman occupation. The Roman Empire was vast, it covered 1,061,781 sq miles. Now in those days there were no planes, trains and automobiles. How on earth could they have have gotten so big? There is a way that they could do it and this is where v41 comes in, and the audience would have fully been aware of this.
There was a law in place that allowed the Roman Soldiers to commandeer any civilian to carry their battle fatigues for one mile (remember that the Romans commandeered Simon of Cyrene to carry Jesus's cross) when they had carried it for mile then they could commandeer another civilian to do the next mile. This way the soldiers were not fatigued and would be ready for battle.
To the audience, the Jews this would have been horrific, imagine the thoughts "Hey we hate the Romans, you claim to be the Messiah (and those he was speaking to were expecting the Messiah to release them from the Roman rule they were under) and yet your asking us to go another mile, man your crazy, your asking us to help the Romans"
The Roman soldier was not a respecter of religion, he had a job to do and if you didn't help him then basically your signing your death warrant because he himself would be punished for not getting his job done, but what if he commandeered you on the Sabbath? The Jews were told to rest from work on the Sabbath and if you did not it was an issue to them. Also the person commandeered may have been going about their own business but would be expected to drop what they were doing, walk one mile with the soldier and then walk back that mile to carry on what they were doing.
So why would Jesus ask them to go the extra mile when it could violate the Law that God gave?
Firstly let's remember that Jesus said that he had come to fulfil the law as God originally intended.
Jesus came to Israel and told them repent for the kingdom of God had come, I am the way, the truth, the only work that God requires is that you believe in the one whom he sent and that is me.
Jesus made it quite clear that he was sent by God to reconcile all men to him, so that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
I said earlier that I believe that this command is Jesus revealing that there is an opportunity here and I would like to explain it as follows. Thought I would do it with a Roman soldier and a Jewish male of the time. Then I'm going to look at it with those that believed. I won't do it grammatically as it could look messy. RS = Roman Soldier, NB = Non Believer CB = Christ Believer.
RS - Hey you, come over here. Now I want you to carry my stuff here for a mile.
NB- Sorry but I'm a Jew and as it's the Sabbath I can't work today, (does not have to be the Sabbath but it could be that they were doing something else)
RS - I don't care for your religion, I have a job to do and if don't do it then I'm in trouble and your breaking the law for which the penalty is death. I'm in trouble but your dead.
RS - Hey you come over here. Now I want you to carry my stuff here for a mile.
CB - Ok.
RS - Right that's your mile done you can go now.
CB - That's ok I don't mind carrying on for another mile.
RS - Why would you want to do that? I've burdened you per the requirement of the law.
CB - I'm not under the law, Jesus fulfilled the law, and gave me a new one.
RS - Who is this Jesus? What law you taking about?
CB - Jesus is the God in the flesh, I believe in him, he came to save you and me. Jesus asked me
to be like him, show you what God is really like, he loves you and has asked me to love you.
So by actions, thoughts and deeds I'm following Jesus's law which is to love you a much as
he loves me.
When we walk in that way the person who wants to slap your cheek and you offer them the other cheek may not want to slap but kiss it, when you offer your shirt they may say no, let me give you mine. It's an opportunity but unless we give them that opportunity we may never know.
What opportunities may arise? They will be different for all of us. God has given us different people both Christian and non Christian, the fact his he has called us to be like Jesus. We are his representatives to those he has given us.
