Do Not Resist Evil in an Evil Way
- davidwperk
- Sep 24
- 7 min read
Daily Office Devotional, Wednesday, September 24, 2025
Proper 20, the week of the fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
The Rev. David W. Perkins,Th.D.
Key phrase for reflection from today’s Gospel reading:
38 ‘You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” 39But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. . . .48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
You will find the full text of today’s Gospel reading at the end of this reflection.
Daily Office Lectionary Readings (BCP, 984)
AM Psalm 119:97-120; PM Psalm 81, 82
2 Kings 6:1-23; 1 Cor. 5:9-6:8; Matt. 5:38-48
Ember Day
Today we celebrate the Feast of Anna Ellison Butler Alexander. (See below.)
David's Reflections
How do you respond when someone wrongs you, when they seek to coerce or control you? Jesus first cites the lex talionis from Hebrew Scripture, the law limiting retaliation. According to that law, one might only retaliate to the level of his or her injury, only one eye taken if one is lost, and so forth. The intent of that law was to limit the extent to which one could retaliate. Jesus takes its intent to its fullest expression by forbidding all retaliation. The concrete examples he gives come from cultural situations in his day. The key phrase is "Do not resist an evildoer." It could be rendered, "Do not resist in an evil way.” We do see Jesus resisting evil by casting out demons and by confronting the evil actions and attitudes of others; but, he does not resist in an evil way by answering evil with evil.
We miss the point if we literalize the four examples. The thrust of those examples is that we do not allow evil done to us to generate a similar response within us. Rather, we overcome the energy and power of the evil by a response that absorbs that energy with love so that the energy of the evil worked against us does not ricochet back against those responsible. We choose our response rather than allowing the actions of another to control us; we respond creatively rather than reacting.
Gandhi’s nonviolent protests in India and King's nonviolent civil rights movement give us two examples in our time of how that principle of nonretaliation can be expressed. Jesus provides the ultimate examples. We find his most overt teaching in passages like this in the Sermon. He embodied this teaching ultimately in his sufferings. He answered his tormentors with silence. On the cross in his prayer, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” He prayed for the forgiveness of those who crucified him. Like Jesus, Ghandi and King resisted evil, but not in an evil way.
Today’s Gospel presents the last two of six instances of fulfilling the law of love of neighbor (Matt. 5:21-48). The final one has to do also with our response to enemies. The tenor of the Hebrew Scripture is summed up in the phrase, "Love your neighbor and hate your enemy," although no text directly says hate your enemy (See Psalm 139 for one possible source of “hate your enemy.”). Jesus tells us we are to love our enemy in ways that express God's indiscriminate and unconditional love for us and for our enemies.
If God causes the rain to fall on the crops of the faithless as well as the faithful and allows the sun to shine on the crops of both, then we are to respond to others without regard to how they are treating us. We may not have a warm and chummy relationship with them, but we do not allow their ways of treating us to control our responses to them. We embody Jesus’ nontransactional way of loving.
That final line, "Be perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect," has been misread. Luke's version is, "Be merciful as your Father in heaven is merciful." The demand has to do with our being more fully whole and relating to people more fully out of God's wholeness and peace. Again, Jesus' ways of responding to adversaries and persecutors gives us concrete examples of what is possible for us as his brothers and sisters, in whom he lives and with whom he is constantly sharing his love.
By now, if your response to this resembles mine, you are shaking your head in dismay. Our ways of relating and responding usually are very much conditioned by the ways we are being treated. Perhaps our best course forward would be to examine our ways of responding in our relationships and our habitual ways of responding to the behaviors of the stranger. To the extent that we are allowing our behavior to be controlled by the way the other treats us we have discovered our challenge--to relate in a more unconditional way just as God relates unconditionally to us.
I am giving thanks that God does not allow the way I relate to God to control the ways God relates to me.
Collect of the Day, Proper 20. The fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (BCP, 234)
Today we celebrate the Feast of Anna Ellison Butler Alexander, deaconess and teacher (died 24 Sep 1945 CE).
Collect of the Feast of Anna Ellison Butler Alexander
Loving God, who called Anna Alexander as a deaconess in your church: Grant us the wisdom to teach the gospel of Christ to whomever we meet, by word and by example, that all may come to the enlightenment that you intend for your people; through Jesus Christ, our Teacher and Savior. Amen
This Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, we observe the Fall Ember Days (following Holy Cross Day, September 14. We observe Ember Days four times each year. In our tradition, we pray for all believers in their vocation, for God’s calling out of clergy, and for those preparing for ministry.
II. For the choice of fit persons for the ministry
O God, you led your holy apostles to ordain ministers in every place: Grant that your Church, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, may choose suitable persons for the ministry of Word and Sacrament, and may uphold them in their work for the extension of your kingdom; through him who is the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (BCP, 256-57)
A Collect for Grace
Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP, 100)
In Times of Personal Distress
Lord Christ, you came into the world as one of us, and suffered as we do. As we go through the trials of life, help us to realize that you are with us at all times and in all things; that we have no secrets from you; and that your loving grace enfolds us for eternity. In the security of your embrace we pray. Amen. (Enriching Our Worship: 2, p. 69)
A Prayer for Light
O Lord God Almighty, as you have taught us to call the evening, the morning, and the noonday one day; and have made the sun to know its going down: Dispel the darkness of our hearts, that by your brightness we may know you to be the true God and eternal light, living and reigning for ever and ever. Amen. (BCP, 110)
A Collect for Mission
Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. Amen. (BCP, 101)
Daily Office Gospel, Matthew 5:38-48
38 ‘You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” 39But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; 40and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; 41and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. 42Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.
43 ‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” 44But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. 46For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Daily Offices in The Book of Common Prayer
Morning Prayer, Rite 2, page 75, The Book of Common Prayer
Noonday Prayer, page 103, Book of Common Prayer
Order of Worship for Evening (Vespers), p 109, Book of Common Prayer
Evening Prayer, Rite 2, page 115, Book of Common Prayer
Compline (Night Prayer), page 127, Book of Common Prayer
Daily Devotionals, page 136, Book of Common Prayer
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