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.
Some say this means Jesus was a pacifist or perhaps a glutton for punishment -- no... but what is His meaning, then?
Certain traditions play into what Jesus said and why He said it. First, people reserved the use of their left hand for unseemly things... so, if someone were to strike you, it would be with the right hand only. Second, if your attacker considered you to be their equal they would strike you with their palm... if they view you as lesser than themselves they would "backhand" you.
These things being known... imagine Jesus being struck. Would His modern day vernacular be along the lines of, "please strike this cheek as well.."
Or
"You struck me as you did because you think I am lesser than you, but in truth, we are all children of God... equals. And, you reveal yourself to be a respecter of persons through your actions as well. Now, if we are to settle our differences as God would want us to... we must start from this moment on equal footing... and that means you need to know... my left cheek is the one you should have aimed for... because you are no better than I... and you are no better than anyone else.
Food for thought.
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.
Some say this means Jesus was a pacifist or perhaps a glutton for punishment -- no... but what is His meaning, then?
Certain traditions play into what Jesus said and why He said it. First, people reserved the use of their left hand for unseemly things... so, if someone were to strike you, it would be with the right hand only. Second, if your attacker considered you to be their equal they would strike you with their palm... if they view you as lesser than themselves they would "backhand" you.
These things being known... imagine Jesus being struck. Would His modern day vernacular be along the lines of, "please strike this cheek as well.."
Or
"You struck me as you did because you think I am lesser than you, but in truth, we are all children of God... equals. And, you reveal yourself to be a respecter of persons through your actions as well. Now, if we are to settle our differences as God would want us to... we must start from this moment on equal footing... and that means you need to know... my left cheek is the one you should have aimed for... because you are no better than I... and you are no better than anyone else.
Food for thought.