You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.
Jesus. Matthew 5:38, 39. Hi, it’s Nathan, and this is Day 24 of 30 Days on the Mount of Blessing. As in Jesus teachings throughout the sermon, he is not here setting a specific rule for conduct, but rather upholding a way of being. Our society is obsessed with defending our ‘rights’, while often sacrificing decency in the process—even if defending legitimate rights. BTW, I think the latest installment in the God’s Not Dead movie series gets this one right. Jesus held out a way of living that put a higher priority on living decently among our fellow human beings—even the cranky ones—than on having life go according to what is rightfully ours. It’s not that we don’t have rights or that we can’t defend them—it’s about living with a larger view. Just because I can fight for something, doesn’t mean I should. God intends for us to be bigger than that. After all, he’s got our back. The bigger win is showing the face of Jesus to every person—and what loss may come to us in the process, will be cared for by the One who loves us more than we can ever imagine.
