Slap Happy and Extra Miles: Matthew 5:38-42

Sunday Morning | October 11, 2026 | John C. Majors | Louisville, KY

In his sermon, “Slap Happy and Extra Miles,” Pastor John continues the Sermon on the Mount series by exploring Matthew 5:38–42 and Jesus’ teaching on finding freedom from vengeance. While God’s law established boundaries for justice, Jesus calls His followers to go beyond seeking repayment or retaliation and instead respond with grace and love. This does not mean we should never resist evil or remain in abusive situations, but that we should refuse to respond to wrongdoing in the same spirit in which it was committed. Jesus illustrates this principle through four examples: responding to public humiliation without retaliation, choosing grace when facing potential legal trouble, responding graciously to the abuse of power, and showing generosity when the tables are turned. Rather than insisting on our rights or seeking revenge, we are called to trust God, pursue peace, and overcome evil with good, reflecting the same grace and love that Christ has shown us.

You can join us on Sunday mornings at 11 AM for worship.  We are located at 8911 3rd Street Road, Louisville KY 40272.

Transcript

Copy Transcript Copied

0:00

Thank you. Isaac. Good morning, Valley View. We are studying the Sermon on the Mount. So if you have a Bible, turn to Matthew chapter five. There's a famous quote from Mark Twain. I've shared a number of times here, but it's especially relevant today. He said it's not the parts of the Bible I don't understand that bother me. It's the part that I do understand that bothers me. This is one of those passages today where you read it and you go, ha ha. I don't know how feel about that. Do I really have to follow that? That makes me uncomfortable. What does that mean? How do I apply that to my life if I'm supposed to live that way? That is very different than how I have lived, how the world lives. There's a lot to unpack in today's passage. So turn with me to Matthew chapter five, and we're going to read verses 38 through 42. We're in a section on the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus has been explaining what the Old Testament law meant and correcting people's misunderstanding of it. And so we get six examples of him following this pattern. You have heard that it was said, I say to you. And so here we have this example where he's quoting from the Old Testament law, Matthew chapter five, verse 38. And if you would stand as I read this section just out of a sign of reverence, respect for God's Word,

Matthew 5: 1:17

38. 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 to the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic or your inner garment, your inner clothing, let him have your cloak, your outer garment as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. Alright, you can be seated. And as I read that, you're also probably feeling a little bit uncomfortable. What do we do with this? What does this mean? First, let's just talk about the quote Jesus quotes from the Old Testament. He quotes in verse 38. It's a familiar saying, we've often heard it and I for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. This shows up in a number of different passages in the Old Testament. I've listed those in your notes, and this was originally intended for a very good reason. First. This allows for justice to occur. This was in a legal setting, a legal context, and it was meant to say there should be justice for harm done. This is a good thing. This is what you want. You want to make sure your justice system is just because if it's not, if people feel like, hey, you didn't stand up for me. You didn't honor what was needed, I was wronged, you didn't care for me. If if the system neglects the person who's been injured, then eventually people are going to take matters into their own hands. They're going to feel like the government doesn't stand up for them. So this allows for justice to occur. A tooth was taken. You're allowed to take one back, so it allows for justice. But here's the other half of it. Here's the other aspect of it that's really important. It also limits justice. It puts limits on justice because sometimes I'm sure no one here has ever felt this way. Sometimes someone slightly wronged you and you want to overreact. You want them to really pay for it, but this limits it. Someone takes your tooth no more than a tooth. Do you take someone damages your eye no more than an eye. Do you take? Yes, there is justice, but you don't over react. Someone kicks your dog. You don't murder their whole family in response. There are limits to the realm of justice. And this is a good thing. In fact, you can see this as a basis in a lot of ways for many parts of our judicial system, if someone does damage to you, they are able to put a number to it. In fact, even back then, most people didn't go around saying, you know what? You took my eyes, so I'm going to take yours out. That doesn't help anyone. You losing an eye doesn't help me because I lost my eyes. So people would often put a financial value to it. And you pay them for the value of their eye. The work that would have been related to that. We see that in injury law as well in our day, day and age today. So you read that on its face value. This sounds really good. This sounds like a good thing. Why would Jesus need to address it or or correct it? Well, the problem is the misunderstanding of this rule. Even today, in today's day and age, when someone says, I'm going to take an eye for an eye, that don't mean I'm really hoping to follow what the law intended and to see the under privileged served properly, and to make sure I don't overextend my retaliation. That's not what they mean. When people say eye for an eye, they mean I'm going to get mine. I'm coming after you. I'm going to take the law to the fullest extent. I'm going to make sure you pay for what you did. And that's likely where things had devolved in. Just because I can take an eye doesn't mean you have to. But it became I have to and I get to and I'm going to make sure you pay for it. So Jesus says you've heard that it was says for an eye to for tooth. But I say to you, look at how he responds to this. Now look at what he says. Here's how we should. And he's just starting to lay the groundwork for what this means about how we should understand it today. Verse 39, but I say to you, do not resist the one who is evil. Do not resist the one who is evil. This is Jesus's response to what I for an eye tooth for a tooth. Don't resist the one who is evil. Now that is a very difficult understatement to take. Statement to take on its face value. Do not resist the one who is evil. Does this mean I never resist evil? I see evil happening and I don't do anything. I just let it happen. Well, that can't be what this means. If you just read other parts of the Bible. Jesus didn't mean to never resist evil. In fact, we can quote a number of verses. I've listed these in your notes. He says very specifically in James and first Peter. Resist the devil. Resist him. He will flee from you. He's he's calling us to resist the devil. In Ephesians six he says, stand firm, resist in the day of evil. He even says in Galatians, I opposed Peter and he uses the same word resist. I resisted Peter, I opposed him to his face because Peter, by the way he was acting at that time, was undermining the gospel. So this can't mean never resist evil, just let evil run amok. We got to take everything in context. This is a legal context. We're talking about a legal setting where injustice has been done. And you're wondering, how do I respond? What should be my reaction? Many see here a play on words happening. And it's it's hard to see it in English, but in Greek the word for also starts the word for resist. It sounds the same, so I'll try to put it into English. It might sound something like this. You have heard an eye for an eye. You have heard a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, I for bid your response, your retaliation. In fact, I think the main thing he is forbidding, the main thing he is saying, do not resist in kind. Do not resist. Do not react to the way you want to. Naturally. Do not respond to them the way you think they deserve in your flesh. Do not immediately lash out with vengeance, anger, wrath, malice. You heard me. I will hurt you. You wronged me. I'll make sure you feel the full wrath of all my anger and malice directed to you. That's us in our natural flesh. Our reaction is to go, I'm going to get mine. I'm going to make sure you pay. Do not respond in kind. Like this is some of what he's driving at. We can look at a couple of reasons why this is. If you want to flip over to Romans chapter 12, many believe that Paul is commenting on this section, commenting expanding Romans 12 on page 906. If you have a church Bible 903 and many believe Paul there is helping us unpack this idea, we don't respond. We don't react with vengeance. Instead, we want to react with grace. This is some of what he's driving at. Our natural reaction. We want to set aside our natural reaction for vengeance, anger, wrath, malice. Instead, we want to react with grace. Look at Romans 12, verse 17. You see the same praise evil phrase evil for evil. Verse 17 repay no one evil for evil. Many think Paul here is actually expounding upon that word. Do not respond. Instead, he says, repaid. Driving at the central idea. You don't just return evil for evil. Don't just return tooth for a tooth, evil for evil. You see that same structure? Don't have it in your heart to immediately react and make sure whatever you wronged me, I'm going to send that right back to you. You do not repay evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. How does my response stand out as honorable, not just reacting like you, doing back to you what you did to me, but really standing out. And so when people see you react and respond, they go, something is different in the life of that person. He goes on, if possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all never avenger selves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. Don't try to take on the role of the Lord, and you become your personal actor of justice and vengeance. Leave that to him. This doesn't mean don't respond at all, but we don't react out of a heart of vengeance and justice. Wrong justice. In fact, verse 22, the contrary. If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink, for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head. People love this verse. Oh, I'd love to hurt. Heap some burning coals on that person's head. This means by so doing you're going to sear their conscience. You're going to help. You're going to highlight the fact that they are not acting in a way that honors God. In the last verse, do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. So instead of because of the way you acted, I'm immediately going to respond out of my flesh, out of a desire to get you back. I'm going to let you dictate. In fact, you now are causing me to act this way. Instead of that. Do not be overcome by evil. Don't let someone else be in charge of your response. Instead, overcome evil with good. I think the key word for us is our reaction. Our response should be to bless instead of to curse. I've shared the story before, so I'll just run through it quickly. There was a guy who cut me off in a parking lot, took a spot in front of me and I started yelling at him, how dare you! You saw me coming. I should have had that spot. And he, as kindly as anyone could be. I'm so sorry I didn't see you. Let me move my car and you can have my spot. And he heaped all kinds of burning coals on my head by doing that. And my hair was melting. Face, flesh, everything. I couldn't even respond. I just had to drive away. I couldn't say anything. I felt so ashamed. I retaliated, I reacted, and he did not. He reacted. He responded with a blessing. This is some of what this is driving at. Don't just react in the flesh. Don't curse, bless. Don't go for vengeance. Respond with grace. He's going to give us a few examples here of what this means. A few examples to illustrate the point. He's going to show some common situations that people would have experienced and that we today still might experience. If you look at verse 39 in the second half. If I say to you, do not resist the one who is evil. But here's the first example. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other. Also, this would be an instance of when you faced public humiliation. You know, the setting here was if someone is going to slap you on the right cheek, they can't do it open handed. That hits your left cheek. That's more of many have said this is actually pointing towards a backhanded slap, which is at that time especially considered much more humiliating. Much more shameful isn't an intentional act to show that I am demeaning you. I'm going to humiliate you. In fact, we have writings from rabbis who laid out fines. If you smack someone open handed, there's a fine for that. But if you backhand slap him, it's double. Sometimes triple. It's that much more shameful. So this isn't just about injuring someone, this is about public humiliation and shame. And I think you've all been in situations where someone has humiliated you publicly, and I don't know how you reacted in the moment, but if you didn't do anything, you went home and you made a long list of all the ways you should have reacted, all the things you should have done to hurt them, to humiliate them, to make sure that you knew. No, I'm really the one who's tough and in charge and the boss. I couldn't do anything then, but I should have done all of this. I remember I was in a meeting once where a guy said something that really was meant to humiliate me, but I don't know if he meant to or not. But he did, and I was so shocked by it. I didn't know what to do. So I just said through that meeting, doing nothing. And I went home and I had my long list of all the stuff I should have said, I should have done. Here's what I should have happened. Were called not to just react in vengeance. You shamed me. I'm going to shame you. But our call is to turn the other cheek. And what that means is react in a way that says to them, I'm not just responding to your attempts to hurt me, I'm responding differently. We. I don't know if either of these guys are Christian or not. I, I don't have any idea, but we saw this very publicly at the Oscars. If you saw this, a couple, I don't know, was it last year or the year before? Chris Rock was telling a joke. He said something that upset Will Smith, told a joke about his wife, and Will Smith walks up on stage at the Oscars and smacks him right there in front of everyone. And Chris Rock was so shocked he didn't know what to do, and Will sits down. He's still yelling at him. I won't repeat what he said. I think everybody was. Probably half the people thought, this is a this is a gag. This is some act. Nobody knew what to do. Imagine, though, if he comes up and smacks him and Chris Rock pulls out a gun and shoots him back, we wouldn't be talking about Will's misbehavior. We'd be talking about Christmas. In fact, I think because of the way Chris didn't react, many people now it's really hurt. Will Smith's reputation. That guy. What is wrong with him? Meant to shame Chris Rock, he turned the other cheek again. I don't know if either a Christian, but you see, by the way you react, people will know what are your true values. Is it all about me or am I pointing to something else? Now, let me make a caveat here, because these verses, this verse in particular, has been used to force people to stay in an abusive situation. Well, see, the Bible says someone hits you on the cheek. You just gotta take. Turn your cheek. Take it. You just gotta keep taking it. That's what the Bible says. It's usually used by the abuser. By the way, this doesn't mean that you don't have to stay in an abusive situation. Look at its face value. If we want to get quite literally, you only have two cheeks, so this can't go on forever. Now look, there's plenty of other verses in the Bible that talk about the importance of calling misbehavior to account, especially within the church. Matthew 18 if someone offends you, if a brother offends you, go to them. If they don't listen, take another person. If they don't listen, bring them before the whole church. We don't just let misbehaving people continue to misbehave. First Corinthians listed in your notes says, cast the evil person out of the church. And that whole situation there was around gross, obvious, blatant sexual misconduct. The point being, there are plenty of situations where we're called to call the person to account who is mis behaving. So this doesn't mean, in fact, I would say to you, I think that's one of the most loving things you can do to someone who is sending against you is to work to get them to a place where they stop, or to remove yourself from a situation where they can't continue to sin against you. That's not good for them. It's not good for you to stay in that situation. I don't know exactly what that means for everyone. Those are really complex issues, but it doesn't mean just keep taking it. So that's a side note on that. That's not what that means. Okay. So that's the first example. Number two look at verse 40. If anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If anyone would sue you take your tunic. Let him have your cloak as well. We're talking about potential legal trouble, legal situations in particular. This is the context of the whole setting, the context of the whole verse. This doesn't just mean anyone who would break into your home and steal something. Obviously you want to defend yourself against that, to care for your home, to care for your property. But if someone is pursuing you over a legal matter, matter coming towards you. How should you react to that? The key word here is the word would if someone would sue you and take your tunic. This really complements if you turn back a page over to verse 25. Colby unpacked this section for us where someone's coming after you, someone is wronged. You don't just react in anger because here's what happens if you act in blind rage and anger. You don't have self-control. You're not going to act even in your own best interest. You're going to look back later and regret how you acted. Anybody ever been there before? Yeah. Okay. I got one honest hand over here and mine you plenty of situations where you look back and go, I was enraged, I had no self-control, and I'm ashamed of the way I acted. And in verse 25 it says, come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, the judge to the guard. You'll be put in prison. Prison. Practically, this means try to figure out how to get out of the situation before it escalates. Do what you can do, even if that means you got to take the high road. Even if that means you gotta let go of a little more than you really wanted to. You don't often. I think, as a kid, you don't ever really think of that. Your parents might be cool or do something interesting in life. Maybe later in life you might start to see they have some value, maybe no guarantee. But I remember as a kid, my dad, he's a retired attorney now, he was an attorney. And of course, I didn't even know what that meant. That didn't sound that interesting to me. But then you start to see lawyers on TV shows, and you see how they are able to win arguments and win the day and be the hero. And you're like, well, that is cool. Maybe my dad is cool, maybe he does have something to offer. And so one day I'm say to dad, hey, how many court cases have you won this year? What have they been like? What exciting is happening? And he said, oh, whoa, whoa, I caught no, no, no. I do everything I can to stay out of court. We want to settle, settle, settle. I might go once or twice a year. I don't I don't want to take the chance that we roll the dice in front of some jury. Let's get an obvious, real answer. We can control the settle. And then he went back to not being cool. That's not cool. Go back to the courtroom. Fight it out. Right. But a lot of wisdom. Why take the chance? You're going to sue me? I'll sue you back. I'll see you in court. I'm going to make you pay. And a year later, when we've both spent thousands and thousands more than we ever needed to. In fact, First Corinthians six talks about would it not be better to be wronged as Americans? No, I will not be wronged. Our citizenship is in heaven first and foremost. That's our kingdom doesn't mean people. You just let people trample over you. That's not what this is talking about. You know where you see this play out the most, sadly, and a lot of you are going to nod your heads when I see this. It's in families. Someone dies, you're in the midst of sorrow, and people are already arguing about what to do about the money, the possessions, the collection of dolls and spoons. We're going to fight to the death over them. Had someone tell me they had a family sitting in their office arguing to the death over the last hundred dollars. And we all grieve here and that because, you know, you've known people to do that. Would it not be better to give up even more than you think you deserve to show someone just a glimpse of Christ, to take the high road. But they don't deserve anything. They weren't there for them like I was, maybe. What do you deserve? What did I deserve? I deserved judgment, hell, the penalty of my sin and Christ extended so much grace to me. Third situation verse 41. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him too. Don't you love these sayings? By the way? You hear these all the time. Go the extra mile. Oh, they're not talking about this situation. When people use that. That's where this comes from. Give them the shirt off your own back and we'll see in the, Did I skip one? No, that was the last one. Give him the shirt off your own back. Or as we said, you know, for now or two for two. Turn the other cheek. These are common sayings people use all the time. This next situation, if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. This would be a situation where you're facing the abuse of power. This context in particular was governmental abuse. An outside force, now an outside entity and outside government now has control over us, and they have the right to grab anyone and make them do your work for a set period of time, for a set distance. In fact, the only other place where this wording is used is when the guy is called to carry the cross for Jesus. So what are you supposed to do if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles? What should you do? I think the main context for us here is when you are in situations where you feel like the government or a power over you is abusing their power is to react in a way that says to them, I don't serve your government, I serve a different government. React in a way that says to them something is different about this person. So don't be the person in line at the DMV. Throw in a royal fit because your number got skipped, or you got to go home for another piece of paperwork. We've all been there. We've all experienced that. Let other people see. My reaction is different. I'm not just reacting or when the policeman pulls you over, even if they pull you over wrongly. React to them in kindness. Respond to them in a way that says, I value you as a person. I'm not just demanding my rights, and that doesn't mean you give in. And if they want to do an illegal search, you don't have to that you can still follow the law. But I promise you, if you act according to how Jesus acts, it'll stand out of all the people they deal with in a day. They see you act differently. It's going to stand out. They're going to want to know eventually, maybe not right away. Someone's going to go, well, how can you do that? Everyone else today just yelled at me, why is it that you didn't? The last situation is a little different than the others. Verse 42 give to the one who begs from you. Do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. These are great verses, aren't they? Does this mean I'm just supposed to? Anytime anyone asks me for anything, I have to give it to them. No matter the situation, no matter the circumstance, I have no choice. Anyone begs, anyone asks to borrow. Gotta give it all away. Can't be what this means. Because there's plenty of other verses where God calls us to be good stewards of the resources he gives us. He says, if a man does not provide for his family, he's worse than an unbeliever. So we also need to make sure we're not just giving everything away because I have a family to care for. I've made other commitments in my life, but the setting here is when the tables have been turned. The first three situations are when you are the person who's been wronged. You are the person not in power. You are the person where others are attacking you. You are the person where others have strength over you. This one is now where you're the one in power. And I think this is in particular speaking to a situation where maybe if it's the same person who once before was persecuting you and now it's coming back to you in need, which is something we've all prayed for, right? Because now I'm going to make you pay. You made me pay. Come on. Come and ask. I'm going to make you pay. Oh, you have need now. Boy, you sure were my high and mighty. When you didn't have needs. And you sure were grand when you thought you had all the power. I've shared this story before as well, so I'll summarize it MMA fighter rich, successful, lots of money back in his hometown, driving his fancy car down the road. And here's a guy asking for money and he rolls down a window. And it was his middle school bully. And he's thinking I could murder this guy in seconds. This guy tortured me, ruined my life, and he gives the guy money and he says, speaks life into him. What's. What happened to you? How did you end up here? You were so strong, sharp, tall. You seem to have everything going for you. What happened? You don't have to stay here. Come see me next week. I'll help you find a job. And it radically changed that guy's life. He could have dismembered him. And I think we all a part of us all would love to see that. Get the high school bully back. He did not react the way he wanted to. What gives us the strength to not just react in vengeance? Jesus, when he was shamed, did not respond in shame. You have the power of the Holy Spirit within you that helps you to act differently, to help you, to not just react. And so here's what I want to ask you to just ask yourself right now, who is it that you have been wanting to just react to to carry out vengeance on? Maybe not obvious, maybe not for everyone to see, but you're harboring it in your heart. You're carrying around a anger, malice. You would love nothing more than to see them experience complete failure in life. Who is it? All I want to ask you to do is just to pray for them and pray for yourself. It doesn't mean you have to become best buddies, but at least deal with what's in your heart and start there. I'm going to pray for us, and as I pray, I want you to be praying for that person in particular. God, I thank you for your Word that guides us and directs us. We're not called to retaliate. We're not called to take our vengeance. You are the one who is in charge of that. We can't see the future. We don't know what everything holds. But help us to walk in what it means to be a citizen of heaven. And I know there's many of us here today who are carrying vengeance, carrying anger, carrying bitterness to someone who has wronged you. God, would you give release from that right now, man? That anger, that bitterness that'll just eat at you and you won't be able to walk, and the fullness of joy that Christ has for you. Let it go, God, would you give the strength, the power, the release of that today, right now? Would it be gone forever? Help us to walk in the newness of what it means to love you and to follow you. We love you, Jesus. Amen.