Was Jesus exaggerating or did he mean what he said? To the person who strikes you on one cheek,
offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. It is hard to imagine how we could operate in a hostile world following those injunctions. Should the bullies get their way? Riding the “L” would quickly empoverish anyone who “gave to everyone who asks.” Perhaps the key to the message is the golden rule: Do to others as you would have them do to you. I would want others to help me to grow, to get over my selfishness, to learn how my actions impact others. If I were acting out of self-interest I would hope that someone would call me on it. Let us take the words of Jesus as a challenge to create a world a greater compassion and generosity.
