Turn the other cheek

In Matthew 5:39, Jesus makes the statement, "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."

It is hard to imagine anyone not hearing about the unusual event that took place during the Oscars last Sunday. Chris Rock made a joke at the expense of Jada Pinkett Smith. When Will Smith noticed his wife's disapproval, he walked up onto the stage, slapped Chris Rock violently across his left cheek, then returned to his seat. Rock was dumbfounded, and as he began to comment, Smith started yelling obscenities instructing Rock to stop speaking about his wife.

I am not a fan of awards shows. As a middle-class person, I wonder if the Hollywood elites, and celebrity athletes realize how out of touch they have become. While most of us cannot relate to their abundant wealth and privilege, as a Christian, we have spiritual blessings and treasures in heaven. Are there times when we forget who we are and where we are? The flesh reveals itself in an outburst of anger that feels justified, but afterwards leaves us ashamed, embarrassed, and filled with regret.

Have you ever felt like fighting for your family's honor? How should Christians handle someone who offends your spouse, or uses vulgar language in front of your child? What should we do if someone breaks into our home in the middle of the night? Is it "turning the other cheek" if we defend ourselves or others?

Years ago, I was teaching a group of pastors in El Salvador. We were discussing Nehemiah and how he rebuilt the wall around the city of Jerusalem. He instructed the workers to repair the section of wall closest to their homes. We read that they, figuratively, had a tool in one hand and a weapon in the other. The idea was that they were determined to build the wall and protect their families at the same time. No one was going to stop them.

To my dismay, most of the pastors were upset by the lesson and expressed that they were passivists. They claimed the only thing a Christian can do if someone wants to kill them, or their family is to allow it to happen. Many of them have lived through warfare and experienced much violence. One of the pastors, who happened to be a fellow police chaplain, came over to encourage me. He agreed that Christians should defend themselves.

There is an article entitled, "What Christians Get Wrong about 'Turn the Other Cheek,'" on Christianity.com. Ashley Hooker tells us that the biblical concept of turning the other cheek is more complex than many people realize.

She wrote, "As Christians, we are going to face persecution. We may even get a slap in the face. What this verse tells us is that we are not to get revenge. We are not appointed to punish the people who wrong us. We are to love them and let God do with them what He will. God has the sole power to punish people who sin, not us."

Hooker makes a distinction between retaliation and revenge. She continues, "We are to stand up for ourselves. We should stand up for others that are hurting. Retaliation is needed at times, but our retaliation should not take the form of revenge. Christians can question those who wrong them. We should practice self-protection without a desire for personal revenge."

Galatians 5:22-23 sets a high bar for our behavior, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

James 1:19, "Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God." Giving into our anger can do irreparable damage to our reputation.