“But I tell you, do not resist an evil person.”

I started writing a follow-up to my post, “What Jesus Really Meant by ‘Turn the Other Cheek,” but as I got into it I felt that I needed something in-between. As I thought about what I was writing, I had an urge to start it over, but I still felt what I was writing was necessary. So I need to preface that post first before continuing on with it.

History of ‘Turn the Other Cheek’

In the previous post I addressed the misconceptions about the phrase, “Turn the other cheek,” which comes from the Sermon on the Mount. In the next post I transition into looking at forgiveness and what to do if someone you care about has wronged you, looking at Matthew 18:15-35. But the issue with that is these two teachings aren’t addressing the same thing. And it seems to me that they often get jumbled together.

When looking at, “Turn the other cheek,” we should back up a little. Before this comment, Jesus says (NIV), “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.”

A Bit of Background

Let’s dissect this a little (humor me for a minute, please). The phrase, “Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth,” comes from the Old Testament. It can be found in Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy, and at first it sounds like this is a directive for punishment. But what it is, is actually a call to limit the punishment so that the punishment itself does not exceed the crime. In Leviticus 24:19 (NLT), for example, it says, “Anyone who injures another person must be dealt with according to the injury inflicted.” And as I said, it almost makes it sound like a command for punishment. But do me a quick favor here: re-read this but instead of a command for punishment, as a command to limit the punishment so that it does not go beyond the injury. This command was given because it was common, at the time (as we often do now), to punish well beyond the “crime” committed.

An Evil Person?

Jesus goes on to say, “But I tell you, do not resist an evil person.” This should be a cue for us to pause and think about what he’s talking about. He isn’t speaking about how to deal with a friend, or family member, or anyone close to you. Do not resist an evil person. The three scenarios he follows with are examples of interacting with someone who is out to do you harm. Someone trying to tear you down. To demean you. To make you seem like lesser of a person than they are. And I sure hope this does not apply to a friend or family member, though it unfortunately happens.

Are We Good Now?

So as my next post looks deeper into Matthew 18, I think we need to take note that, while Matthew 18 address how to interact with our “brothers and sisters” or “other believers” who have wronged us, Matthew 5:39 speaks about how to address those who actively seek to harm you.

I hope this clarifies some things a little, and it’s something I wanted to address before I move forward with my next post.

Thank you for checking this out, and please make sure to watch for the next post.