We continue Jesus' interpretations of some commands of the Mosaic Law as he pushes that law to a higher level of understanding. "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" is not, as it may seem to be saying, an encouragement to take revenge. It is part of Jewish law which said that retaliation should not be more than that of the attacker. Jesus calls for a very different kind of response. He tells us to offer the "wicked man" no resistance. He makes the famous recommendation to turn the other cheek. Is it to be taken literally? Are we really to allow people to walk over us and offer no resistance at all? For many in our "macho" world, turning the other cheek seems the ultimate in weakness and cowardice. But it is what Jesus did. During his trial they spat in his face and hit him. What was Jesus' response? Silence. This was turning the other cheek. In another account of Jesus' trial, he replied, 'If there is something wrong in what I said, point it out; but if there is no offence in it, why do you strike me?' Jesus is not a victim in either case; he is in control. And this is true of the whole experience of the passion. The way of active (not passive) non-violence is, in the long run, far more productive, far more in keeping with human ideals and human dignity. The example of Jesus has been followed by a number of outstanding people in our own time like Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and many others. Turning the other cheek requires great inner strength, self-respect and even respect for the dignity of one's attacker.