Apples of Gold
Radio Script for November 20, 2008
“What Did Jesus Mean By Do Not Resist An Evil Person?”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
Atheists like to point out crazy things in the Bible.
For example, in Matthew 5:39 Jesus said, “Do not resist an evil person.”
Well what would happen if we stopped resisting evil people?
First of all, they would come into your house and take everything. Or they might as well just take your house intact and boot you out. Or better yet, keep you there as a slave.
The King James Version of Matthew 5:39 says “resist not evil.”
How would that play out in society? Do we tell all the police, “Go on home, now. Everything is fine. We are no longer resisting evil.”
Might as well send the Army home, too. Evil people, rejoice. We are done resisting you.
The result would be anarchy. Our towns would quickly become devilish haunts. Terrorists would run free. Other nations would battle to grab up our resources.
Is that what Jesus meant by “Do not resist an evil person”?
Yesterday I met a young woman who was actually held hostage. The hostage-taker was an evil man and he did evil things. Does Jesus want us to let men like that roam free, attacking everyone they feel like attacking?
That’s what it sounds like, if you let that one verse stand alone.
But verses don’t stand alone. They are all part of the Scripture as a whole. We can’t just pick one out here and there. We need to know how they all fit together.
For example, we know that if we stop resisting evil people, the world will plunge into absolute chaos. However, look what it says in First Corinthians 14:33, “…God is not a God of disorder but of peace…”
Romans 13 says that God Himself has established the governing authorities. And one of their main purposes is to “bear the sword,” to be God’s “agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.”
So we keep the Army and we keep the police force. These are God’s chosen instruments for resisting evil people.
Okay, but now we have a problem. We still have Jesus saying, “Do not resist an evil person.”
Well, maybe that’s not for society at large. Maybe that’s just for me in my own dealings with someone.
Okay, does that mean I just let an evil person take advantage of me? Hurt me? Steal from me? And I do nothing about it?
Well let’s see how that balances with what Jesus said in Matthew 18. He said, “If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.”
Wow, that’s pretty specific. Jesus lays out exactly how to deal with someone who sins against you. So I guess you don’t just let them get away with it. You actually confront them and work to bring about justice.
Justice is important to God. In Matthew 23, Jesus put the hammer down on the Pharisees for neglecting justice. Through the Old Testament prophets God often spoke of the importance of justice.
And one of the key tenets of justice is that evil is resisted.
If someone does evil, God wants them resisted. He wants his governing authorities to carry out justice. He wants religious authorities to carry out justice. And even on a personal level, when someone wrongs us, He wants justice.
Well that all makes sense. And actually it’s the way we all live for the most part.
But Jesus did say, “Do not resist an evil person.” What on earth did He mean by that?
First of all, we need to know that Jesus was responding to the old saying “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” In other words, if someone socks you in the eye, sock him in the eye.” Jesus is telling us not to respond like that.
Romans 12:17 says, “Do not repay anyone evil for evil.” Verse 19 says, “Do not take revenge…” And verse 21 says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
First Peter 3:9 says, “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with a blessing…” Verse 11 says we must “seek peace and pursue it.”
So I think in this case Jesus’ goal is peace. An eye for an eye can quickly escalate into full scale war. I think He’s saying, “If someone strikes you, don’t strike him back.”
But judging by the rest of Scripture, He is not saying to let evil people get away with it. God wants peace and order and justice. And to accomplish that we must properly deal with people who do evil deeds.
Comments?
E-mail me: dougapple@wave94.com.
May God bless you today! With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
© 2008 The Arrow’s Tip
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Why “The Arrow’s Tip”? Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold. Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.” I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.
Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
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5 comments:
Thank you for your commentary of Matthew 5:39. I have been perplexed by this scripture, and often I have responded in life situations, like a "door mat" because of my lack of understanding. Your interpretation helps me to see how I need to "stand" in dealing with certain encounters. Thank you!
We are all evil, look at Luke 11:11- 13 "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for[a] a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Right here he calls all parents evil, we are all sinners and do evil things, God is not pointing at only murders, thieves, criminals etc, He is addressing everyone evil. We all have thoughts of revenge, hate, selfishness, unforgiving, using people etc. All this is evil in God's eyes. He is saying be kind in every way to each other.
Thank you...this is a very good explanation to a hard question.
Atheists love to seize on snippets of Scripture and distort their meaning, and this is no exception. The answer is to look to context in the passage at large, and cross-reference that with other Scripture passages on the same topic.
Let's reference specific Scripture passages on the matter:
"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 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, let him have your cloak 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." (Matthew 5:38-42)
"But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them." (Luke 6:27-31)
"Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.' To 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.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:14-21)
The context is pretty clear: these are instructions to individuals as to how to respond to insults to oneself--even to put up with a certain amount of abuse--and it is to do so for the purpose of "overcoming evil with good." Part of that of course is to break the endless cycle of retaliation after retaliation. That is one thing.
However, what the context does NOT include is anything to do with lethal violence as well as violence directed at another, or others. One would not act in love--the purpose of forebearance and avoiding retribution in one's personal relationships in the first place--to allow others to be hurt and exploited by evil people. One is still called not to hate evil people but to hate evil itself, and thus to seek to prevent evil from being inflicted on others.
For further context, there is an interesting passage in John 18:10-11, where Peter--in defense of Jesus--draws his sword and cuts off the ear of one of those who came to arrest Jesus. As the Scripture states:
"Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. Jesus said to Peter, ‘Put your sword back into its sheath. Am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?’"
Jesus went on to heal Malchus and allowed Himself to be captured peacefully, directing his captoers' attention on him and allowing the disciples to escape. Note that NO ISSUE had been raised about Peter having a sword in the first place, and Jesus's only instructions to him were to put his sword back in its sheath--not surrender it and go away defenseless. So again, that gives context to legitimate self-defense, presumably from brigands and the like.
This post was really helpful. What I believe the Lord is telling me through this commentary is that we don't respond in kind when we are wronged (and we know that human nature is to escalate to get one up on the other person). Our response should be with justice and as our Lord establishes it, to be corrective. Our objective is the other person's good, to lift them up to extent possible and correct behavior. Not fan the flame of evil and play into Satan's hands. Through it all, we need to take care of ourselves too as we are God's temple. Thus, our response to evil is to seek the good of all involved to the extent possible.
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