Nonviolence & Nonresistance in the Sermon on the Mount Fulfilled in Jesus Passion
The calls to non-violence in the Sermon on the Mount are especially striking, and they prepare us for examples of behavior during the events surrounding Jesus’ crucifixion. Look at the following parallels between Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount teaching and the crucifixion scenes.
| Sermon on the Mount (NIV) | Crucifixion parallels (NIV) |
| If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. (Matt 5:39) | Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him and said, “Prophesy to us, Messiah. Who hit you?” (Matt 26:67-68) |
| If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. (Matt 5:40) | They stripped him … When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. (Matt 27:28, 35) |
| If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. (Matt 5:41) | They met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. (Matt 27:32) |
Source: O. Wesley Allen, Jr., Matthew, 2013, p. 71.
Jesus’ commands are difficult, but he has already demonstrated them for us in the most difficult of moments. Whatever relationship Simon of Cyrene may have had with Jesus before the crucifixion, he is partnered with Jesus in the crucial moment and shows us the gravity of what it can mean to walk a mile for another.
The Sermon on the Mount may appear out of touch or unrealistic, but in the crucifixion we see that this sermon is meant for the real world and that no one knows better than Jesus himself the enormous burden of non-violence and following his commands.
From: Bible Journey, Study 4: The Gospels, Course 5: The Gospel of Matthew, Lesson 3: Jesus and Torah, In Front | Nonviolence & Nonresistance in the Sermon on the Mount Fulfilled in Jesus Passion [Bonus]