But I say unto you, That you resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also.
All Commentaries on Matthew 5:39 Go To Matthew 5
John Chrysostom
AD 407
For this reason Jesus has also added, “But I say to you, do not resist the evil one.” He did not say “do not resist your brother” but “the evil one”! We are authorized to dare to act in the presence of evil through Christ’s influence. In this way he relaxes and secretly removes most of our anger against the aggressor by transferring the censure to another. “What then?” one asks. “Should we not resist the evil one at all?” Indeed we should, but not in this way. Rather, as Jesus has commanded, we resist by surrendering ourselves to suffer wrongfully. In this way you shall prevail over him. For one fire is not quenched by another, but fire by water. The Gospel of Matthew, Homily
