NON-RESISTANT OR NON-VIOLENT?

You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.

 Matthew 5:38-39

We say that we believe in non-resistance, but is that really the best English term? Jesus is not talking about categorical evil and letting it overrun your life. The implication is that we have done something wrong. This was implied earlier in Matthew 5:23-24. Your brother has something against you because you have offended him/her.  Maybe we didn’t do something wrong but that is the way it is perceived. That’s why we are attacked. In that case, we are not to take personal vengeance. Nor are we to take justice into our own hands. God does not want individual vigilantes. Can you call 911? Of course! It might be a situation where you have intervened to help someone being assaulted and you take some blows.

Jesus is not condoning domestic violence. He is the One who reached out to the Samaritan woman. He is the One who came to the defense of the woman caught in adultery. If you are being abused physically, verbally, or sexually then you need to tell someone. There is hope, help and healing available. If you are in such a situation, don’t think, “Where is God?” Rather, tell God’s people. This passage says don’t take vengeance into your own hands. Instead, tell those who can help you.

The owners of Hobby Lobby, the Green family, sued the U.S. Government over Obamacare trying to make them support abortion. Did they sin by resisting government “law?” The Green family argued. “We won’t pay for any abortive products. We believe life begins at conception.” This is similar to what Jesus did. Jesus defended the Father’s honor by driving the moneychangers from the temple. Jesus took action for the sake of someone else. That is what the Green family did. They took action on behalf of the unborn. Let us also defend the unborn. In the Matthew passage, Jesus is talking about personal vengeance and vendettas.

Ike Graham