In Matthew 5:40-42, Jesus gave some commands that may seem a little hard to swallow. He said, “If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.” As Christians, we must obey the commands of our Lord Jesus. So, does Jesus expect us to let people take advantage of us? To answer this question, we need to understand the context of these commands.
The first command is regarding a legal matter. Jesus uses the conditional phrase, “If anyone wants to sue you…” It is clear that the only area this command applies to is in legal matters. So, how do we apply it? Christians should not be involved in lawsuits over petty things. It is much harder to mend a relationship after a lawsuit than it is to buy a new tunic.
The second command (we summarize as, “Going the extra mile”) refers to a Roman law which compelled subjects to transport men on a mission for the government. It was known that many Romans often took advantage of this law. Therefore, this command is to be applied in regard to responding to government abuse. Those who abuse their authority have souls, too. If we insist on exercising our rights, we may miss an opportunity to show them the love of Christ. As Paul said in Romans 12:20, “…for in so doing, you will heap coals of fire on his head.”
The third command, “Give to him who asks you…” may be the hardest to accept. In this case, there is no special context in view. This command applies generally. So, how do we apply this command to our lives? Do we have to give liberally to whoever asks of us without exception?
Jesus is very clear here that Christians need to give feely just like He gave freely. So, can we look to Jesus’ life and see how He gave? He said in John 14:14, “If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” But, does Jesus give us everything that we ask? When Paul asked Jesus that his thorn in the flesh be taken away, Jesus did not remove it (2 Cor. 12:7-9). Jesus regulates His giving based on His wisdom and responsibilities. So, our giving must also be regulated in the same way.
Each of us has a responsibility to provide for his family (1 Tim. 5:8). Each of us has a responsibility to work as he is able (2 Thess. 3:10). But, we also cannot refuse to give in retaliation (Deut. 15:8-10). Jesus wants us to exercise wisdom. Giving does not always help; sometimes it hurts. A drug addict is not helped when they get money for their next fix. And, we do not help by giving to those looking to take advantage.