Oct 24-25 - Matthew 5:38-39

Jesus said,

You have heard that it was said,

‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.'

But I tell you, do not resist an evil person.

If anyone slaps you on the right cheek,

turn to them the other cheek also.

Matthew 5:38-39

"An eye for an eye" was originally a good thing. It outlawed escalation. It used to be, "If you kill my chicken, I'll burn down your house and take your daughter for my slave."

Yes, the outlawing of escalation was originally a good thing. "Reciprocity" was better. "If you kill my chicken, I'll reciprocate by taking one of your chickens."

But think about that word "reciprocity." According to my online Oxford dictionary, "reciprocity" is "the practice of exchanging things with others for mutual benefit."

My reciprocating by taking just one chicken in response to your one-chicken-offense may indeed stop a wild escalation and a generational feud, but it's not true reciprocity. There's no mutual benefit.

And that's Jesus' goal!

Instead of escalation or a-payback-form-of-reciprocity, Jesus is advocating humbleness, gentleness, forgiveness.

Turning the other cheek isn't weak and passive. It takes a strength of character. It says, "I'm legally entitled to anger and recompense: I choose instead understanding and relationship."

Sure, there are those who will treat that as weakness. They will seek to take advantage of you in business deals and courtroom settings. In a worldly sense, they will often win.

But our standard isn't worldly.

Or is it?

That's a choice you make -- or not -- everyday. Do you choose grudges and escalation? Do you choose payback-reciprocity and getting what's yours? Or do you choose forgiveness and relationship?

In Christ's Love,

a guy who doesn't want to be

like a reciprocating saw --

I don't want to go up-and-down,

push-and-pull, rip-and-tear.

That may be good for demolition,

but I want to be more like wood glue,

sticking disparate things back together