You asked

how can this teaching be applied to conflicts between groups, not just individuals?

Adds the setting and its conversation across both testaments.

Matthew 5:38-42

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you, don’t resist him who is evil; but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also. If anyone sues you to take away your coat, let him have your cloak also. Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and don’t turn away him who desires to borrow from you.”

Jesus is delivering the Sermon on the Mount, teaching his followers about what life in God's kingdom should look like. In this section, he addresses common understandings of the Mosaic Law, pushing for a radical reinterpretation focused on love and non-retaliation.

What does it mean for a group to absorb rather than escalate harm when facing aggression?

Then — the setting

This teaching from Jesus took place in 1st-century Galilee, within a Jewish context under Roman occupation. The phrase 'an eye for an eye' (lex talionis) was part of the Mosaic Law (Exodus 21:24, Leviticus 24:20, Deuteronomy 19:21), intended to limit retaliation and ensure justice was proportionate, not excessive. Jesus's audience would have understood this as a principle of strict justice. His teaching here, however, calls for a radical departure from this societal norm, urging self-sacrificial love and non-violent responses to personal insult, legal dispute, and forced labor (like being compelled by a Roman soldier to carry his pack for a mile).

Across the Testaments

In the Old Testament, 'an eye for an eye' served as a legal principle to establish measured justice within the community, preventing unchecked revenge. While also containing calls for compassion and care for the vulnerable, the primary mode of justice for the nation of Israel often involved punitive measures for wrongdoing. Jesus's teaching in the New Testament doesn't abolish the Law but intensifies its moral demands, shifting the focus from proportionate legal retribution to a transformative, enemy-loving ethic. This move from strict justice to radical grace and non-retaliation for individuals is echoed in the New Testament's broader emphasis on reconciliation and forgiveness within the Christian community and beyond.

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

Romans 12:17-21
Paul echoes this theme of not repaying evil for evil, encouraging blessing and overcoming evil with good.
Luke 6:27-36
Luke's account of Jesus's sermon includes similar instructions on loving enemies and doing good to those who hate.
Proverbs 25:21-22
This wisdom passage advises feeding and giving water to an enemy, laying a groundwork for non-retaliation.

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