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.””
This passage is part of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, found in the Gospel of Matthew, which records Jesus' teachings. He is speaking to his disciples and a large crowd, offering a reinterpretation of older laws and traditions, urging them towards a radical ethic of love and non-retaliation.
How might a commitment to justice coexist with a call to non-resistance and extravagant generosity?