Turning The Other Cheek

Turning The Other Cheek

What did Jesus mean when he instructed followers to turn the other cheek ?

Welcome to Prayer Closet Images the home of Joan Dance Paintings where on today we have for your viewing enjoyment the image, “Picasso”. In the image we see a painting in the style of the artist Picasso’s works. The image has the feature of having a cheek to turn. In today’s discussion we’re focused on the command of Jesus to, “Turn The Other Cheek”. The colors are bright and vivid and the style is crisp and clear. The subject of this article should be clear as well, and without further ado we dive into the material which represents the subject of “Turning The Other Cheek”.

I have heard this saying of Jesus for all of my life, and it has always seemed to be a thing that on the surface sounded like the Godly thing to do, yet it always seemed to be too much for an unenlightened human to be able to do while involved in the situation. It would seem that we would lapse into the way of the world and when struck, we would instinctively strike back. I have thought that I would have the wherewithal to follow the teachings of Jesus if I could but take myself out of the situation and place myself in obedience to Jesus. To understand the command on today, we have to go back to the day that it originated and examine the context of the command.

To understand the context of the teaching we have to understand how things were in Israel at the time that Jesus taught this teaching. Israel was under Roman Rule, and if the Romans asked a thing of the subjugated Israelite they had to do as they were directed. If they did not, then the angered Roman would often strike them with their right-hand, back handed. This resulted in the offender being struck on his right cheek. This was extremely embarrassing to the recipient of the strike. There were laws in place then, that charged double the penalty for violence from a strike that was back handed, and landed on the right side of the face, since the back-handed strike was more offensive.

Jesus directed that the striker turn the other cheek so then the striker would have to use the front of his hand to strike the offender and the resulting strike would be an open palmed strike that would land on the left side of the face that was to them a strike of an equal and not as if striking an inferior. Jesus directed that, when his followers were humiliated in public, they respond with silence, indicating non-compliance with the humiliating treatment, this would allow the Lord God to intervene on behalf of the offended party that was a servant of God Almighty.

Jesus would have us to overcome evil with good. To resist evil with the same constructs that evil uses is for us to buy into evil and to be evil doers ourselves. We are directed to allow God to take care of the evil doer and not to handle the evil doer. He would have us to point the evil doer to Him and allow Him to set right the evil doer by allowing the evil doer to change himself to a doer of good. In that way we overcome evil with good.

Resist Not Evil

To resist not evil is to offer no resistance when humiliated but to remain in silence. Silence is the response that says that I will not respond to the humiliation that has been placed upon me, because I do not deserve the humiliation. The response of turning the other cheek says the act was wrong to do and God will repay the deliverer in God’s way.

Repentance Is Necessary Daily

Repentance is an act of turning away from sin and of turning to the Lord. In turning the other cheek the recipient of the insult is in essence remaining silent and giving the Lord the action of vengeance. Vengeance is mine says the Lord.

Giving cheek is the act that beacons the Lord God to enter the situation, and when the Lord God enters the situation, the perpetrator will receive correction for his offense.

Therefore, when we are insulted for no good reason we are to be silent and allow the Lord God to take care of the situation and the Lord always takes care of the situation in the most excellent way. Watch closely for the Lord God’s response. It has been said that the Lord works through people, allow the people to know that you are allowing the Lord God to take control as directed by Jesus Himself.

We must repent daily and turn back to God from the daily situations that take us from focusing upon Godly things. It has been said that the essence of repentance is that when one hears himself being insulted, that he does not react to the insult but he remains silent and allows the Lord to handle the offense.

Humiliation Management

The slap is a situation where you have been humiliated and by turning the other cheek you allow the Lord God to handle the situation. This will result in the Lord handling the situation, and He will absolutely handle the situation.
The silent waiting means that you will not react by defending yourself but you do as you have been instructed, and allow the Lord God to handle the situation.

Our response to being humiliated should not be to react or take revenge but to wait silently and look forward to vindication from God.

Conclusion

To clearly understand what is going on here we have had to look in context at the command of Jesus to turn the other cheek, and because the concept is not coming from our culture but the culture of the first century Israel then we have had to go the first century Israel to clearly see exactly what was taking place in the culture.

The bottom line is that we are being directed to allow the Lord God to handle situations of false humiliation. If the humiliation is justified then God will not handle it, but if we are not worthy of the humiliation then we are not to seek vengeance ourselves but instead to allow God to avenge us as children of God.

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