7^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Gospel – Matthew 5:38-42

A Cheeky Response

Church of the Beatitudes, Galilee  

I remember getting into one fight after school, probably 4^th or 5^th grade.  I don’t remember who my opponent was or why we were fighting.  I do remember he was bigger than me and that there was a huge circle of classmates surrounding our battle.  And when he threw that first punch and it connected, I knew I was better off staying down rather than getting back up and getting pummeled again and again. 

If we look back on our childhood, most of us will remember all the times we got into a fight, sometimes just verbal, sometimes out and out physical.  Sometimes we won, sometimes we lost.  Sometimes we came away bloodied and defeated; sometimes we gave as good as we got.  Through it all, we probably forgot why we were fighting in the first place, only the fight itself. But we do remember that, at the start, we had a choice.  We could either fight or run.  That was it; or so we thought!

In today’s Gospel, we realize there really is a third option!  We hear the familiar words of Jesus to “turn the other cheek.”  I always pictured this scene as the height of cowardice, to just stand there and take it, to do nothing.  I saw this as utter passivity, cowardice.  But it’s not!  It is an act of defiance.  I could just run away, essentially try and avoid the situation.  Or I could give back to the aggressor exactly what they are giving me – violence!  What Jesus says is to stand there, look them in the eyes and give them the chance to really think about what they are doing, without resorting to violence.  Peaceful, non-violent protest!  Gandhi learned that lesson.  Martin Luther King learned that lesson.  Rosa Parks learned that lesson.

This is not about being passive; this is about standing strong in the face of violence and hatred. It’s about giving the other person a chance to think about what they’re doing, to consider the consequences of their actions.  It’s about standing up against aggression, hatred, bigotry and racism and saying I am not going to fight according to your rules and I am not going to run away from the problem.

A little background here might help.  In most eastern cultures, presently and even back in Jesus’ time, your left hand was considered “unclean”.  It was used solely for ‘bathroom’ functions.  You didn’t use it to eat, to shake hands, to give a pat on the back!  So when someone would slap you, they would backhand you with their right hand striking you on your right cheek.  So, when Jesus says turn the other cheek, it means exposing your left cheek.  And for your opponent to backhand you again, they would have to use their left hand.  But wait, they can’t do that!  So what happens when you turn the other cheek?  It makes your opponent stop and think!  And it provides you a third option – stand your ground, but without fighting back!  Imagine that!

Stand up for what you believe in!  Be courageous!  Be forgiving!  Be strong!  Be Christ-like!