Roman Soldier Makes a Man Carry His Packby CBPepper
5:40Matthew 5:40
And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.
When taken to court for the inner tunic, the wronged person is to show a generous, unresisting spirit by willingly yielding the outer mantle as well, giving even more than the oppressor demands rather than clinging to rights or retaliating. It belongs to the Sermon on the Mount, in which Christ defines God's law and reveals its far-reaching claims as a holy, just, and good standard of righteousness whose spirit must regulate the heart and life. It expresses the principles of His kingdom of divine grace, not the earthly power and national glory many expected. It calls His followers never to answer evil with defiance, revenge, violence, or abusive speech, but to meet wrong and oppression with patience and kindness, keeping anger and resentment from taking root. Jesus Himself lived out this lesson by never retaliating when insulted and persecuted, and learning it forms Christlike character and preserves the love and unity He desires.
Words and Historical Setting
In the verse the coat is the inner tunic and the cloak is the outer mantle, and the call to surrender both stands against the merciful provisions of the law of Moses for the poor. That law enjoined tender regard for the poor by forbidding a creditor to enter the dwelling to obtain a garment given as pledge or security for debt, and by requiring the pledge to be returned at nightfall. Those merciful provisions were little regarded in the days of Christ.
The words were spoken on the mountainside by the sea while Roman soldiers assembling on the plain below sent messengers who forced Jewish peasants to carry their burdens up the steep bank. It was a shameful scene of bondage brought by sin through the sins of the Jews, which Jesus beheld with sadness. The sight stirred indignation and revengeful hatred in the Jewish crowd, who longed to crush their oppressors.
When sued at law for the coat, the person wronged is not to cling to rights or retaliate, but to show a generous, nonresisting spirit by willingly yielding the cloak as well. Even more is to be given than the oppressor demands or the court authorizes, in order to give the creditor what is due. Disciples are therefore not to resist the demands of those in authority, but to submit to the decisions of courts even when they demand more than the law of Moses authorized. Every obligation is to be discharged so far as possible, even beyond what the law of the land requires.
Place in Sermon Teaching
Matthew 5:40 belongs to the Sermon on the Mount, in which Christ defines God's law and reveals its far-reaching claims. The law there set forth is not merely a cold code of commands and traditions, but a holy, just, and good standard of righteousness. Its claims must be taught with the spirit of the law in the heart, and its far-reaching principles must be impressed, because the state of the heart regulates life and character, and without this teaching labor is lost.
The verse is part of the pure gospel given upon the Mount that explains God's holy law and sets the holy standard of character and life. It requires loving God with the whole heart and loving one's neighbor as God requires. It is one of Christ's sayings to be believed and practiced, and living by the teachings in Matthew 5 develops Christlike character and sets divine principles in the heart. Matthew 5 gives Christ's clear, definite expression of His will to be dwelt upon often. Doing what it teaches brings the divine virtues into life constantly and enables knowing true doctrine by doing the will of God. Living it holds the standard high without spot or wrinkle, corrects gradual backsliding and existing evils in the church, and represents Christ the altogether lovely in words, attitude, and actions. It breaks up words that separate very friends by ending misapprehension, unkindness, retaliation, and propagating strife. This standard calls for following Jesus closely and letting God's Word shape and correct thoughts and conduct. It therefore forbids mingling human wisdom with the divine, confusing other minds about right and holy methods in business, unjustly acquiring means at the expense of another, diverting mission means from its true object to ambitious designs, and practicing any method to please lust for gain and power. Those who do such things prove they have not yet learned the holy law and its explanation on the Mount, and must repent and be converted, do works worthy of the name Christian, and receive a cleansing and purging of the soul temple.
The verse expresses the principles of Christ's kingdom of divine grace, not the earthly power and restored national glory many Jews expected. It is part of Christ's setting of His own greater and certain wisdom against the unstable words of men. The phrases They say and It has been said belong to the rabbinical schools of His day and corrupt the mind, and they are not to be accepted as exalted wisdom when certain wisdom from God is at command. The Sermon's teaching to which the verse belongs is truth spoken with God's own authority, yet simple enough for a child to study without being misled.
Christlike Life Without Retaliation
Christ calls for no answering of evil with defiance, resistance, revenge, violence, or abusive speech, but for meeting wrong and oppression with patience and kindness, yielding even beyond what law or oppression demands. When wronged, followers must not cherish revenge or let anger and resentment take root, and faultfinding and accusing others run contrary to this lesson. Righteous indignation at God's dishonor or the oppression of the innocent is distinct from personal bitterness and animosity, which must be banished. Jesus lived out the lesson in His own life by never retaliating against His enemies when insulted and persecuted, and the command opposed a spirit of revenge so directly that revengeful hearers murmured against it as a hard saying.
In situations of persecution followers are to avoid provoking further conflict and to seek another place to continue their work rather than encourage resistance, even when suffering unjust punishment. Learning and obeying the lesson rather than preferring one's own way forms Christlike character and sets divine principles in the heart. The sayings are to be believed and practiced, and living by them develops that character. Doing what is taught brings the divine virtues constantly into life and enables knowing true doctrine by doing the will of God, holding the standard high without spot or wrinkle and correcting gradual backsliding and existing evils in the church. The teaching is the standard for life and character calling followers to follow closely and let God's Word shape and correct thoughts and conduct.
The principle belongs to representing Christ's character through kind words, attitudes, and actions. It breaks up speech and behavior that divide friends, provoke retaliation, and spread strife, by ending misapprehension, unkindness, retaliation, and the propagating of strife. Faultfinding and accusing undermine the love and unity Christ desires among His followers.
The pure gospel given upon the mount explains God's holy law and sets the holy standard of character and life, requiring love to God with the whole heart and love to neighbor as God requires. It therefore forbids mingling human wisdom with the divine, confusing other minds about right and holy methods in business, unjustly acquiring means at the expense of another, diverting mission means from its true object to ambitious designs, and practicing any method to please lust for gain and power. Those who do such things prove they have not yet learned the holy law and must repent and be converted, do works worthy of the Christian name, and receive a cleansing and purging of the soul temple.
When taken to court for the inner tunic, the wronged person is to show a generous, unresisting spirit by willingly yielding the outer mantle as well, giving even more than the oppressor demands rather than clinging to rights or retaliating. It belongs to the Sermon on the Mount, in which Christ defines God's law and reveals its far-reaching claims as a holy, just, and good standard of righteousness whose spirit must regulate the heart and life. It expresses the principles of His kingdom of divine grace, not the earthly power and national glory many expected. It calls His followers never to answer evil with defiance, revenge, violence, or abusive speech, but to meet wrong and oppression with patience and kindness, keeping anger and resentment from taking root. Jesus Himself lived out this lesson by never retaliating when insulted and persecuted, and learning it forms Christlike character and preserves the love and unity He desires.
Words and Historical Setting
In the verse the coat is the inner tunic and the cloak is the outer mantle, and the call to surrender both stands against the merciful provisions of the law of Moses for the poor. That law enjoined tender regard for the poor by forbidding a creditor to enter the dwelling to obtain a garment given as pledge or security for debt, and by requiring the pledge to be returned at nightfall. Those merciful provisions were little regarded in the days of Christ.
The words were spoken on the mountainside by the sea while Roman soldiers assembling on the plain below sent messengers who forced Jewish peasants to carry their burdens up the steep bank. It was a shameful scene of bondage brought by sin through the sins of the Jews, which Jesus beheld with sadness. The sight stirred indignation and revengeful hatred in the Jewish crowd, who longed to crush their oppressors.
When sued at law for the coat, the person wronged is not to cling to rights or retaliate, but to show a generous, nonresisting spirit by willingly yielding the cloak as well. Even more is to be given than the oppressor demands or the court authorizes, in order to give the creditor what is due. Disciples are therefore not to resist the demands of those in authority, but to submit to the decisions of courts even when they demand more than the law of Moses authorized. Every obligation is to be discharged so far as possible, even beyond what the law of the land requires.
Place in Sermon Teaching
Matthew 5:40 belongs to the Sermon on the Mount, in which Christ defines God's law and reveals its far-reaching claims. The law there set forth is not merely a cold code of commands and traditions, but a holy, just, and good standard of righteousness. Its claims must be taught with the spirit of the law in the heart, and its far-reaching principles must be impressed, because the state of the heart regulates life and character, and without this teaching labor is lost.
The verse is part of the pure gospel given upon the Mount that explains God's holy law and sets the holy standard of character and life. It requires loving God with the whole heart and loving one's neighbor as God requires. It is one of Christ's sayings to be believed and practiced, and living by the teachings in Matthew 5 develops Christlike character and sets divine principles in the heart. Matthew 5 gives Christ's clear, definite expression of His will to be dwelt upon often. Doing what it teaches brings the divine virtues into life constantly and enables knowing true doctrine by doing the will of God. Living it holds the standard high without spot or wrinkle, corrects gradual backsliding and existing evils in the church, and represents Christ the altogether lovely in words, attitude, and actions. It breaks up words that separate very friends by ending misapprehension, unkindness, retaliation, and propagating strife. This standard calls for following Jesus closely and letting God's Word shape and correct thoughts and conduct. It therefore forbids mingling human wisdom with the divine, confusing other minds about right and holy methods in business, unjustly acquiring means at the expense of another, diverting mission means from its true object to ambitious designs, and practicing any method to please lust for gain and power. Those who do such things prove they have not yet learned the holy law and its explanation on the Mount, and must repent and be converted, do works worthy of the name Christian, and receive a cleansing and purging of the soul temple.
The verse expresses the principles of Christ's kingdom of divine grace, not the earthly power and restored national glory many Jews expected. It is part of Christ's setting of His own greater and certain wisdom against the unstable words of men. The phrases They say and It has been said belong to the rabbinical schools of His day and corrupt the mind, and they are not to be accepted as exalted wisdom when certain wisdom from God is at command. The Sermon's teaching to which the verse belongs is truth spoken with God's own authority, yet simple enough for a child to study without being misled.
Christlike Life Without Retaliation
Christ calls for no answering of evil with defiance, resistance, revenge, violence, or abusive speech, but for meeting wrong and oppression with patience and kindness, yielding even beyond what law or oppression demands. When wronged, followers must not cherish revenge or let anger and resentment take root, and faultfinding and accusing others run contrary to this lesson. Righteous indignation at God's dishonor or the oppression of the innocent is distinct from personal bitterness and animosity, which must be banished. Jesus lived out the lesson in His own life by never retaliating against His enemies when insulted and persecuted, and the command opposed a spirit of revenge so directly that revengeful hearers murmured against it as a hard saying.
In situations of persecution followers are to avoid provoking further conflict and to seek another place to continue their work rather than encourage resistance, even when suffering unjust punishment. Learning and obeying the lesson rather than preferring one's own way forms Christlike character and sets divine principles in the heart. The sayings are to be believed and practiced, and living by them develops that character. Doing what is taught brings the divine virtues constantly into life and enables knowing true doctrine by doing the will of God, holding the standard high without spot or wrinkle and correcting gradual backsliding and existing evils in the church. The teaching is the standard for life and character calling followers to follow closely and let God's Word shape and correct thoughts and conduct.
The principle belongs to representing Christ's character through kind words, attitudes, and actions. It breaks up speech and behavior that divide friends, provoke retaliation, and spread strife, by ending misapprehension, unkindness, retaliation, and the propagating of strife. Faultfinding and accusing undermine the love and unity Christ desires among His followers.
The pure gospel given upon the mount explains God's holy law and sets the holy standard of character and life, requiring love to God with the whole heart and love to neighbor as God requires. It therefore forbids mingling human wisdom with the divine, confusing other minds about right and holy methods in business, unjustly acquiring means at the expense of another, diverting mission means from its true object to ambitious designs, and practicing any method to please lust for gain and power. Those who do such things prove they have not yet learned the holy law and must repent and be converted, do works worthy of the Christian name, and receive a cleansing and purging of the soul temple.