TURN THE OTHER CHEEK
Jesus is the vessel God has chosen to reveal and demonstrate His Way of Agape to this fallen world.
* “He who has seen Me has seen the Father…”. John 14:9
Can you imagine what our marriage, families, churches, and communities would be like if more of us were walking in God’s unconditional Love?
Matthew 5:39, ” But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also.”
*Revenges is thoroughly human. But Jesus calls us to a higher way.
This is why we see time and time again when Christians are attacked and persecuted the world over, we follow our Lord’s example on the cross, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” It’s true that many times also, Christians give in to their human nature and retaliate, but that is the way of the flesh, and not the way of the Spirit of Christ.
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Meekness is not weakness — it is strength under control. Jesus did not submit to the crucifixion because he was weak: He could have called ten thousand angels to destroy the world and set Him free. But He died alone, for you and me.
Which would you rather have – God defending you, or you defending yourself?
That’s the choice that Jesus is offering us here. “Turning the other cheek” is not a prescription for abuse but rather the way to get the Lord involved in your defense.
Many people feel that these instructions of Jesus guarantee that others will take advantage of us.
That would be true if there was no God. But when we follow these commands of Jesus, the Lord is on our side. He said in Rom. 12:19, “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but [rather] give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance [is] mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”
When we fight back, we are drawing on our own strength. But when we turn the other cheek, we are invoking God as our defense. Once we understand this, it becomes obvious that these instructions are for our own good.
James 1:20, says that the wrath of man does not accomplish the righteousness of God. Regardless of how appropriate our anger may seem, and regardless of how we think our wrath could make a person or situation change, we will never achieve God’s best that way.
The Sermon on the Mount in Matthew has great Truth on Jesus Teachings.
Matthew 6:15 Your forgiveness is dependent on you forgiving others.
6:19 Invest in heaven not earth, then you will be focused on heaven.
6:33 If you invest in heaven God will make sure that your needs are met on earth.
Matthew 7:2 you will be treated as you treat others.
7:7 be persistent, the solution will come.
7:12 do to others what you want them to do to you.
7:13 the way to hell is easy, many find it.
7:14 the way to life is hard, few find it.
7:20 you can identify a person (true or false) by their actions.
7:21 obedience is not optional.
7:24 in conclusion, the wonderful consequence of following what Jesus has taught.
7:26 in conclusion, the tragic consequences of not following what Jesus has taught.
7:29″ for he taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law.” There is a context in which this teaching is given.
When we defend ourselves, we stop God from defending us. It has to be one way or the other. It cannot be both ways. Let God defend you today.
Romans 12:2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Don’t settle for less than the Lord’s best for you. We are His Masterpieces! Keep pushing for the mark of the high call in Christ. Complacency is a threat, and laziness is your enemy. The Lord speaks to us of our spiritual condition and the danger of just going along to get along.
We live in dangerous times when the enemy of our soul will try to entice us
to compromise our convictions. But, the Lord is calling us to be led by His Spirit.
*Philippians 3:12-14 “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus”.
So, though it’s hard and it goes against our human nature, as followers of Jesus, we are to be conduits of God’s forgiveness.
Father, sometimes it’s hard to forgive. Help me to be a conduit of Your forgiveness and love. When someone hurts me, Lord help me remember to not get even, but turn the other cheek and Be the bigger person. Instead of doing something negative, help me give back to them. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
***when feeling down about yourself read Psalms 6 and or 22.