When someone strikes you on (your) right cheek

2 Cor 6,1-10; Ps 97; Mt 5,38-42
17 JUNE

An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth was the wisest rule given by God to his people in order to limit the often practiced vengeance without any limitation.

“When men have a fight and hurt a pregnant woman, so that she suffers a miscarriage, but no further injury, the guilty one shall be fined as much as the woman’s husband demands of him, and he shall pay in the presence of the judges. But if injury ensues, you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe (Ex 21,22-25).

We know that the disproportionate and limitless revenge had been introduced by Lamec. Not only did he practice it, he also boasted of it with his two wives.

Lamech said to his wives: “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; wives of Lamech, listen to my utterance: I have killed a man for wounding me, a boy for bruising me. If Cain is avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold” (Gen 4,23-24).

We know how much Simeon and Levi did to avenge the dishonor caused to their sister Dina. They killed all the males of an entire people. A disproportionate revenge. Because of this very serious crime, Jacob excluded them from the birthright.

Dinah, the daughter whom Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit some of the women of the land. When Shechem, son of Hamor the Hivite, who was chief of the region, saw her, he seized her and lay with her by force. Since he was strongly attracted to Dinah, daughter of Jacob, indeed was really in love with the girl, he endeavoured to win her affection. Shechem also asked his father Hamor, “Get me this girl for a wife.” Meanwhile, Jacob heard that Shechem had defiled his daughter Dinah; but since his sons were out in the fields with his livestock, he held his peace until they came home. Jacob’s sons replied to Shechem and his father Hamor with guile, speaking as they did because their sister Dinah had been defiled. “We could not do such a thing,” they said, “as to give our sister to an uncircumcised man; that would be a disgrace for us. We will agree with you only on this condition, that you become like us by having every male among you circumcised. Then we will give you our daughters and take yours in marriage; we will settle among you and become one kindred people with you. But if you do not comply with our terms regarding circumcision, we will take our daughter and go away.”

On the third day, while they were still in pain, Dinah’s full brothers Simeon and Levi, two of Jacob’s sons, took their swords, advanced against the city without any trouble, and massacred all the males. After they had put Hamor and his son Shechem to the sword, they took Dinah from Shechem’s house and left. Then the other sons of Jacob followed up the slaughter and sacked the city in reprisal for their sister Dinah’s defilement. They seized their flocks, herds and asses, whatever was in the city and in the country around. They carried off all their wealth, their women, and their children, and took for loot whatever was in the houses. Jacob said to Simeon and Levi: “You have brought trouble upon me by making me loathsome to the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites and the Perizzites. I have so few men that, if these people unite against me and attack me, I and my family will be wiped out.” But they retorted, “Should our sister have been treated like a harlot?” (Gen 34,1-31).

“Simeon and Levi, brothers indeed, weapons of violence are their knives. Let not my soul enter their council, or my spirit be joined with their company; For in their fury they slew men, in their wilfulness they maimed oxen. Cursed be their fury so fierce, and their rage so cruel! I will scatter them in Jacob, disperse them throughout Israel (Gen 49,5-7).

Jesus asks for complete surrender before every injustice suffered. The surrender must be of the mind, of the spirit, of the heart and of the body. It must be his own sheep surrendering in front of his shearers and killers.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on (your) right cheek, turn the other one to him as well. If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.

Mother of God, Angels and Saints arrange that complete surrender is our only law.