3.28.2008

"Let him have your cloak as well"

"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. - Matthew 5:38-42
From NPR:
[Julio Diaz was in the subway and ]"He was walking toward the stairs when a teenage boy approached and pulled out a knife.

"He wants my money, so I just gave him my wallet and told him, 'Here you go,'" Diaz says.

As the teen began to walk away, Diaz told him, "Hey, wait a minute. You forgot something. If you're going to be robbing people for the rest of the night, you might as well take my coat to keep you warm."
Read the whole story.

Grace is a funny thing, as it is so backwards from our instincts. This story is literally what we're called to. What if, instead of being hyper-alert and defensive, like a constant alarm system monitoring our surroundings, we instead have a response to our enemies- Hey, here's my wallet. And my coat. And, want to go to dinner?

2 comments:

Kacie said...

What an incredible story!

Marie said...

I loved the story too.

One thing that would keep me from acting that way would be, my responsibility to my family. To hand my wallet to a thief would mean I would not be able to pay a bill or two that month (not luxury bills - rent, food, gas for commute). If I had charitable money available I'd be more able to do this. However, to refuse to pay a legitimate bill would make me rather a thief myself. So I don't think I'd do it.

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