Let the significance of this image sink in as you think on Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:41: “If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.”
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Interesting picture. Is that a Nazi soldier? Is this an illustration of our need to consider our enemies, possibly taking the time to communicate with them? Or to look at our enemies differently, the way Jesus sees them, not with hatred, but with compassion?
To be sure, spirituality must transcend worldly ethics, but no virtue is a good out of context. For example, truth unmoderated by kindness and generosity can become a harsh destructive force. So too, tolerance, forgiveness and generosity need to be balanced with intelligence, courage and creativity.
To understand this verse is to understand that resisting evil is neither retaliating, nor fleeing, neither fight nor flight, but living your values.
Wow. That is a powerful image right there. An icon even. So much I could say, but nothing that the picture doesn’t say already.
Brilliant
A while back someone posted on Facebook: “If someone compels you to bake a cake, bake him two”.
I am going to take a different view. This an act of divine resistance. For the Roman soldier to have the christian carry his load more than one roman mile, 1000 paces, would have been a violation of the Law. So the Christian would struggle with the Soldier to want to carry the load “twain.” Thus putting the soldier in a tough spot.
I think whole idea of loving your enemies, should really be about, “Do Not Over React. Keep your cool.”
Siege that just ended in Oregon was a huge over reaction.
It is tough understand the times and culture of the Bible 2000 years later. I think we get a lot of the Bible wrong.
The context seems to imply ‘resist not’ throughout. ‘Someone borrows, give; if slapped, give the other cheek; someone takes from you, give him more’. Being clever, at least in this case, does not seem to be the context. Perhaps there are times to be clever (like Paul claiming rights as Roman citizen) but here, it’s not cleverness, but being sacrificial in our responses. Usually the strength of our outwitting someone is more carnal than godly. My view, this is one of the reasons Christians are ineffective – they are too busy being clever, instead of Christlike.
I think it is important to look at the world of the first century and see how they saw things. Sometimes we put our on present view of the world on to the past.
Turn the other cheek was also defiance. When being hit, the appropriate response was to cower in fear. Turning the other cheek was like saying, “I’m not cowering from you, have another go!”
I can see and respect both sides of this argument, but I agree with you. The defiance interpretation makes more sense to me, both in squaring with scripture as a whole, and in what is practical and what works in everyday life. I think one problem in the church is the teaching of ‘doormat theology.’ Just be milquetoast, passive, non-violent no matter what, just let people take advantage of you, use you, and exploit you. As if this brings glory to Jesus’ name. It usually does just the opposite. Christians aren’t seen as loving, they’re seen as week, wimpy, cowards, pushovers. People usually don’t see love in that, they just see weakness.
Dave, I suppose I could agree with you within certain contexts. However, your argument doesn’t address whose nature we are representing. The Sermon on the Mount are principles of the Kingdom of God. As ambassadors of that Kingdom we’re to represent the nature of Christ, not a political group, demanding equality; nor are we expressing legitimacy as individuals. We can be certain that approach wasn’t taken when Jesus was humiliated. He was not thinking when slapped, “I’m just as good as you”. Carrying our cross is our daily experience (Gal.2.20), why? Because our defiance is not our power, but the cross is – 1Cor.1.18
Responding here as there is no reply link in your other post. It’s a tricky issue. The problem that remains is this too often gets turned into doormat theology, which in my opinion can bring shame to His cause, not glory. Yes, we must pick up our cross daily. What does that entail? Being a doormat for others to exploit? I don’t think so. When it comes to following Jesus’ example, yes we should, and yet we have to be careful too. Jesus forgave sins, and yet I don’t recommend that we should take on His authority and say that others sins are forgiven before God. Some of these passages are difficult to apply. If your hand offends thee, chop it off…..hmm….and yet I don’t see christians chopping their hands off, nor should they. These passages and issues are challenging to properly unpack, and I certainly wouldn’t be dogmatic about my take on them. I think the entire time, Jesus operated from a position of power and control. When he was arrested:
Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” 5They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.”a Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. 6When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
I find this passage amazing. He said ‘I AM’ In essence, He said His name, and from the power of Him stating His Name, they fell to the ground. He was in complete control of the situation, and demonstrated His power, and yet, He had a mission to fulfill that involved submitting.
and later….
So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” 11Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above.
Jesus isn’t cowering in fear, He’s a bold and brazen as ever, projecting strength in the midst of it.
At least that’s how I read it.
Dave; you and I are not too far from each other. To offer the other cheek to anyone smaller than myself is harder than someone larger. “He could have called 10000 Angels”. However, neither was Steven’s death ‘doormat theology’. He recognized where all power resided. Even secularists recognize, knowing who you are, is the basis for our dignity. What is wonderful for the Christian, is our identity is in Christ -‘The Joy of the Lord is our strength’. If our life is hid in Christ, no one can take anything from us. But if we have our joy from any other identity, we become vulnerable and weak; because there will always be someone bigger and stronger than ourselves.