Turn to Them

More from Matthew 5:

You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth. But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.

Back under the law, if someone took yours – you took theirs.  This type of behavior is born into us from birth.  Toddlers grab and pull to get back a toy, if another child is playing with “their” car or doll.  It’s native instinct to take back anything that is taken from us.  If we’re slapped, we want to slap back.  If we are wronged, we want to do wrong.  If we are taken from, we want to take and even destroy that person who took from us.

However, under the blood of Jesus and the forgiveness through the cross, we are now told if we are slapped to turn the cheek and take a slap there, as well.

This is not referring to becoming a doormat for people.

If you read on, this is referring to those in need taking from us what belongs to us, and us rising up against them in anger to win the battle that has been started.

We are going to be slapped, wronged, accused, taken from, and borrowed from and never be paid back.  Jesus isn’t saying here to condone that sort of behavior or to excuse it, or gladly receive it.

The message here is to stand still, give more, and walk further.

When we stand still and allow God to work in our hearts, when we give even when it seems we have nothing left to give, and we walk further than that which is required of us, we are walking humbly with our God, allowing him to fight our battles for us, and allowing him to mold our hearts, as well as the hearts of those attacking us.

Our reaction to the acts of others speaks volumes that they will hear, much more than a slap back on their cheek, as they run away in pain or fight back to the death.

We don’t have to worry about being run over.  God is our fortress and strength, WHEN we yield to him and his ways, because of the work of the cross – where we too are forgiven for all that we have done.