Hi there,
So I get that "turning the other cheek" is scripture. But there's nothing in scripture that says you can't ask for turning the other cheek to end. Revelation says the anti-christ goes into perdition, meaning the whole world will be tempted to just keep sinning - as Jesus said "he that sins is a slave to sin" (gospels from memory). Should Ukraine keep turning the other cheek to Russia? Should a bully keep being the center of attention? Turning the other cheek, stops you giving attention that you should not. I think the secret is that you shouldn't "cast your pearls before swine", you may turn the other cheek, but you don't have to tell your enemy why you are turning the other cheek. Jesus said "[when what you are doing is good] do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing" (gospels from memory). In other words, we don't need to know anything other than we are turning the other cheek and nothing we have done deserves it, if we are right before God.
Thanks for thinking this through with me.
God bless.
I.always thought that "turning the cheek" meant if you are slapped, don't take immediate retaliatory action. Restrain yourself, turn the cheek and let him slap you again. Restrain one more time - and that's it, just take a couple hits before you respond with a justified act of self defense.
Self control is part of the fruit of the Spirit? Being a pushing bag is not. Protect yourself, your family and your country after a reasonable amount of restraint, discussion, reasoning, negotiation. We don't become passive victims/fools just because of an improper interpretation of a scripture. "Love your enemies" works in many cases. I kind response to an assault can diffuse a person's anger. It worked for me when I got in an accident. The guy stormed out and started yelling and swearing, " Look what you did to my ___ car ... What the ___ didn't you see me ... you came into my lane ___ bla, bla, bla." He was angry. I remained calm, but was confused ... did not take the blame initially and so this fueled his anger. I saw him in the left lane at an intersection and thought he was turning, thatbitnwas a turn lane. "Weren't you turning left ... isn't that a turn lane?" "NO____.you cut me off ... we're suppose to vere right.pass thr intersection ____". "Hold on sir, I must report this accident ti my dispatch". I got on the radio and told dispatch I was in a minor accident, no injuries ... there seems to be a discrepancy ..." The livid man cut my conversation off, "DISCREPANCY ... WHAT THE _____ ____ ____ YOU CUT ME OFF ____ ____!" I still remained calm, spoke on a mild manner with a soft one. "Hold on a second sir". " Dispatch, I nèd you to send a van to pick my passengers up asap. This was protocol even though there was little damage and the airport was only 2 miles away. A report needed to be made, photos taken ... After the hit, I had pulled over pass the intersection and parked on the right side. So then I apologized to my passengers and told them they would get to their flights on time, just a ten minute delay. I then turned to the madman in my face at my window and said, "Hold on sir, I have to check this out". I git iutnif the van, walked back to the intersection and saw that his lane was not a turn lane and that my lane shifted to the right pass the intersection and I should have steered into it, but I went straight and in doing so cut him off. I weren't back to the madman and said, "You are right, it is my my fault ... my company will settle the damages with you. Please can we exchange driver's license and insurance info?" He settled down and later apologized for his outburst. Before my passengers left on the bother van, they came up to me and said, I can't believe how you handled that so calmly and well!" It was the Holy Spirit who kept me calm. Who knows what he would have done if I didn't turn the cheek several times. His vehicle was old, it was a bad part of town and he looked like derelict. I only tore off the plastic molding on his bumper at 2mph until I heard the sound and turned to the right and stopped. All that fuss for such a little fender bender.
Still wars are quite different, in a large scale of turning the cheek.
But who knows, this guy could have had a weapon and I could have been history if it escallated. In Los Angeles, people get shot for less.
