In the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself explains these words quite clearly, saying, "do not resist an evil person". In human society, including in Israel during the time of Christ's earthly life, the widespread opinion is that violence must be avenged...
In the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself explains these words quite clearly, saying, "do not resist an evil person". In human society, including in Israel during the time of Christ's earthly life, the widespread opinion is that violence must be avenged. The main commandments of the Old Testament seek only to confine this vengeance within certain limits, requiring that retribution for violence be commensurate with the violence itself.
However, the Lord says, it is impossible to overcome evil and violence in this way. What then is to be done? Through His entire life, the Lord shows us the way to stand against evil; it is the way of love and forgiveness, faithfulness to God, and the acceptance of suffering. This path led Jesus Himself to the Cross, and only the Resurrection of Christ testifies to all His disciples that this is the only way to stand against evil.
As for the specific phrase that prompted your question — one must admit it is shocking. But, you must agree, such an extreme degree of rejecting violence as a response to violence has proven to be more than memorable. Even in atheistic societies, through culture, it is absorbed into people's minds, compelling us to think about it.
In practice, striving to follow these words leads to the realization that we are not alone in the suffering inflicted upon us by people: the Lord takes this suffering upon Himself. And if we dedicate our rejection of violence to Him, He grants us an incomparable joy that no violence can take away from us. The only thing to bear in mind is that each of us is called to respond in this way to the violence inflicted upon us personally. Violence inflicted upon others requires a different response.
