The second part of Matthew 5:38-42 talks about given one’s cloak to the guy who takes your tunic:
And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.
Giving Up Your Cloak: A Cultural View
Back in the day, the poor could get a money loan by giving up their tunic as collateral. One of the guide lines for such a loan in the Mosaic law said that the person giving the loan must return the loaner’s tunic each evening. These was because the tunic was used as a blanket during the night.
Now in Matthew 5, Jesus is speaking to mostly poor people – who where generally being oppressed by the rich. By telling the poor to give up their cloak (or underwear) as well as their tunic, Jesus was starting a civil rights movement.
Now the poor would be running around naked, officially shaming those who opposed them for their financial gain.
Are you starting to see a trend? It wasn’t like Jesus was telling the poor to role over and play dead. He was starting a nonviolent resistance movement!!!
um, isn’t the cloak an outer garment and the tunic the shirt?
What was he resisting / overthrowing? he is already picking the government leaders. I think he was educating his army. He’s not to worried about our civil governments, he’s building an army to fight the guy with horns and the first step is education. education that the other guy is not the enemy. The enemy isn’t flesh and blood…
They need to recruit the other guy and the fastest way to disarm someone is to give the guy your shirt, shoes, etc. He doesn’t know how to react to that.
on the other hand, had you beat him up… how likely is it that he would join your cause and became your shield mate?
… just a few random thoughts that resemble a rebuttal but in know way rebutts anyone. I figure natures provided one probably works well as intended.
lol, you smoken something good there.