"Turning the Other Cheek"

"You have heard that it was said, `An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile" (Mt. 5:38-42). I was reminded of this story last Wednesday evening as we were studying from the book of Proverbs.

An army drill sergeant from a Ft. Jackson, South Carolina, serving back in the mid-sixties, was asked about his conversion to Christ: "What was it that turned you to Christ?" He told of a private that was in his company years before when he was serving in Malta. This private was frequently harassed by other soldiers for his religious faith. One rainy night the private came into the barracks quite late. Before getting into his bunk, he knelt, as was his custom, to pray. The sergeant picked up one of his boots, which was heavy with wet mud and threw it across the room hitting the private in the side of the head. The private said nothing. He wiped the mud from his face and crawled into bed. The next morning, however, when the sergeant awoke, he found his muddy boots cleaned and polished by his bedside. He said: "It broke my heart."

Turning the other cheek is not easy. The first inclination is to strike back, to get even, or to seek revenge. The route Jesus urges upon us is the behavior which is more likely to influence the other person for good. It is not something which Jesus merely commands, because Jesus practiced this ethic all of his life, especially in his death. Let us all take his teaching and his example of "turning the other cheek" to heart and attempt to put it into practice in our lives.