Today we turned our cheeks, walked an extra mile and gave away a cloak at Middlefield, all while reflecting on what God is saying in Matthew 5:38-42.
This is a well known scripture, used often in many different circles. Still, it is one of those sayings of Jesus that is so difficult to follow... our humanity drives us towards revenge and retalliation.
Pastor Ed told a delightful story of his own humanity compared to his sons movement towards peace. In this story, he talked about St. Francis of Assissi. The story of St. Francis is powerful, and he is definately a spiritual father to many Christians today. Here is the prayer that Pastor Ed talked about...it is called the Prayer of St. Francis.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Revenge and retalliation are so easy to get caught in. Our desire is to settle the score with the other person and take our own justice. The ethic of creating our own justice is so common within the media and culture today. Just take a look at a list of movies from the box office, and you will see a plethora of violent and revenge-filled stories.
Still, as we look back at the ethic Jesus is teaching us, it is hard to understand the 1st Century nuance in turning the other cheek.
What some scholars believe Jesus is referring to by turning the other cheek is alive in a master/slave relationship. Slaves were common in the 1st century and the relationship between a master and a slave often lead to violence. Masters would slap slaves to control or show dominance. While hitting them, they would use the back of their hand as a sign of power, to hit with the open hand would show a sign of equality. So...Masters would use their right hand and slap the right side of the slave with the back of their hand.
As Jesus is teaching here, he is saying that if you are abused and hit on the right side of your face with the back of the hand, that you are to turn your cheek and force the person/Master to make you an equal, and hit you with an open hand.
Subtle, the difference is to be hit with an open hand and not a backhand, but this difference would speak volumes to those in the 1st century. The metaphor of a seemingly "take it" mentality, thought of often in light of this scripture, is actually an ethic of strong non-violent resistence to the abuse.
Jesus is not teaching us to just take the abuse, but he is teaching us deep truths about how to actively engage the abuse without stooping to a level of revenge. The two most common and beautiful examples of these situations are alive in the movements led by Ghandi and MLK. Both thought long and deep about non-violent resistence in accord to these direct teachings of Jesus and both led movements fraught with potential for great violence to undermine their movements.
As Ghandi and MLK were speaking of such large systemic situations, this ethic moves right down into our lives. Every relationship, whether it is a marriage, sibling, exended family, friendship or work, all foster moments of ungrace...moments of pain. How we choose to respond often determines the outcome of the relationship...whether we will just continue plucking out eyes or if a different and more creative solution will be found.
One thing I know for sure is that the grace of God needs to surround these moments for us to live into these teachings of Christ.
As Pastor Ed concluded his sermon, let me conclude with the same statement..."An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth will just leave the world both blind and toothless." - Ghandi
Grace and Peace,
Micah
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