How great is the greatness of the heavenly philosophy, how great the power of the Christian warfare, the Lord taught today, saying thus: 'If anyone strike you on your right cheek, offer him the other also' (Matthew 5). He thinks this hard, who knows not how great are the rewards of patience. Do you suppose that one can find victory by wounds, who is not willing to acquire the crown by a blow of the palm? Can that man seek glory by death, to whom, in place of the divine honour, a human injury seems grievous? O man, are not the rudiments of your infancy composed by such precepts? Slaps are the blows of little children, not of grown men. Hence it is that the childhood of Christ is animated by light commands, so that with full strength the Gospel's youth may now approach to greater things;
so that he may rejoice to win by labours, penalties, and death what through infancy he could not acquire by small injuries. But that it may be approved that the things commanded are not hard, let the very series of the commandments be recounted. 'You have heard that it was said to them of old, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth; but I say to you, not to resist evil: but if anyone strike you on your right cheek, offer him the other also; and he who wishes to contend with you in judgment and to take away your tunic, let go to him your cloak also; and whoever will force you one mile, go with him another two' (Exodus 21; Deuteronomy).
'You have heard that it was said to them of old.' To what old ones? To the Jews, of course, whom malice had made old more than age had, whom the fury of vengeance held so covetous that for an eye they demanded a head, for a tooth a life. Hence it is that the Law restrained them to a reciprocity of vengeance, so that those who could not have the wisdom to pardon a fault might at least have the wisdom of a measure in retribution, and might exact only so much of vengeance as the force of the raging man had inflicted of injury. But this was for the old; but let us hear what the divine goodness commands us, who are renewed by grace. 'But I say to you.' To whom? To Christians, of course. 'Do not resist evil.'
When he says this, he wishes us not to repay vices with vices, but to overcome them with virtues, and while yet in the sparks to extinguish anger, which, if it comes to the whole conflagration of fury, is not appeased without blood. Wrath is conquered by gentleness, fury is extinguished by mildness, malice is soothed by goodness, credulity is laid low by piety, impatience is punished by patience, contention is overcome by kind words, humility overthrows pride. Therefore, brethren, whoever wishes to conquer vices, let him hold the arms of piety, not of fury. And although it may be plain to the wise man what it is that the Christian beginnings are trained by injuries:
yet because some do not understand that this is indeed of virtue, that this is the summit of goodness, the pinnacle of piety, that this is of divine philosophy, not human—not to resist evil, but to overcome evil with good, to bless the one who curses, to the one who strikes not to deny the licence of striking again, to the one who takes the tunic to yield the cloak, and to the one who seizes plunder to make it a largess, to the one who forces a mile to add one's own servitude for another two miles; so that the will may overcome necessity, piety impiety; and the virtue of the one suffering may accomplish what the force of the one compelling commands: therefore, although these things teach how the soldier of Christ is strengthened unto virtue by injuries, yet, that it may be more evident, let us inquire more deeply from what cause the precepts were given.
Brethren, where the disease of sins, the wickedness of vices, the frenzy of impiety poured itself into human minds, and extinguished whatever there was of knowledge, sense, and reason, it made the nations, scattered throughout the world in insane fury, flee God, follow demons, worship creatures, despise the Creator, desire vices, shudder at virtues, be driven by swords, rush upon wounds, perish alive by deaths. Whence men could not be healed otherwise, unless the heavenly physicians, armed with all piety and patience, should strive—physicians who would so endure the injuries of the frenzied labourers, bear their curses, sustain their blows, be torn by wounds, until they should lead them back to soberness of sense, to sincerity of spirit, to health of mind;
and thus bring it about that they should seek God, flee demons, feel their sicknesses, savour health, cast off vices, take up virtues, avoid wounds, shudder at bloodshed, refuse death, and desire life. And if you wish that what we have said may become more fully known, let us speak the examples of physicians of the flesh. Is it not so that, as often as the burning of choler has inflamed a wretched man, and, with fever dominating him, has rendered the sick man insane, his sense is disturbed, his mind perishes, ferocity approaches, humanity recedes, and, to be brief, though the man is dying, fury lives? Hence it is that he gnashes with his teeth, tears his parents, wounds his neighbours, strikes with his fist, acts with biting, and afflicts those who wait upon him. Then the physician, for the praise of virtue, for the glory of his art, for the increase of his fame, arms himself with patience:
he takes up forbearance, despises injuries, endures bites, bears labours, and suffers no light penalties, that he may free the labouring man from his pain; he cherishes him with oil, presses on with cares, dispenses medicine, sure that the sick man will repay the wage of honour to his services once he has recovered his health. I ask, what greater frenzy, what heavier force of fury, what equal madness is there than to strike the cheek of a holy man? To beat the face of a gentle brother? To suffuse the grace of a placid countenance with a sad bruise? To strip a man of the sole garment by which he is covered? And, for the sake of vile plunder, to leave nothing to God, nothing to man, nothing to nature, nothing to modesty? To force a man occupied with his own affairs? And to reckon another's penalty one's own solace?
Therefore, brethren, if we have recognized that those who perpetrate such things are labouring under a most grievous frenzy, let us obey Christ, and with the whole virtue of piety bear the bites, blows, and burdens of our frenzied brethren, that we may both free our brethren from punishment, and ourselves attain the eternal reward of patience. Nor let the servant disdain to accept from his fellow servants what the Lord deigned graciously to accept from servants and for servants: he did not refuse his face to the palms; to the one taking his tunic and cloak he yielded even his body; the one forcing him to labour, grateful and willing, he followed even unto death. Therefore, brethren, if the Lord judged it worthy to suffer, how does it seem unworthy that a servant should suffer? We err, we err, brethren; he who does not do what the Lord commanded, hopes in vain that the Lord will give what he promised.