Offer the other cheek!
Mathew 5:39”But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.”
Don’t gulp the entire message flippantly and recklessly in one shot and forget about it, take time to read it in small portions and understand the scriptures. Circulate it far and wide!
Seeking forgiveness and apology is passé; punching the nose and smashing the face is today’s trend! How do I talk about the precious subject of offering the ‘other cheek’ at a time when we are bombarded on all sides with violence and vengeance? People have become numb to the whole idea of crime and so the idea of watching crime shows do not frighten them. Also yes, there is considerable appetite, as crime is one of the most popular entertainment these days, well, it’s not only the movie field that manufacturers such stuff; but even video games are fierce and can adversely affect the mind of the people, you’ve got to watch this stuff to know what I’m talking about!
Offering the ‘other cheek’, though a common phrase to few, but it is too precious a subject to preach; I guess it forms the foundation of our Christian living. Oswald Chambers said: “There is a snare in being able to talk about God’s truth easily because frequently that is where it ends.”
Offer the other cheek! What does Jesus mean by this? Let me put it in few words: to suffer injustice! In an aggressive, angry world, where people want to do tit for tat, I surely need the grace of God and His anointing to allow this message to seep into the hearts of people. Well, the ‘hatred spirit’, envy and vengeance has not only crept into the corridors of the Corporate sectors, Parliaments and Streets but also into Christian homes and churches and the enemy seems to create confusion; let this message heal the scars and bring peace!
Friend, it is one thing to remain silent when you are falsely accused and attacked, but it requires the power of Christ to offer the other cheek as well to the attacker! Anybody listening? Peter points out the source of power in 1 Peter 1:1 “….we are kept by the power of God.” Can we say Amen? Let me categorically point out here friends, without the power of the Holy Spirit we cannot live a victorious life! People who neglect church, Bible and prayer will not have power to win the enemy; make an effort to be filled with the anointing of God. It’s easy to snap back but it needs God’s power to smile in the midst of false accusation and battering!!
Have we not as Christians lost the sheen in our life today? The world cannot find an iota of the image of Christ in Christians today. Brothers and sisters who do not talk to each other are the committee members of the church! A church-going-Christian who does not miss a single Sunday service, files a complaint against his neighbor because his mango tree had transgressed into his garden and messed up his place. Imagine! Every bit of news I give is what I have heard and seen; even if it means loss, pain, humiliation or injustice, endure it for the sake of Christ. Are you listening?
“Jesus prepared his disciples beforehand for the persecutions that they would face when they go out carrying His name. He clearly pointed out to them to be different people. We are supposed to be a different breed of people” said, LEONARD RAVENHILL.
Please listen! You cannot shove Jesus away from your work spot or from your business, He wants to get involved in your life. Are you there! The world would say, “Religion is personal but Jesus said: I am the Vine of your life.” He is our breath, He is our life, He has to be the reason for our life!
Are you there? ‘Don’t take nonsense’, ‘give them back’, or “I’m not a fool to take your nonsense” are the counseling of the world but Jesus said: “offer your other cheek to the one who slaps you!” Praise the Lord! We should scroll down and read the scriptures that follow as well, in order to get the full impact of the message, read please:
• Those who take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.
• whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.
• from him who wants to borrow from you, do not turn away.
• love your enemies, bless those who curse you
• do good to those who hate you
• pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you
Now, I am coming to the most important point now, when we do the above, in the next scripture we see the reward that we get:
Mathew 5:45”..that you may be sons of your Father in heaven..!” Amen. You are not promised a wagon full of dollars but the whole world! Yes, when you become His kid and when you can call Him ‘Father’, then whatever belongs to Him belongs to you as well. Shout and praise Him! When the eldest brother of the prodigal son looks at his father and tells him “you never gave me a young goat”, (Luke 15:29)the father looks at him and says: “Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.” Friend, when we always remain in Him then we no more are paupers but the sons of the Living God. Let us stop asking for ‘young goats’ and grow up!
Friend, the whole world would mock and guffaw at you when you take a stand to offer the other cheek. Would they not? Look to the BIBLE for settling marital disputes rather than wicked counselors and blind leaders. You don’t have to file a divorce at the very first instance of misunderstanding, there is no such thing as ‘instant success’ in any marriage on earth, it has to be worked out, we got to be ‘peace makers.’ All that you see on movie screen and in the media are a mirage!
A short tempered, impulsive character like Peter, the adorable disciple of Jesus writes a wonderful epistle that we find in the New Testament, the first book of Peter starts with a bang: “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ! (1 Peter 1:1) His former name was Simon but Jesus changed his name to Peter and Peter introduces himself with that name which meant ‘ROCK.’ He is no more the same man that had drawn the sword to cut the ears of Malchus but a stable man who had metamorphosed into a firm, steely character who said:
• 1 Peter 3:17”For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
• 18”For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God..” Powerful words!
No rehab centre can offer you such a transformation, this is available only with JESUS! It’s easy to punch the person on the face; flexing the muscles is no big deal, it reveals your weakness; but enduring an insult, enduring rejection and silently putting up with injustice done to you requires ‘SUPER POWER’, which is not available in any Super Market but only and only and only, Super Jesus can give you this!
This particular incident happened during the initial days of my salvation; I was alone at home and had gone to pay the maintenance bill to the man in charge of the building. I casually enquired about the water problem that we were facing and immediately he spoke very rudely to me and said ‘get out’, those were the exact words which he used loudly and people outside also heard him. I felt humiliated and miserable; but my tongue was tied, I just could not harshly speak back to that man who was very much elder to me. There were times earlier that I would cleverly put my argument in such way that would shut his mouth but now I stood like a student in front of him. I said nothing but returned back to my flat and just turned the TV on to a Christian channel. You want to know what was preached that day? 1 Peter 3:17 “For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.” God has an uncanny way of speaking to you! But I felt so humiliated that I wept at the feet of the Lord for nearly an hour and asked Him to heal my spirit. After about an hour I heard some one knock my door and when I opened the door, the man who had insulted me stood at the door along with his wife and asked for an apology. I smiled at him and said:” it’s okay, let’s forget it.” I was able to boldly share Jesus with Him at a later date. Apostle Paul says something more beautiful that is absolutely mind blowing: “present your bodies as living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans 12:1) This scripture talks about total surrender! Altruism is rare to find in today’s world but Paul was a brave altruist!
Jesus not only spoke but also gave His life for us on the cross and never uttered a Word when He was brutally beaten and tortured. He not only offered the other cheek but gave His life for us! Can we make a decision not to ape the world and live atrociously but ask God to give us His power to obey His teachings and live like Him? Forgive the people who have wronged you no matter what the agony caused.
