“You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also. If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too. If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles. Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow. – Matthew 5:38-42 (NLT)
Jesus’ Instruction in Context: More than being Mr. Nice Guy. The plain reading of Jesus’ instruction regarding what to do when mistreated seems simple enough. Be really nice. Don’t hit back but say, “Thank you sir, may I have another slap across my other cheek?” Don’t get mad that someone sued you for your underwear, give them your pants and jacket, too. If you’re forced to carry an enemy soldier’s heavy pack for a mile, disrupting whatever you were doing before that, tell him, “Thank you for your service (occupying and abusing our homeland),” and carry it another mile. Been ripped off from a person who asked for money for home improvements but blew it Vegas instead, only to ask for more? Give them a blank check – that’s what Mr. Nice Guy would do. Who can argue with being nice, genial, kind, generous? These are qualities that most people want in their friends.
The instruction to be nice remains, but there is a deeper current at play in Jesus’ instruction. Recall that Jesus was an “older” Jewish man living in the backwater area of Isreal’s region of Galilee, occupied by the Roman Empire. Further, Jesus was likely a day-laboring carpenter, hoping for work when and where he could get it. Not Middle Class (that didn’t exist), but rather extremely poor like 99% of the people. As the head of the household after his father Joseph (died presumably many years prior) it was on him to look after his siblings and put food on the table. The examples he used would have been well-known and widely resonant with his audience – many had experienced these things themselves or watched loved ones suffer the same.
What we don’t recognize due to the distance of time and context is that Jesus was teaching his followers how to resist those in power with nonviolent response. When backhanded across the cheek – usually an act of humiliation from a person in power toward their subordinate or servant – to offer the other cheek was to force them to strike with a fist as an equal. It was a stance demanding equality instead of cowering.
After getting your underwear sued off your back – which is outrageous in the first place – the law ensured that a person could not have their outer garment taken from them (at least not overnight). To offer it in court was to shine a spotlight on the audacity of what was taking place by becoming completely nude, especially embarrassing the court and the plaintiff (and maybe yourself – everyone will see the secret tattoo you’ve been hiding all these years).
Roman soldiers were allowed by law to force occupied residents to carry their pack up to one mile. Anything beyond that was viewed as excessive and punishable by one’s ranking officer. To carry the pack an additional mile was to shine a light on how awful the limited slavery provision was and get the soldier in a bit of trouble at the same time.
Giving to those who asked and lending to those who needed to borrow was also a decision to empower others instead of perpetuating a system that favored a few over the many, further dividing the haves and the have nots.
All the above were forms of nonviolent resistance when you find yourself on the weaker side of relationship in a power imbalance. You can’t throw your weight around because you don’t have it. You don’t have the cards to play. You don’t have rights on your side. Reacting with fight, flight, freeze, or fawn will not improve anything and would likely make things worse. Nonviolent response, however, turns things on its head to make up for the power imbalance.
Jesus’ Implicit Instruction when in Power: The Epitome of Mr. Nice Guy. I am a Middle Class, cisgendered, straight, tall, blue-eyed, highly educated white male in my mid-fifties who also happens to be a member of the clergy. The clergy title is relevant, because I am not wealthy by Western standards which might give me even more power. But the earned “Reverend Doctor” in front of my name (not an internet certificate – don’t get me started) still carries weight in our culture. I carry A LOT of power wherever I go. I am generally never afraid when I enter a room pretty much anywhere. I am never self-conscious about my gender, skin tone, ethnicity, or smart people in the room. With only a couple of exceptions, I cannot relate to the common examples Jesus used to teach nonviolent resistance to those in power BECAUSE I AM THE ONE IN POWER almost all the time. I wondered what Jesus offered people like me.
He doesn’t instruct powerful people directly in these verses, yet instruction is implied. Don’t backhand people literally or figuratively because it dehumanizes them. Don’t use your power and wealth to abuse people you know can’t match your game to belittle them or further ingratiate yourself, because it dehumanizes them. Don’t abuse people who work for you even though you can get away with it because it is dehumanizing. Don’t withhold support from people based on your own prejudice – it ensures that they remain “lesser” and consequently dehumanizes them.
Couldn’t a guy with so much education come up with synonyms for “dehumanize”? How lazy can you get! Not lazy – intentional. When we dehumanize others (because we can) we dismiss the suffering we inflict because they are not quite as human as we are, not quite worth humane treatment. When we dehumanize the LGBTQ community, women in general, people from different ethnicities, cultures, and skin tones, and (especially undocumented) immigrants, we give ourselves the right to treat them in undignified ways. This gets political in a hurry. But you who claim to follow Jesus have a higher authority than a red elephant, blue donkey, or a white constitution. Jesus is our ultimate example as he did his best to give witness to the work of the Spirit of God in his life.
As we will see soon enough in this series, Jesus will speak directly to those in power from the authority of the Spirit of God. He will hold them accountable for their actions and call them on the carpet for their lack of integrity and general abuse of power (see Matthew 23). He did not pull any punches. In addition, his teaching and life’s model witnessed the character and nature of the Spirit of God. He celebrated and welcomed diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. It was messy and uncomfortable, yet his disciples got the point. When they became the apostles who would carry the Gospel forward, they took it even further than Jesus. And guess what? It was messy and uncomfortable. Yet they persisted and prevailed. The Spirit of God continues to lead us into greater diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, and when we say yes, we find ourselves on a messy, uncomfortable journey. And yet it is the path we are called to trod.
Out of curiosity, I used Artificial Intelligence to churn out (in less than five seconds) how to incorpoate nonviolence when in a position of power. For those of you who are, consider what AI came up with and do your own reading to go deeper. But don’t stop reading this post – there is a critical ingredient we must include, otherwise all the practical advice may be rendered moot.
From Artificial Intelligence: Nonviolence from a Position of Power:
From a position of power, nonviolence manifests as actively choosing to address conflicts and power imbalances without resorting to force or coercion. It's about using the power one has to create opportunities for dialogue, understanding, and positive change, rather than wielding it for dominance. Nonviolent power dynamics prioritize building relationships, fostering empathy, and promoting justice, even when facing resistance or opposition.
Here's a more detailed look at what this might look like:
1. Choosing Dialogue and Collaboration over Coercion:
· Active Listening: Powerholders should actively listen to diverse perspectives and concerns, especially those of marginalized groups or those they may disagree with.
· Facilitating Open Dialogue: Creating spaces for open, honest, and respectful communication, even when the topic is difficult or controversial.
· Seeking Common Ground: Identifying shared values and goals to build consensus and find mutually beneficial solutions.
· Prioritizing Reconciliation: Striving for understanding and forgiveness, even when facing resistance or harm, to heal and rebuild trust.
2. Exercising Power Responsibly and Transparently:
· Holding Oneself and Others Accountable: Establishing clear standards of behavior and enforcing them fairly and consistently, even when facing pressure or opposition.
· Transparency and Openness: Being transparent about decisions, processes, and reasoning, especially when those decisions affect others.
· Prioritizing Justice and Fairness: Ensuring that power is used in ways that promote equity, justice, and the well-being of all.
3. Supporting Nonviolent Movements and Initiatives:
· Providing Resources and Support: Offering financial, logistical, or other resources to nonviolent movements and organizations working towards social change.
· Advocating for Nonviolent Policies and Practices: Supporting policies and practices that promote nonviolence and peaceful conflict resolution.
· Promoting Nonviolent Education: Supporting educational initiatives that teach about nonviolence, its principles, and its effectiveness.
4. Embracing Empathy and Understanding:
· Acknowledging the Pain and Suffering of Others: Showing empathy for those who have been harmed by systemic injustice or oppression.
· Understanding Different Perspectives: Seeking to understand the viewpoints of those who may hold different values or beliefs, even when those perspectives are challenging.
· Fostering a Culture of Respect: Creating an environment where diversity of thought is valued and where everyone feels safe and respected.
5. Promoting Social Change through Nonviolent Means:
· Supporting Nonviolent Resistance: Offering support to nonviolent movements and activists who are challenging injustice and oppression.
· Using Power to Advocate for Positive Change: Leveraging one's position to advocate for policies and practices that promote social justice and human rights.
· Creating Opportunities for Transformation: Using one's power to create opportunities for dialogue, understanding, and positive change, even when facing resistance.
The Secret Sauce: Love. Next week we will go deep into this, but we must acknowledge now that at the core of Jesus’ being and teaching was a commitment to radical love as witnessed in the character and nature of God. Without love, even the excellent advice above can come off cold, calculating, and ineffective. Without love, we will not experience much transformation and the problem will likely go unchanged. Consider the following from Methodist missionary and author, E. Stanly Jones:
Jesus, after talking about turning the other cheek and going the second mile, immediately adds that we are to love our enemies and do good to them that despitefully use us. He links the passive resistance of evil and the active love of the enemy who does the evil and makes them one. Without this active love the method of conquering by turning the other cheek is savorless salt. It may do harm. Without this active love, going one mile, and even going two, may do harm to the oppressor and the oppressed in that it may produce contempt in the mind of the oppressor and may further weaken the oppressed. One may allow himself to be smitten on the other cheek, but in his heart of hearts he may be saying, “Yes, but I hate you and will get even with you if I can.” That kills the active element that would work on the heart of the oppressor and renders the method sterile. Love gives the method life... Even if he does not respond and the method fails, still you have grown tall in the process of stooping. You win in either case. – E. Stanley Jones (Following the Call,137-138)
Martin Luther King, Jr., who suffered significant mistreatment as he led efforts in the Civil Rights movement, agreed:
Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate. So it goes. Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. – Martin Luther King (Following the Call, 140).
May you have ears to hear the heart behind the mind of God expressed in Jesus, the one so fully anointed by the Spirit, and find your mind open and your heart softened.