Title: Are You Kidding… Turn the Other Cheek?
Text: Matthew 5:38-48
Thesis: We make Christ known by the way we respond to our adversaries.
Epiphany Series: Encountering Christ in Epiphany
• On the Seventy Sunday after Epiphany Jesus teaches his followers that one of the ways we make him known is by demonstrating a gracious spirit toward those who wrong us.
Introduction (This is a rather lengthy introduction but does serve to set the background for understanding the text.)
Prior to the old “eye for eye and tooth for tooth” adage there was a brief word of instruction in Genesis 9:6 in which God tells Noah and his descendants how to do justice in the event of a murder. “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man.”
The objective was not so much to “lay down the law” as it was to make the point that life is sacred to God. And because life is sacred, the person guilty of taking a life was to reap the consequences of his actions by forfeiting his own life. Of course this raises some question in the minds of some who then wonder how the taking of a second life honors the sanctity of life. But that is another discussion.
In Exodus 21 we find the first reference to “eye for eye and tooth for tooth.” In an extended discussion about personal injuries the law was given stating, “If there is a serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.” Exodus 21:23
Because people took the law seriously and sometimes too seriously, in the interest of insuring justice the Israelites were instructed to establish cities of refuge(Deuteronomy 19:1-14) where a person involved in a situation where a life was lost could flee and be safe while awaiting a fair trial. The loss of life was not necessarily intentional… there were then as there are now accidental deaths and mitigating circumstances. However, as we all know, those concerned about exacting “eye for eye and tooth for tooth” are not so much interested in justice as they are in vengeance.
So the cities of refuge served an important purpose. In Deuteronomy 35 the intent of the cities of refuge are clearly declared to “be places of refuge from the avenger, so that a person accused of murder may not die before he stands trial before the assembly.” (Deuteronomy 35:12) However a trial in a city of refuge was no guarantee of getting off easy. If a person was indeed found to be guilty, the judicial system was instructed in Deuteronomy 19:21, “Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”
Interestingly the “eye for eye and tooth for tooth” law provided that the guilty party was to be avenged by a person known as “the avenger of blood.” The avenger of blood was typically the closest male relative of the wronged person. Even a quick reading of Numbers 35 will show that the avenger of blood “shall” put to death the murder or “may” kill the accused.
In preparation for today I did quite a bit of reading on the subject and found that the idea of the avenger of blood is what over the centuries has given rise to what we know today as “blood feuds” or vendettas. And if you think the practice of vengeance through blood feuds is a thing of the past, it is still practiced widely in certain parts of the world today. Retribution through blood feuds and vendettas are common in parts of France, Italy, Greece, the Kurdish clans of Iraq and Turkey, Albania, among the Pashtuns in Afghanistan and many others including the Shiites and Sunnis in Iraq.
Can you imagine what the people must have thought when Jesus took exception to the law, “eye for eye and tooth for tooth?”
This was a culture steeped in the notion “eye for eye and tooth for tooth” justice. This was a culture that may have been a bit more civilized than some and whose judicial system allowed for “blood money” to be paid rather than the actual shedding of blood.
The more even thinking, rational people understand that justice is not necessarily “tit for tat.” And today our judicial system today still follows the idea of “eye for eye and tooth for tooth” but interprets that to mean the injured party receives some kind of remuneration for having been wronged.
In our own American history the infamous and endless stream of conflicts between the Hatfields and the McCoys resulted in the murder of a relative who testified against the McCoys over the ownership of a hog. In a blood feud it is never “eye for eye and tooth for tooth.” It more often takes the form of," You took my hog so now I’m gonna kill one of your relatives.” It is seldom justice… it is usually justice – plus a little more justice.
But Jesus took exception to the whole practice of “eye for eye and tooth for tooth” and “blood feud” and “blood money” justice.
Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist the evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” Matthew 5:38-39
I. Followers of Christ are not to be people known for harboring vengeance and practicing retaliation.
Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist the evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” Matthew 5:38-39
If you have not said it you’ve heard it, “I don’t get mad, I just get even.” But Jesus says, “Don’t get mad and don’t plan to get even.”
As we begin we are reminded of the pattern unfolding in this teaching as in the preceding vignettes.
1. Jesus made a Statement: “You have heard that it was said…”
2. Jesus made a Contradiction: “But I tell you that anyone…”
3. Jesus gave an Explanation: “Turn the other cheek.”
One Sunday the pastor was speaking on the subject of “turning the other cheek.” It so happened that a family with four rambunctious boys was attending and all seemed to be paying attention to the sermon as the minister pressed home the thought that “we should never try to get even” when someone hurts us. That afternoon the youngest of the boys came into the house sobbing to his mother. He had kicked one of his older brothers and his older brother had kicked him back. His mother tried to reason with him. She said, “I’m sorry you’re hurt but you shouldn’t go around kicking people.” To which the little boy replied, “But the preacher said that he isn’t supposed to kick me back.” (Jane Vajnar, “Lite Fare,” Christian Reader, 12/01/97)
That story is not unlike the experience of another mother who ran into the bedroom when she heard her seven-year old son scream. She found that his two-year-old sister had grabbed a handful of hair and was giving it a good yank. The mother gently released the little girl’s grip and explained, “There, she didn’t mean to hurt you. She doesn’t know that hurts.” The little boy nodded understandingly.
As she started down the hall she heard her little daughter scream and rushed back into the bedroom and asked, “What happened?”
The little boy replied, “She knows now!” (Joke a Day Ministries, www.sermonfodder.com, 3/04/2002)
When Jesus spoke of turning the other cheek he was telling his followers that we live by an even higher standard than the old law that assured those who had been wronged of at least limited damages. Jesus said that his followers should forego their rights rather than engage in conflicted relationships And in using the example of turning the other cheek, he is saying that even if someone back-hand, slaps you, which is a grievous personal insult, we are not to retaliate. We are not to put on the gloves. We are not to challenge them to step outside. We are not to challenge them to a duel to defend our honor. We are to turn the other cheek. In the mind of Jesus, it is better to be doubly insulted than to retaliate. His followers do not harbor resentment or seek retaliation.
Having gone so far as to say, “Do not resist an evil person,” Jesus then moved to give an explanation using three examples of what he had in mind.
The first example is the example of being taken to court.
A. Give more than is required by law
“If someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have the cloak as well.” Matthew 5:40
The late Jazz singer, Billy Holiday once said, “Sometimes it is worse to win a fight than to lose.”
We live in a litigious culture. Law suits are the rule of the day. It seems to be getting worse. Hardly a day goes by when we do not hear about someone suing someone over something. One statistic I read reaches back to the 1990s… my guess is that it is worse today. But in 1997 the total of the top ten jury awards was $750 million; in 1998 the total of the top ten jury awards was $2.8 billion; and in 1999 the total was $8.9 billion. (Lawyer’s Weekly USA; World, 1/22/2000, p.14)
Perhaps you read about Representative Dennis Kucinich of Ohio is in a lawsuit filed on January 3, 2011 against the operators and suppliers of the Longworth House Office Building cafeteria over a sandwich he bought “on or about” April 17, 2008 which “contained a dangerous substance, namely an olive pit, that a consumer could not reasonably expect to find in the final product served.” (Sabrina Eaton, The Plain Dealer, Cleveland.com, 1/26/2011)
There is even a website that publishes “Stupid Lawsuit Awards.” They call them the “Stella” awards based on the lawsuit Stella Liebeck brought against McDonald’s after spilling a cup of hot coffee on her lap. I can’t really comment on the merit of Dennis Kucinich’s suit over the olive pit or Stella’s $2.9 million settlement from McDonald’s…
However, there is clear scriptural teaching about Christians engaging in lawsuits with other Christians in I Corinthians 6:1-11 in which the Apostle Paul urges Christians to use an arbiter in the case of a legal conflict. However, he went on to ask two rhetorical questions: Rather than go to court, “Why not rather be wronged? Why no rather be cheated?” And in Colossians 3:13 we are urged to simply forgive our grievances.
But what I can do is attempt to get at the heart of what Jesus said. Maybe it isn’t as difficult as it seems. Perhaps Jesus is simply saying that his followers do not need to be insistent on their rights. Maybe our example before the world and our relationships with others is more important than us getting our rightful due.
I think this is how Jesus wants us to think. Leonard Sweet tells of flying into Phoenix to deliver a keynote address at Grand Canyon University. He was picked up by the university chaplain who happened to be driving a new Ford pickup. Sweet was also a pickup lover and they chatted on their way to the university about how “Nothing is more beautiful than a man and his truck.”
The next day the chaplain was to drive him back to the airport. When the chaplain arrived, Sweet noticed that there were two big scrapes by the passenger door. So he asked, “What happened here?”
The chaplain replied, “My neighbor’s basketball post fell and left those dents and the white scars…”
Sweet immediately offered his condolences and commiserated with him, “This truck is brand new… I can still smell the new.” He chaplain replied, “It is but what is even worse is my neighbor doesn’t feel responsible for the damage.” Sweet inquired about insurance and then asked how he planned to get his neighbor to pay for the damage.
The chaplain replied, “Last night my wife and I talked about it and we decided that I can either be right, or I can still be in a relationship with my neighbor. Since my neighbor will probably be with me a lot longer than this truck, I would rather be in a relationship with my neighbor than be right.”
That’s what Jesus was talking about.
Then Jesus cited a second example of what it means to turn the other cheek.
B. Go the second mile
“If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.” Matthew 5:41
There is quite an historical background to this example. The people to whom he was speaking were living in a country that was occupied by the Roman army. And the Roman law, which was not a part of the Jewish religious law, demanded that if a Roman soldier asked a citizen of the occupied territory to carry his pack, that person was required to carry it for one mile.
Jesus said, “If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.” By law anyone could be forced to go one mile but no one could be forced to go two miles. Jesus said, “Even if you do not have to go the second mile… go anyway.”
Going the second or third or fourth miles is not just about submitting to the authority of a soldier in an occupied country. It about lovingly being willing to go way beyond what some might think is a reasonable expectation.
This example is not intended to cause anyone to feel guilty. Every situation is different.
This is a story that could be told about many of the people I’ve known. But Jean Vanier tells it about a man he knew in Paris whose wife had Alzheimer’s. He was an important business man. His life was filled with busyness and his work was fulfilling. But he said, “When she got sick I just could not put her into an institution. So I kept her home. I cared for her. I bathed her. I became more human.” He went on to tell of how one night his wife woke him. She came out of the fog for just a moment, and she said, “Darling, I just want to say thank you for all you’ve done for me.” And then she fell back into the fog.
We go the second mile when we love others even when they are in the fog.
Another way we turn the other cheek is in the way we react when someone asks what seems to be too much or when we feel put upon. Jesus said…
C. Give to those who ask
“Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” Matthew 5:42
I am well aware of the raised eye-brows in the room at this moment. I am well aware that it is a very controversial issue and one that I have not fully come to grips with yet. The teaching on giving to others is extensive in the scripture and each scripture teaching must be weighed as a whole. In II Thessalonians 3:10, Paul teaches explicitly that if a person does not work – he should not eat. Christians are not to be known for their idleness but for their work ethic. He taught that there were different categories of widows… he said there are real widows and there and widows. He taught that while we must support a real widow, we need not support a widow who has her own resources or family who can care for her. (I Timothy 5) He also said that anyone who does not provide for his relatives and especially for his immediate family, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever in I Timothy 5:8.
In I Corinthians 8, in making an appeal to the believers at Corinth to help out some fellow Christians in Jerusalem who were going through a hard patch, he wrote, “”Give whatever you can according to what you have. God wants you to give what you have, not what you don’t have.” II Corinthians 8:11-12
When Jesus said, “Give to the one who asks and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you,” I do not think he was saying his followers are to empty their bank accounts, sell their property, cash in their investments and dump out their wallets to anyone and everyone who asks.
I am familiar with a situation where a man’s nephew wanted to buy a house so he took all of his savings out of the bank and gave it to the nephew to pay down on a house… it was in the neighborhood of $25,000. The man was a devoted follower of Christ and he took Christ at his word and he forked over his savings to help his nephew… who within a short time let the house go into foreclosure and all was lost. Not only that, but his widow is now hard pressed to make ends meet.
Jesus was not talking about buying houses and cars for people who ask us to buy houses and cars for them. He is saying that if there is a need and you can help, do so. But if you can’t, you can’t. However our helping or not helping needs to be a matter of discernment and with a desire to do the right thing and not a desire to get out of having to share some of our money.
Conclusion
National Public Radio carried this story in 2008 and it recently came to light again. The article was titled, “A Victim Treats His Mugger Right.” Julio Diaz had a routine. Every evening he ended his hour-long commute to the Bronx one stop early, so he could eat at his favorite diner.
One night he stepped off the No. 6 train and onto the platform where he was confronted by a teenager with a knife who demanded his wallet. He handed the young man his wallet and then offered, “If you are going to be robbing people the rest of the night you might as well take my coat to keep you warm.”
The would be robber asked him why he was putting him on and Julio went on to say, “I guess if you are willing to risk you freedom for a few bucks you probably really need to money. All I wanted to do was stop here and get dinner so if you would like some dinner, you’re free to join me.”
Amazingly the teenager joined him. Julio was friends with the manager and the waitress and the dishwasher, all of whom stopped by the table to chat. The teen-ager asked him if he “owned the place or something?” And Julio answered, “No, I just eat here a lot. “ But the teenager persisted, “
But you are even nice to the dishwasher.”
Julio asked, “Haven’t you been taught to be nice to people?
When the bill arrived Julio said, “Look, I guess you are going to have to pay ‘cause my money is in the wallet… but if you give my wallet back, I’ll gladly buy your dinner.” Without batting an eye the young man returned the wallet. Julio said he paid the tab and gave the young man a $20, figuring he probably needed it.
When he got home Julio told his mother about what happened and she is said to have said, “You’re the kind of kid that if someone asked you for the time, you’d give them your watch.” (http://www.npr.org/2008/03/28/89164759/a-victim-treats-his-mugger-right)
I don’t know if Jesus wants us to be the kind of people who fork over our watches to anyone who asks the time. But, I think Jesus would like for us to be the kind of people who:
• Turn the other cheek!
• Do more than is required!
• Go the second mile!
• Give to those who are in need!
