Matthew 5:42

Turn not thou away (mh apostraph). Second aorist passive subjunctive in prohibition. "This is one of the clearest instances of the necessity of accepting the spirit and not the letter of the Lord's commands (see vv. Matthew 32 34 38 ). Not only does indiscriminate almsgiving do little but injury to society, but the words must embrace far more than almsgiving" (McNeile). Recall again that Jesus is a popular teacher and expects men to understand his paradoxes. In the organized charities of modern life we are in danger of letting the milk of human kindness dry up.