“If you are slapped on the right cheek, turn the other, too.” Matthew 5:39 NLT
“Getting even is never as satisfying as you felt it would be.”
My thoughts today are that “you can do better.”
Have you ever been slapped? How did that “turning the other cheek” go with you? Not a very pleasant personal experience, I would imagine. I am not sure what my immediate reaction would be, depending on who slapped me and why.
Is there anything more embarrassing and distressing than to be slapped? Anyone’s natural reaction to experiencing such shocking behavior is understandable, but Jesus presents a better but tougher choice – “turn the other cheek, give more than required, go the second mile.” Is that your first thought, or even the last one? Was Jesus so out of touch with such natural feelings?
Are you required to do this? No, but isn’t it better to please God than satisfy yourself. Jesus was addressing Jewish people who were required by law to comply with a Roman soldier’s demand of them. Read Matthew 5:38-41 NLT. They could do the minimum required while resenting having to do so, or they could choose to do better. The context for Jesus’ words in today’s verse is about the requirements of law, doing what you have to do, and the gracious restraints of grace, doing what you can choose to do. Which do you think works out better?
The issue seems to be more about processing insult than defending from injury. For a right-handed person to slap a person on the right cheek would require the use of the back of their hand. The back of one’s hand suggests reasoned disrespect even more than momentary, emotional anger. They meant to insult and anger you more than do you physical harm. Insult is a hard thing to take quietly.
As always, Jesus is your shining example. “Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His footsteps. He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth. When they hurled their insults at Him, he did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.” 1 Peter 2:19-25 NIV.
Here are a few observations I would make about reactions. It is rarely beneficial to escalate an already emotionally charged incident. Nobody wins; everybody loses when that happens. The old “eye for an eye,” and slap for a slap, doesn’t often end well for anyone. Read Romans 12:17-18 NLT. Your most profitable thing to do is quickly taking an emotional timeout to consider a better and wiser response. Maybe you have heard the saying, “Act in haste; repent at leisure.” If you don’t take a quick timeout before speaking or returning force for force as you feel like doing, you will spend plenty of time later with regrets. Read Hebrews 12:14-15 NIV. Getting even is never as satisfying as you felt it would be!
Finally, examine your heart before the Lord as to whether another’s behavior, though extreme, is at all warranted by something you may have said or done. If that were true, you have forfeited the right to react. If you have not, do you have the grace to forego treating them as they have treated you? Jesus’ advice is, “Don’t let evil get the best of you, but conquer evil by doing good.” Romans 12:16-17/21 NIV. You can do better. Life is always better when you choose to do so.
My prayer for you is: choose the maximum good you can do, not the minimum allowed.