Turn the other cheek...

It has taken a few days of thinking to deal with this sections of the Sermon on the Mount and still I am struggling with this passage. Tom Wright explained that the Old Testament idea of "...an eye for an eye..." was actually an attempt to limit vengeance and to keep revenge from accelerating as people sought revenge. He said it was the first step toward mercy. I can understand this. When I was teaching much of my time was devoted to settling disputes and fights. The most common response when I ask why someone had hit another student was that the student had called him a name. As the name calling accelerated they came to the place where no verbal insult was enough and the punching started. Student found it very hard to be the first to step back and say "Wait a minute this is getting out of hand." We put such a value on winning, success, and victory that choosing another path seems like losing.

We hate to be the first to give in, to take what seems to be second place or to take the servant role. Kids are often incredulous when you suggest using the golden rule, "treat them as you wish to be treated." They want them to do it first. As adults we seem too have the same problem. The other guy had to show mercy first, apologise first, admit they were wrong first or we can not forgive. Yet as Christians we should know that God forgave us before we sinned. His grace is there waiting for us to realize we need it and accept it.

This part of the sermon is difficult because it calls us to act with "loving kindness and mercy" which for some reason we think of a being weak. But this is how God act towards us.