Jesus is not laying down hard and fast rules in this passage, but he is dealing with great principles. He knows the human race is prone to revenge and retaliation. He is instructing his followers to live differently from that standard of the world. He begins with the example of being slapped on the cheek. Not just the pain that comes with that, but the great insult that would have been. How does he say to respond? To turn the other cheek. Don’t retaliate actually, take it a step further and be ready to withstand another slap. Remember great principles not just rules. Jesus then envisages someone who goes through the legal means to take your tunic. Odd in our modern world, but a real situation in their day. He says even though they had an inalienable right to the cloak to voluntarily surrender it anyways. His third example is referring to the authority that a Roman soldier had to make someone carry the luggage of military personnel a prescribed distance. That prescribed distance was the Roman mile which was 4,854 feet. A great distance and Jesus wants the attitude not just to do what you have to do angrily, but cheerfully in a way that you would go another mile. His final example is all about generosity, not retaliation. To give and to give generously. Jesus in this section of the text is dealing with our hearts. Our actions flow out of the desires of our hearts. He wants the hearts of his people not to be filled with retaliation because there is a better righteousness for us.