Turn the other cheek

Luke 6:29 (NLT)

“If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also.  If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also.”

In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7 and Luke 6:20-49) Jesus gave many commandments like the ones above that must have floored His listeners just like they floor us today.  Imagine being told to turn your other cheek, to give your shirt in addition to your coat, to love your enemies, to do good to those who hate you, to bless those who curse you, to pray for those who mistreat you, to give and expect nothing in return, and to go the extra mile for anyone who asks?  Our human nature simply responds, “No way, Jose!”  

In fact, think about your whole life…….when have you followed these commandments?  When have you responded like this when someone has offended you or, worse, actually hurt you?  When have you gone the extra mile for someone?  When have you given without ever expecting something in return?  For readers who are non-believers or relatively new believers, your honest answers likely are “never”.  For readers who have been Christians for awhile and grown in Christ, you probably have one or more examples where you have followed these difficult teachings.  However, it is the very rare Christian who can honestly affirm that you have obeyed all of these commandments, that there are examples where you have turned your other cheek, where you have done good to others who you know hate you, and you have prayed and helped those who have cursed you. 

It takes time to mature as a Christian and it takes much prayer and a strong foundation in the Word to follow these commandments of our Lord.  We also need human examples whom we have witnessed exemplify these ultimate Christlike behaviors in everyday life.  Do you have such examples in your life?

I like what John Eldridge wrote in his book Wild at Heart that this passage does not apply to being bullied.  He told his 6-year old son who had been bullied by a bigger kid that the next time that kid acted like a bully that his son should hit him as hard as he could.  Why?  Because to turn the other cheek requires inner strength as an adult.  If a child allows people to bully him, he will never develop inner strength, he will never love himself, he will never be in a position where he can choose to turn his cheek rather than retaliate knowing that he could be superior.     

Jesus used these examples to contrast the Kingdom of God versus life on earth.  The Kingdom of God is vastly different than earthly behavior.  The Kingdom of God is filled with grace and mercy and love whereas life on earth is filled with lust and pride and selfishness. 

However, this does not mean that you are to ignore these commandments of Jesus.  Jesus concluded these statements in Matthew with the following charge in 5:48—“You are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect”.  How?  You know you cannot be perfect.  Yet the word translated as perfect really means to be mature.  You cannot be flawless, but you can grow up, you can become complete in Christ, you can become who God meant you to be.  It’s a growing up process that you must participate in every day of the rest of your life.  Depending on Christ, through His Holy Spirit in you, will enable you to slowly but surely remove all of the imperfections of your life and fulfill His will for you.