"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' 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. If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow. "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Mt 5:38-48)
‘Offer no resistance to one who is evil’. This statement of Jesus makes any reader to reflect. But this is not a passive resistance. He is not telling his listener to be inactive. Jesus’ proposal to the listener is something different. He is telling them to be proactive.
Jesus is telling them to be positive. His followers should do only good. Whatever be the evil done by the opponent, the followers of Jesus do only good. The actions of the followers should make the opponents to feel ashamed. They should be made to reflect. They should not be even considered as enemies and persecutors. (Love your enemies and pray for those…) So treat every equal (not even the distinction of friends and enemies) and do only good.
St. Paul summarized this beautifully in Rom 12:21 saying overcome evil by doing good. It is this attitude that makes one a perfect man. ‘So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect’ is Matthew’s way of saying to his church to do only good and to treat everyone equally through prayers and blessings.
