Luke 6:27-30  “More Than Fair” (Turning the Cheek)  2-21-10

The common way of viewing handling enemies and friends is expressed by the ancient Greek Lysias- “I consider it established that one should do harm to his enemies and be of service to one’s friends.”

There were similar ethical admonitions to the golden rule, but they tended to be in the negative. Confuscius said “What you do not Want done to yourself, do not do to others.”  Philo the Jew said, “What you hate to suffer, do not do to anyone else.”

Today, I want to concentrate on the turning the cheek verses: ²⁹ If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt. ³⁰ Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.

            We would like to think that life is fair.  The idea of fairness is driven into us.  We want the referees to call things impartially.  If the referee does not- and he makes a bad call we will complain- especially if it is against our team.  Ironically and historically, those who grew up overcoming the unfairness, injustice, and adversity in life are the ones who make the biggest difference (like Einstein, Beethoven, Pascal).  Once you know that life is not easy nor fair it allows you to be more accepting; that allows you to learn how to deal with things; and finally to be forgiving.  The world would have us always comparing ourselves to others- grading on a curve, taking a poll, giving a customer survey.  Jesus did not give ordinary advice here to ordinary people.  He gave words about how to deal with your problems, your trials, your crosses, and he lived it.

I. PERSEVERANCE- Turning the cheek in some ways is a matter of persevering against your enemy.  It is not running away, it is embracing the harshness of the one who is trying to hurt you (and I believe- in doing so overcoming it).   The kite does not rise going with the wind, but going against it.  Facing the unfairness the injustice of life plants a seed that can grow into a much greater blessing in life.

            In the winter Olympics in 2006 Lindsey Vonn crashed and was evacuated by helicopter to the hospital where she was diagnosed with a bruised hip.  Despite the hip injury, she returned the following day and finished eighth.  February 10 Vonn admitted she had a bruised shin and may not compete in this year’s winter Olympics.  But then she came back to be the first American woman to win the gold in the downhill skiing event.  Then Vonn crashed again in the combine race.  She could have quit- many would have, but she came ack the next day and won a bronze medal in the super-G less than a second behind the leader.  Vonn could have given up saying life isn’t fair.  People would have sympathized.  But she persevered, and went beyond the ordinary.  You don’t have to believe to turn the other cheek- but perseverance is important to the Christian.

I. NON-VIOLENT RESISTANCE- Reinhold Niebuhr drew a distinction between the non-resistance of pacifism and non-violent resistence.  Non-violent resistance is not pacifism in that it does resist wrong and evil.  To love our enemies as Niebuhr put it, “does not mean to connive with their injustice.”  But it does mean that we are bound to acknowledge we are one with our enemies in that we are all human, and we all are guilty and stand in need of grace.  A meek man is not concerned about being inferior or superior to other people (or ordinary).  In God’s eyes, we all are inferior, we all have sinned, and we all need help.  Yet we are the apple of God’s eye, and we are more important than angels.  For Christ came to die for us.  So giving up the world’s esteem and popularity means little.  Turning the other cheek is humbling ourselves before those who are too worldly powerful to resist.  Yet it is the best resistance.  Perhaps the best way to interpret this turning the other cheek is to think on the serenity prayer, also revised by Niebuhr.

God, grant me the serenity

To accept the things I cannot change;

The courage to change the things that I can;

And the wisdom to know the difference.

    There is a time to resist violence by turning the cheek, but this is not an absolute law- so there are times when we are to defend ourselves.  If someone breaks into my home and threatens to choke my wife or kids, I will not turn the other cheek, but defend them.  But this is specifically applied to day to day living- and the urge to revenge; as well as how we should react to overwhelming force.  As Ecclesiastes says, “There is a time for war and a time for peace.”  Jesus who died on a cross- the embodiment of turning the other cheek, also said, if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.

     US News and World Report had a great story about the NBA Hall of Famer- Walt Frazier who was punched in the face, and unbelievably was called for the foul.  Instead of whining, Frazier’s expression never changed and he scored seven straight shots to win the game.  I was an amazing display of productive anger as well as a moral lesson. 

II. DOING THE EXTRA-

       Jesus said, if you love those who love you- what is different about that?”  We are not to be ordinary.  Christians, you are never to be content to be just like everyone else in the good they do or the bad they do not do.  We are to go the extra mile, give the extra cloak, not make the extra claim though it could be legal for us to do so.  So the question of Jesus for us, is “How much better are your actions than the ordinary person’s actions?” 
     Actually in all three examples- the cheek, the coat, and the robbery- someone takes something wrongfully, and Jesus says the way to handle it is to give even more than they took.

     If someone takes your coat, give your shirt- Scholars say that this was a situation where a creditor took a coat as collateral- for a loan.  This was a biblically allowed practice, but the person who takes the coat was supposed to give it back at night.  The question was what to do when a creditor who has power, money, and ability to win in court is overly harsh with someone- and takes their coat away.  Jesus said to give their shirt.  Some (esp. Walter Wink) say that this would result in the man walking close to naked down the street, and hundreds of neighbors would come out of their houses and say, “What happened?”  And the man would reply, “The creditor took my clothes.” So then the creditor would be shamed into not taking anyone else’s cloak.  But this is a bit much.  Jesus did not say to parade down the street and gather friends in a protest march.  He did say to give up more than is asked.  John the Baptist said  a similar thing when he said if you have two shirts share with the person who has none.  The idea is to not let your possessions possess you.

III. SACRIFICING REVENGE- In the end, Jesus is asking us to do what He does- to sacrifice our pride,

The question for us is not when it is right to resist, but what does it really mean to not resist?  It is a form of love in the face of insults, wrongs, and tyranny.  It is an example of what Paul said, “Love bears all things- love is patient, love is kind.  It does not return evil for evil.” God’s love enables us to resist revenge and grudges, and enables us to be kinder than the way we are treated. 

            Abraham Lincoln, when an attorney, was asked to take a case of a man who passionately insisted on bringing a suit against a very poor man for $2.50.  Lincoln tried to discourage him, but the man was bent on revenge.  Lincoln agreed to take the case for $10.  Lincoln gave half the money to the defendant who gave $2.50 to the plaintiff.  What was most amazing was that the plaintiff was really happy after that.

This means freedom.  We are not slaves of our passion, or unable to control what we say or do.

When we offer the second cheek, there is something deep inside us that refuses to hit it without guilt.

            Another passage says similarly- “Do not resist evil with evil, but overcome evil with good.”  Turning the other cheek is not resisting evil with evil.  In reality- this applies to all of us.  The child who thinks their parents are treating them unfairly compared to to the other children.  The spouse who wants to play the blaming game for the financial mess- when it really doesn’t matter whose fault it is.  We have this idea of wanting revenge so much that it consumes us.

            This is precisely what Jesus did on the cross.  Jesus, when he was being tried, said that he could call down angels from heaven to rescue him.  If Jesus did not live what he taught, then when they flogged his back, he would have destroyed the palace.  When the priests had him struck, he could have struck down the priest’s quarters in the temple.  If God Almighty believed an eye for an eye about everything- then he would have destroyed the world when we destroyed the Son of God.  But instead, he not only taught that we should turn the other cheek, he lived it out.  He did not destroy the world, but brought changing hope to it- the resurrection was only possible because of the crucifixion.

            This past week, I was writing my daily devotional blog on blessed are the persecuted and I linked it to some utube videos of some horrible persecutions of Christians.  Last August 122 Christian homes were burned down in one day out of revenge for a convert. Eight Christians died.  Their response was not to burn down the homes of the Hindus- but they took the coffins of their dead to the train tracks until the police arrested the leaders who started the burning. 
            Bill Hybels tells of a man in India who was having a fruitful ministry leading people to Christ.  A Hindu leader came to him and said he wanted to pray with him in private.  Eager to reach this leader, the Christian man knelt down and while he was praying the Hindu leader stabbed him.  On his deathbed, the Christian man said to tell the Hindu he was forgiven and to help the family. Looking at this situation from the outside, would you be more likely to convert to Hinduism or to Christianity?  In the end, turning the cheek wins the day, for we know revenge is not the answer in life. Today I invite you to go beyond fairness- to turn the cheek.