Turning the Other Cheek
I'm picking up where I left off a few days ago, having begun explaining what Jesus meant when He said that we're to love our enemies.
Jesus expounded still further on what it means to love our enemies by saying, "If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also" (6:29). When we hear this today, we tend to think that Jesus was describing an act of physical violence. We interpret Him as saying, "Don't fight back when you're attacked." But, in context, striking on the cheek wasn't so much about inflicting pain as it was about doling out shame. In fact, one commentator notes, "The blow on the right cheek was the most grievous insult in the ancient Near East." (IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament © 1993 by Craig S. Keener. Electronic text hypertexted and prepared by OakTree Software, Inc. Version: 1.0) We might paraphrase Jesus's teaching this way: When somebody insults you and wounds your pride, don't defend yourself and don't retaliate.
Again, let's acknowledge how hard this is, impossible, really, without divine help. Everything in us and everything in our culture says: Stand up for yourself! Get even! Hit back! Don't be a wimp! Yet Jesus says, "If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also."
I do want to remind you, however, that Jesus doesn't expect us merely to take what people dish out without any response. You may recall that in Matthew 18 Jesus said, "If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one" (18:15). Then, if this doesn't work, you're to take along a couple others to help bring about reconciliation. So Jesus isn't telling us to be everybody's doormat. There is an appropriate way to respond to wrong done against you. But what you're not to do is to retaliate in the ordinary, expected, all-too-human way.
I should also warn us at this point not to misconstrue Jesus's teaching so that sin is ignored, minimized, or excused. Some people, for example, have interpreted turning the other cheek to mean that if a woman is physically abused by her husband, she should just take it. But, in fact, Jesus is not addressing such a horrible act of brutality, but rather a case of insult. Moreover, if a woman is being mistreated by her husband, it's her duty and the responsibility of her Christian community to confront the abuser directly. It's not even loving to let a person continue in his sin without calling him to repentance, let alone to let a Christian sister to be hurt by her husband.
Over the years, I've watched prominent Christian leaders as they receive criticism, even cruel insults. Some seem to believe that Jesus's call to turn the other cheek is no longer relevant, at least not to them. When they are struck with harsh words, they send harsh words right back. But then I've watched other Christian leaders exemplify the counter-cultural and counter-intuitive way of Jesus. Most recently, I was struck by the way Rick Warren responded to the virulent criticism he endured because he invited Barack Obama to speak at Warren's church in a conference on AIDS/HIV. Many Christians slapped Warren's cheek with their harsh words. But Warren refused to slap back. Now whether you support Warren's decision to invite Obama to his church or not, you have to respect Warren's exemplary response. In my opinion, many of Warren's critics would do well to consider how Jesus's call to love their enemies is relevant when they're upset with a brother in Christ.
