22. The Sermon on the Mount (continued)
39“Do not resist evil.e If anyone smites you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40And if anyone would sue you and take your coat, let him have your cloak as well. 41And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.”27“I say to you: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, and pray for those who despitefully use you. 31And as you wish that men would do to you, do you also to them.”
45“Your Father in heaven makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 36Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. 48Be you therefore perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
1“Judge not, that you be not judged. 2For with what judgment you judge you shall be judged,f and with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again. 4How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is a log in your own eye? 5First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.”
39“Can the blind lead the blind? Shall they not both fall into a pit? 6Give not that which is holy to dogs, neither cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet and turn again and rend you.”
(Mt. 5:39–41; Lk. 6:27–28, 31; Mt. 5:45; Lk. 6:36; Mt. 5:48; 7:1–2, 4–5; Lk. 6:39; Mt. 17:6) (continued)
e “Do not resist evil.”—As ambassadors of the Father's kingdom, the apostles are not to forcibly resist evil and injustice.
We may react to evil in three basic ways: We may return evil for evil; this way is active, but not righteous. Or we may choose to suffer evil without complaint; this way avoids doing evil to others, but it is totally passive. Jesus taught a third way—to return good for evil, the positive and righteous method. The Master challenges us to overcome evil with the potent force of good.
f “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge you shall be judged,”—By judging others, we set up a standard to which we will be held. By not judging, we leave our judgment in God's just and merciful hands. When we do judge, we are called to exhibit mercy. (“Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful”—Lk. 6:36.) At the end of our lives, we will all seek merciful judgment from God; therefore are we also required to show mercy to others.
Mt. 5:39 Do / But I say to you, do (RSV) • If anyone smites you / But if anyone strikes you (RSV)
Lk. 6:27 I / But I (RSV) • you: Love / you that hear, Love (RSV)
Lk. 6:28 you, and pray / you, pray (RSV) • who despitefully use you (KJV) / who abuse you. (RSV)
Lk. 6:31 do you also to them (KJV) / do so to them (RSV)
Mt. 5:45 Your Father in heaven (Mt. 5:45) / for he (RSV) • sun to rise (KJV) / sun rise (RSV)
Mt. 5:48 Be you therefore perfect, even as (KJV) / You therefore must be perfect as (RSV)
Mt. 7:2 (KJV) • you (RSV) / ye (KJV)
Mt. 7:4 How / Or how (KJV)
Mt. 7:5 First / You hypocrite, first (RSV)
Lk. 6:39 (KJV) • Can / And he spake a parable unto them, Can (KJV) • into a pit? (RSV) / into the ditch? (KJV)
Mt. 7:6 (KJV) • holy to dogs, neither cast your pearls / holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls (KJV) (140:3/1570–1)
