Turn The
Other Cheek
By Russ
Kujawski
11/24/17
This study is
based on the Matt 5:39 But I say to you, do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right
cheek, turn to him the other also. Does this mean we shouldn’t defend
ourselves or that we as Christians should be pacifist? This passage comes from
Matt 5:1-48 known as the Sermon on the Mount. In that message Jesus spoke on
several topics.
·
The
Beatitudes Blessed are
·
Salt
and Light
·
Christ
Came to Fulfill the Law
·
Anger
·
Lust
·
Divorce
·
Oaths
·
Retaliation
{this topic of study}
·
Love
Your Enemies
Before I try and
answer this question about turning the other cheek lets see if any of these
other topics interlink or connect.
The Beatitudes
·
Matt
5: 5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are the meek. What’s meant by meek? The
Greek word is praÿs means:
mildness of disposition, gentleness of
spirit, meekness. (by
implication) humble:
It doesn’t say
weakness it’s talking of character. In case some want to say it’s weakness then
let’s look at Jesus as our example for this so-called weakness thought. Jesus
cleared the temple on two separate occasions. The first time is mentioned in
John 2 it was after the wedding feast in Cana of Galilee where Jesus performed
the first recorded miracle (John2:1-11). Then Jesus went down to Capernaum
Stayed there a few days, as the Passover approached Jesus went to the temple.
John2:13-17 tells us what happened. This event is only recorded in John and not
in the other Gospels.
First Event of
Temple clearing
John2: 13 The
Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In
the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the
money-changers sitting there. 15 And
making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep
and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned
their tables. 16 And he told those who sold the
pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of
trade.” 17 His disciples remembered that it was
written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
The second time
Jesus clears the temple is recorded in Matthew, Mark, and Luke but not in John.
Its recorded after Jesus triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Matt 21:1-11
approximately 3 years after the first cleansing. Jesus enters Jerusalem and the
people lay their clocks and branches on the road and shout “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the
name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”
Matt 21:12
12 And
Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the
temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats
of those who sold pigeons. 13 He said to
them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’
but you make it a den of robbers.”
What do these
verses show about Jesus’s weakness? …….. That he wasn’t weak. What does Jesus
say about his own meekness?
Matt 11:29-28
28 Come to me, all
who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon
you, and learn from me, for I am gentle
and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Other translations
use
·
KJV, NKJV: “meek and lowly in heart”
·
NLT: “humble and gentle at heart”
·
NIV, NASB: “gentle and humble”
·
CSB:” lowly and humble in heart”
·
ASV:” meek and lowly in heart”
Meek,
humble, lowly, and gentle these are all synominis with each other it’s a
characteristic of a person it’s a characteristic of Jesus. Like the moon
reflects the sun, we are to reflect the characteristics of the Son {Jesus the
son of God} not only his meekness but his, strengths also his zeal, his
boldness, his compassion, his love. The list could go on and on. What we can
see is meekness IS NOT WEAKNESS!! When
I start speaking on turning the other cheek I’ll tie meekness and the following
topics in then.
Merciful
Mat
5:7“Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall receive mercy.
Mercy
it’s something we as Christians should practice it’s one of the characteristics
of Jesus it’s what God shows us. God is the God of mercies 2Co 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, as a bible
believing Christian we have removed the old self the old nature and have put on
the new self the new nature that is being made in the knowledge of our creator
Jesus (Colossians3:9-10). As we grow in the knowledge, and become more like the
image of Jesus, we reflect his characteristics as mentioned above we show mercy
to others and in return God shows mercy to us. Proverbs 19:17 Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the
Lord, and he will repay him for his
deed. If I may russaphrase this “whoever shows mercy to those in need,
God will give back to you for the mercy you have shown.”
Acts
of Mercy
Matthew
25:34-40
34
Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my
Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
35 For I was hungry and you gave me
food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed
me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in
prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him,
saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you
drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and
clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And
the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I
say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it
to me.’
Mercy
and compassion are very closely related I don’t think you can have mercy
without having compassion nor can you have compassion without having mercy.
Peacemakers
Mat
5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called sons of God.
Interesting
the word “peacemakers” only appears once in all the best translations (James
3:18 the NIV substitutes peacemakers for righteousness. NIV is not in the list
of best translations) Verses about peace
·
Colo 3: 15” Let the peace of
Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to
peace. And be thankful.” Prior
to this verse it speaks of being Chosen, Holy, compassionate hearts, kindness,
humility, meekness, patience, forgiving one another as God has forgiven, above
all love which binds everything together in harmony. In this section of
scripture, the context is speaking of fellow believers in Christ, followers of
Christ. As Christians we are to make peace with each other. When there is true
forgiveness amongst followers, then peace is made you are a peacemaker.
·
Hebrews 12: 14 “Make every effort to live
in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the
Lord.” In verse 12 it starts with “therefore” looking
at the verses it speaks a lot about discipline.
·
Hebrews 12:10 For they {earthly fathers}
disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he{God}
disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11 For the
moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it
yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by
it. Can you be a true
peacemaker if you don’t have righteousness. {I’ll be doing a in-depth study of
Hebrews 12 later}
·
Speaking
of righteousness and peace. James 3:” And a harvest of righteousness is sown in
peace by those who make peace.”
Being trained in the peaceful fruit of righteousness, sowing peace in
righteousness you will reap a harvest as a peacemaker. Blessed are the
peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God.
Salt
and Light
Matt
5: 13 “You are the salt of the earth,
but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no
longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's
feet. 14 “You are the light of the
world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a
lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in
the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they
may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
From
Christianity.com on Salt and Light
·
Salt,
has vital purpose which is probably what the Lord had in mind-it stops decay.
When Jesus said, "You are the salt of the earth", He meant that all
of His disciples were to serve as preservatives,
stopping the moral decay in our sin infected world. The disciples would
have been intimately familiar with this function of salt. Without
refrigeration, the fish that they caught would quickly spoil and rot unless
they were packed in salt. Once salted, the fish could be safely stored and then
used when needed. The spiritual health and strength of the Christian is to
counteract the corruption that is in the world. Christians, as salt, are to inhibit sin's power to destroy lives.
This in turn creates opportunity for the gospel to be proclaimed and received.
·
We
have been given a wonderful privilege to be the salt of the earth, but Jesus
gave us a warning. The second half of Matthew 5:13 states: "But if salt
loses its taste, how would its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for
anything, except to be thrown out and trodden underfoot by men". Jesus did
not say that we can lose our salvation; He said that we can lose our saltiness.
When salt is contaminated it becomes corrosive and poisonous, so it has to be
thrown on the road. If we have allowed disobedience, carelessness and
indifference to rule our lives, we have become contaminated salt and have lost
our saltiness. We need to confess our
sin and let the Lord restore us to the purpose for which we were called.
Light
·
In
Matthew 5:14, Jesus tells His disciples, "You are the light of the
world". As "salt", the Christian is to counteract the power of
sin. As "light" we are to
illuminate or make visible. Our lives are to be an on-going witness to the
reality of Christ's presence in our lives. When we worship God with
pure hearts, when we love others as ourselves, and when we do good without
growing weary, we are lights shining. It is important, however to know that it
is not our light, but the reflection
of the Light of the world, Jesus Christ Himself, that people will see in us.
·
In
Philippians 2:15, the apostle Paul says, "Believers, you are to shine as
light in the world". The Greek word used here is very similar to the word
for the beacon that a lighthouse emits.
That beacon is bright and unmistakable in its purpose. It warns of danger. It directs to
safe harbor. It provides hope
for those who have lost hope. Every day we are surrounded by people
groping around in the darkness, separated from the God who loves them. God uses
His children, like beacons from a lighthouse, to show the way to Him.
·
Either
we are "salt" and "light" by the grace of God, or we are
willfully disobeying the One who saved us for such a time as this. If we are being "salt" and
"light" then we can expect fruit from our faithfulness.
Anger
·
Matt
5: 21 “You have heard that it
was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be
liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to
you that everyone who is angry with his brother[c] will be liable to judgment; whoever
insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You
fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.
Foot
Note:
[C]
Some manuscripts insert without cause
Side
note to foot note: KJV, NKJV, YLT, DBY, HNB, say “without cause” and the
Geneva 1599 use’s “unadvisedly”.
Although I’m not a fan of some of these translations I do feel that the phrase
“without cause” is indeed appropriate to be in scripture. Without that phrase
it sounds like all anger is wrong. If the anger is justifiable or
non-justifiable is what needs to be determined, then it can be determined if
it’s liable for judgment. I like how the Complete Jewish Bible puts Matt 5:22 But I tell you that anyone who nurses anger against his brother
will be subject to judgment.
Sounds like to me if anyone continues to feed
anger (nurses anger) towards his brother will be subject to judgement. In the
ESV the word anger appears 94 times and the word angry appears 269 times. A lot
is said about anger. Here are a few verses about anger.
·
Eph
4:26-27
“26 Be angry and do not sin; do not
let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the
devil.”
This
verse is under the subtitle “The New Life” in the ESV prior to this verse
scripture talks about not walking as the gentiles do, putting away worldly
practices, taking off the old self v 22{old nature} and putting on the new self
v24 {new nature} created in the likeness of God. V25 the word “therefore” indicates because of
everything before this verse put away false hood, speak truth, we are members
one of another. V26 “be angry and do not sin”.
If all anger is sin, then how can you be angry and not sin? The anger
needs to be justifiable. With your anger justifiable and you don’t deal with it
be fore you go to bed. The results of not can be devastating. V27 and give no opportunity to the devil.
Justifiable anger can turn into non-justifiable anger when allowed to fester,
when that happens you give the devil an opportunity, a place to make his stand
against you.
·
Mark 3: 5 And he looked around at them
with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man,
“Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. Jesus was angry with the Pharisees not
only angry but grieved. At their harness of heart. Wanting to trap him for
doing good on the Sabbath. Pharisees practiced righteousness externally - they
were more concerned with the outward appearance than the inward feeling.
They were a group that held to the
immortality of the soul, the resurrection of the dead, and punishment in future
life. They believed that punishment was based upon how one behaved in this life.
Not all anger is sin, it’s how you deal with the anger that may or may not be
sin.
Love
Your Enemies
·
Matt
5:43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate
your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you,” Love your enemies and pray for those who
persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in
heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain
on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what
reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you
greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the
Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly
Father is perfect.
Just
going to touch on verse 44 how do you show love to your enemies? By praying for
them. Jesus prayed for all those whom were given to him for they are the
fathers{God}
·
John 17:9 I am praying for them. I am not
praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are
yours.
·
Mat 19:13 “Then children were brought to
him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked
the people”, Jesus didn’t
pray for the world in this case in John 17:9 yet in Luke 23:34 Jesus did pray "Father, forgive them, for they do
not know what they are doing." Those who were crucifying him are
his enemies and he prayed for them to be forgiven. We should be doing the same.
By praying for our enemies, we are showing love to are enemies.
Going
thru all these different subjects in the sermon on the mount, how do they tie
in to “turning the other check.”
·
Meekness:
by not responding in kind to the slap on the cheek isn’t showing weakness as
much as it’s showing a gentle spirt as Christians we are to be self-controlled
via the spirit.
·
Mercy:
by not responding in kind, slap for slap you are showing mercy. With holding
what is probably deserved.
·
Peacemaker:
by not responding in kind you are defusing the situation and making peace of
sorts.
·
Salt:
by not responding you are spreading the preservative, keeping the situation from
getting worse.
·
Light:
by not responding you are shining the beacon of light for waring of the danger
to follow by responding
·
Anger:
by not responding you are not letting the situation become an unjust anger on
your part.
·
Love
you enemies: by not responding your showing a love for your enemy.
1
Cor 13 is known as the Love chapter verse 13
So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these
is love. With out Love there is no way you can turn the other cheek.
All
this said just to try and clarify what does it mean to “turn the other cheek.”
“But
whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.”
Before
I look at what this verse say’s, let see what it doesn’t say.
·
Are we
as Christians suppose to be pacifist? No
is the correct answer. Look at the answer John give the soldiers in Luke 3:
14 Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And
he said to them, “Do not extort money
from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”
In
the context of this verse John is baptizing out in the wilderness, Crowds were
coming to him to be baptized and they were asking what they needed to do. In
the crowds are various people types including tax collectors and soldiers. He told
the crowds to share what they have. “if you have 2 and someone has non-give
them one of your two”. To tax collectors he said, “collect no more than what
your authorized to collect” to the soldier he said, “do not extort money from
the people, be content with what you have”. Notice he didn’t tell the crowds to
keep all they have and not help others, he didn’t tell the tax collector to
stop collecting taxes, and he didn’t tell the soldier to stop serving in the
military. The military is vital to the security of any country.
How about Jesus’s
response to Pilate in John 18:36?
·
Jesus
answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my
servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to
the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” When Jesus says that if
his kingdom were of this world his servants would be fighting, he implies that
it is right for kingdoms of this world to fight when the cause is just, and
circumstances require it, when
necessary to counter evil and destruction.
What’s
Scripture say about self-defense?
·
John 2: 15 And making a whip of
cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he
poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. Jesus made a weapon when he cleared the
temple in the book of John. A whip is considered a self-defense weapon. Jesus
had a whip to defend himself as he chased out the temple slim. He was draining
the swamp.
Side note: the temple clearing
in Matthew Luke and Mark do not mention any weapons. These are also two
different events. As shown in the part about Meekness above.
·
Luke 22: 36 He said to them, “But now
let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the
one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one.
Un
like the first time Jesus sent his disciples out in Mark 6: 7” And he called the twelve and began to
send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8
He charged them to take nothing for
their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts—” but
in Luke he tells them to arm themselves and take a money bag. Why a sword for
self-defense, it’s not to long after this that Jesus will be delivered up to Pilate
and crucified. If I’m understanding the
Greek right the word for sword means a large knife or small dagger something
that is cancelable yet readably accessible. There are many verses on defending
yourself, your family, and your country. Exodus 22 has a lot to say about
self-defense.
You
can see that turn the other cheek doesn’t mean you should be a pacifist, nor
does it mean don’t defend yourself. What does turn the other cheek mean.
But I say to you, do not resist
the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps
you on the right cheek, turn
to him the other also.
·
Ok so
here are some key points in this verse.
Do not resist the one who is evil. We resist the devil that goes without
saying That’s basically what the armor of God is for. But why does it say “don’t
resist?” Let’s look at the rest of the verse.
·
But if
anyone SLAPS you on the RIGHT cheek turn to him the
other also. These two words are key to understanding this verse. In speaking
with my pastor and a little research it is clear that this is not talking about
defending yourself when someone assaults you or invades your home as I
mentioned above. What is clear is this is an INSULT. This is a
righthanded backhand across the right cheek. This was considered a grave
insult. Nothing more. We are not to respond to insults with insults. We don’t resist
evil by not responding insult for insult. 1 Peter 3: Do
not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary,
bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. The Greek word for reviling is loidoria it
means: insult, reviling. Here is how the NASB puts it: not
returning evil for evil or insult for
insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very
purpose that you might inherit a blessing. What does Matt 5:11 say ““Blessed
are you when people insult you
and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.”
(NASB) You may not feel blessed at the time, but you are.
·
Proverbs 12: The
vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent ignores an insult.
Final
Thoughts:
I
went through some of the sermon on the mount. I picked those verses because I
believe they show Christ character, Meek,
Merciful, Peacemaker, Salt and Light, Love your enemies, and yes Anger. Because
we are in the image of Christ as a Christian how we respond to different
situations reflect Christ in us. By turning the other cheek, we are showing the
various characteristics in us that we as Christians share with Christ. We as Bible
believing Christians don’t need to respond evil for evil or insult for insult.
I’m preaching to the choir here I myself will make an intentional effort to not
respond in a manner that does not reflect who I’m am in Christ. There is a
program out there called “Intentional Living” my question to you are you being
intentional?
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