Why Turn the Other Cheek?
by David J. Stewart
"And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also" (Luke 6:29).
God never intended for Christians to be wimps. As believers, we have as much right to be treated with dignity and fair treatment as anyone else. God is NOT saying here in Luke 6:29 that we should allow people to bully us or push us around. On the contrary, we should stand up for our rights when they are violated. If we don't, people will violate them even more. This Scripture is speaking of something entirely different.
What is God referring to? The Bible is speaking about righting our wrongs! Notice the same truth taught in Matthew 5:39...
"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. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also" (Matthew 5:39,40).
Notice that the Bible mentions being sued. Question: why would someone want to sue another person? Obviously because someone did them wrong. The Bible is teaching us to settle out of court. God is saying that we should make things right if we have wronged someone. If we believe we have not wronged them, then we must go to court to defend ourselves because they are taking us to court, we have no choice. However, the Bible advises us not to sue a fellow believer in court. We are better off placing the matter into God's hands and letting Him deal with the offender in His own time and way. We have a PROMISE from God in Romans...
"Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord" (Romans 12:19).
God promises to AVENGE us of our enemies. Likewise, he promises to avenge our enemies of US, if we have wronged them. The word "repay" in the Greek means "to punish." God will punish wrongdoers. But you say, my sins are under the blood, I'm forgiven...God can't punish me for my sins, Jesus suffered for me. Yes, that is absolutely true; however, just because your a Christian doesn't mean your getting away with anything! You see friend, you must still appear before the judgment seat of Christ. You won't have to give account for sins you've committed, their under the blood; however, you must give account for your wrongs against others--The scales of JUSTICE must be balanced. Do you think because your saved that you can break solemn promises and steal from other people? Do you really think God won't bring these matters up in heaven? You may have escaped criminal court through Christ's blood, but civil court awaits you. This is Biblical. The Bible says that GOD WILL REPAY. If this is not true, then we might as well go live it up in sin as believers. No, we will reap that which we have sowed in this life.
For someone to want to hit, sue or get even with us...usually it's because we are at fault and have wronged them. We are commanded to make things right. The Bible teaches for us to go ABOVE and BEYOND the damages to make things right. If you inconvenience someone, you should make it up to them. If you cause someone financial loss, you should willingly pay for the losses (and then some).
I believe we should try to avoid placing ourselves in these horrible situations where we are liable for damages. This is why we buy insurance, so we can reimburse others for losses sustained. Christians are wise to buy insurance because it protects other people as well as them. A Christian who drives a car without insurance is a fool. Also, I think it is foolish to lend out your car. I once had a friend ask to borrow my car so he could go get a haircut, I told him no way. I'm not going to risk my insurance record if he wrecks my car. I was being his friend that day. He was foolish to risk damaging someone else's vehicle for his own personal reasons. I have always tried to steer clear of stuff like this. By the way, I never lend money to anyone. Why? Because I simply don't have money to lend out that I don't need back. Too many people lack the character to pay back what they borrow. If someone doesn't want to be my friend because I refuse to lend them money, then I know they are only a "fair-weather friend." I think it is unwise for Christians to lend out money. If you can afford to lend money out and not be offended when it doesn't return, then this is the only basis upon which you should lend out money.
Matthew 5:39 and Luke 6:29 are concerned with righting our wrongs, no more. If someone tries to hit me in the cheek, I am going to defend myself. I am not going to let someone hurt me. Christians are not supposed to be pacifists. Jesus was a carpenter. He didn't have power tools. I think Jesus was a muscular man. Jesus walked this earth as a man's man, anything but the effeminate wimp that is often portrayed through modern art. God did not intend for us to let people abuse us. If I am at fault, I will try to make things right. There is always something we can do to make things right.
In Jesus' Name, Dave
