But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. — Matthew 5:39
As I was reading recently, I came across this verse and a story that I heard once. The story goes that there was once a great athlete who, as he got older, was ordained and entered into the ministry. Once he came back to his hometown, he came across an old enemy. It was someone who he often fought with in the past before he came to know God.
The old enemy approached him and asked him about his conversion to the faith. The minister confirmed his conversion. His old enemy then proceeded to tell him that if he were converted, he knew that he should turn the other cheek. He proceeded to strike the minister.
The minister looked at the man and did just what the man suggested. He turned the other cheek. I can imagine it was difficult to do, but he did so as someone questioned and challenged his faith. The old enemy proceeded to strike him again. The story shares that the minister didn’t hold back and proceeded to fight his old enemy.
The idea behind Jesus’ teaching was not that we simply turn the other cheek. It was the concept that when we are hurt by someone, don’t be contentious. Don’t act in a way that will cause an argument or reaction. That’s certainly easier said than done in a lot of situations.
The idea is not to endure torture in this world. Instead, we have to know where to place our trust and where to seek guidance. Rather than leaving ourselves in a position to be hurt or injured again, we should seek God’s guidance and direction. It’s more than just turning your cheek, and it is giving a completely different response than what the world says to give.
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