NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER FIVE

Part IX

So what Jesus is saying is that when someone insults you, don’t fight back. You lack of aggression may make them so angry they will then slap you again out of frustration. When you still don’t respond in hateful words or hurtful acts, they will have been defeated and may even dissolve in tears at your willingness to suffer for the sake of love and truth. His Jewish listeners knew of this ethical response. Their verbal teachings put it this way: “If one makes a fist and boxes another man’s ear, he has to pay him on account of his humiliation a set fine for such humiliation. Rabbis say: if he slapped him, the Rabbis set a higher fine for greater shame and he has to pay him two hundred silver coins; if he did it with the back of his hand, he has to pay him four hundred silver coins.”¹ But Jesus says, don’t accept any payment, turn the other cheek. This suggestion by our Lord was not to encourage more humiliation, but that by turning the other cheek the believer would be saying, “Go ahead! I can take it! I can take all you’ve got and it will not humiliate me.” But we must remember, this commandment by our Lord makes sense when we are suffering for doing what’s right; for something we did in standing up for truth, integrity and righteousness. However, it also applies when we have committed something wrong that goes against the law and the code of conduct. In other words, accept your punishment with class, it will make you a better person both in your eyes but in the eyes of others.

A well-known Rabbi has this negative comment on how he saw Christians respond to what Jesus said: “Do they not glorify Him who said: ‘He who smites you on the right cheek, turn to him the left also; and he who takes away your coat, let him have your shirt also.’ He and His friends and followers, after hundreds of years of abuse, flogging and slaying us Jews, have attained their well-known success, and just in these things do they glorify. The nations boast of these virtues, but not these kings whose power and might are great, whose walls are strong, and whose chariots are terrible. Yet our relationship with God is a closer one than if we had reached greatness already on earth.”² This Rabbi is not the only one who saw in the church of his day inconsistencies in how they applied the teachings of Jesus in everyday life. Of course, he was speaking of the church as he saw it in Spain around 1140 AD. Also one polemic writer personalizes this teaching by our Lord that Christians were not abiding by this way: “If a Jew smites you on the cheek, offer him the other and do not smite him at all.”³ Apparently Christians of that day took whatever criticisms or disagreements they had with Jews as an insult that could not be tolerated, and therefore struck back.

But the Master is not finished. “If anyone wants to sue you in court and take your coat, let them have your shirt as well.”

While this guideline has no Old Testament precedent, it does continue the principle of showing love instead of hate when confronted with negative forces. What we don’t see here on the surface is a subliminal message. To the Jews, if someone caused another person to be stripped naked, either by accident or on purpose, it was considered an act of judiciary injustice. So our Lord is basically saying, if they take something you desperately need and no one can stop them, then show how completely unjust they are by giving them all you have. There have been instances in the American justice system when the accused who was found guilty of theft or damages, was invited by the plaintiff to join them in their endeavor in order to help rehabilitate them. It isn’t that Jesus was telling his adherents to wait until these exact circumstances occur before showing such tolerance, but keep the principle involved whenever and wherever it is appropriate.

Our Lord continues, “If someone forces you to walk with them one mile, go two.”

Roman soldiers had such authority as we see when they pressed Simon of Cyrene (the father of Alexander and Rufus ) into helping Jesus carry His cross.⁴ It should be noted that Matthew makes sure the reader understands that this is not a friendly request by a fellow overburdened traveler. It is someone who is being compelled to do this because they have the authority to do so. Ancient documents reveal, this was usually done by order of a person wanting someone to carry items or doing other types of servile labor. But there is another twist to this principle that is not easily seen on the surface, and it involves taking responsibility for a breech of contract. We find this illustrated where Rabbis talk about someone renting a donkey for a trip up a mountain, but takes it into the desert instead, or vice versa, if the donkey is harmed or dies, they are liable for compensation to the owner because there are donkeys conditioned for mountains and others for deserts. The same goes with renting oxen with equipment for plowing.⁵ In other words, if someone confronts you over a misuse of something they own which was lent to you, not only should you pay them back for any damage, but go the second mile and pay them for the inconvenience they suffered. For example, if you borrow a lawn mower from a neighbor and damage it, don’t just pay for the repairs, buy them a new one instead.

One esteemed Rabbi makes some interesting observations on this idea of being compelled to doing something one is not used to. In one Jewish commentary it says: “When a person encounters a colleague who is on a journey and his animal has fallen under its load, he is commanded to unload the burden from it. This applies whether the animal was carrying a burden appropriate for it, or a burden greater than it could bear. This is a positive commandment, as states: ‘You shall certainly help him.’⁶”⁷ To which another Jewish commentator adds: “Here the Torah appeals to our sense of compassion to override other considerations like avoiding getting involved with people who hate us.”⁸ In other words, Jesus is saying don’t take such commands to help as negative, but a positive way of showing kindness and willingness to help someone in need.

This practice is even more clearly pointed out by Jewish historian Josephus when he recorded the words of Jonathan, the brother of King Alexander, saying: “I also make free all those Jews who have been made captives and slaves in my kingdom. I also give order that the beasts of the Jews be not pressed for our service; and let their Sabbaths, and all their festivals, and three days before each of them, be free from any imposition.”⁹ But some Jews later on took His teaching as being somewhat sarcastic. They said: “And now he exhorts and commands you no longer to abuse any of the Judeans; but if a Judean says to a Nazarene [meaning a Christian], ‘Go with me one mile,’ let him go with him two miles. And if a Judean strikes a Nazarene on his left cheek, let him turn the right also; that in this world they may have their reward, but in the world to come may be punished in hell. If you do these things, you shall be worthy to sit with him in his seats.”¹⁰ Here again we see where cultural bias overwhelms clear thinking. Their problem was not so much in what Jesus said, for who could argue with this, but the fact that many believed on Him as the Messiah.

To this Jesus adds: “Give to anyone who asks you for something. Don’t refuse to lend to anyone who wants to borrow from you.”

Here we have a double-edged command. It goes without saying that Jesus did not intend for this to be a blanket statement so that people could ask for things that made no sense. For instance, if someone says they want your car, or your house, you are supposed to give it to them. The caveat here is that whatever the person who suffered a terrible tragedy is asking for it something they desperately need, e.g., food if they are penniless, clothing if they are cold, etc. (Jesus points this out to His disciples later on in Chapter 25:35-37). But Jesus was constantly reminding His listeners of what was said in the past, and here we have a repeat of what Moses instructed the children of Israel: “When you are living in the land the Lord your God is giving you, there might be some poor people living among you. You must not be selfish. You must not refuse to give help to them. You must be willing to share with them. You must lend them whatever they need.”¹¹

I like the way one Jewish commentator translates this last phrase: “Do not harden your heart or make a fist out of your hand.”¹² The key word here is “need.”¹³ The same goes with those who need only to borrow for a short time, such as a tool, appliance or even money.¹⁴ As a matter of fact, Luke adds here that if they borrow something to use and then fail to bring it back, don’t ask them for it.¹⁵ As one Jewish scholar puts it: “If we needed further encouragement in this regard, we need only to think of Job who reminds us that we all started out in the world naked,¹⁶ without any assets, and that at the end of our life on earth we will again be naked and cannot take our wealth with us. In other words, at one time or another all of us have been in a situation similar to the destitute person asking our assistance.”¹⁷ Jewish literature tells us further that while lending was a part of Israeli culture, there were three Biblical passages which forbid the taking of interest in the case of “brothers,” but which permit, or seemingly enjoin it, when the borrower is a Gentile.¹⁸

But even in cases where money was loaned to Gentiles, usury was forbidden. In modern language, usury denotes a rate of interest greater than that which the law or public opinion permits; but the Biblical law, in all dealings among Israelites, forbids all “increase” of the debt by reason of lapse of time or forbearance, be the rate of interest high or low, while it does not impose any limit in dealings between Israelites and Gentiles. We see this practice used egregiously today by banks and credit card companies. For if you miss one payment, you are required to pay extra in the form of an added late fee.