Commentaries:
Jesus shows that retaliation intensifies and continues an evil and that the retaliator can be consumed by it. He acknowledges that He had the power to retaliate, but He held His peace, giving us the example to follow. Verse 54 explains that if He had retaliated, God's will would not have been done!
The spirit of retaliation must be aborted before it leads to murder. We should approach it in the manner Jesus exemplifies here. We must make an honest and sincere attempt to reconcile with an offended brother. If the person truly is a brother, he will forgive quickly and go on with life without a grudge (Luke 17:1-4).
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Sixth Commandment (Part One) (1997)
Other commentary entries containing this verse:
Matthew 5:43-44
Luke 22:35-38
John 18:36
Romans 12:19-21
Colossians 2:6-10