Living Beyond Offense: 7 Days Exploring Forgivenessಮಾದರಿ

Forgiveness Is Not Ignoring

In 2020, Nigerian-American hip-hop artist Tobe Nwigwe unapologetically said out loud what many people throughout history have quietly said to themselves upon hearing Jesus’s instruction to turn the other cheek (Matthew 5:38-39 ESV). In the wake of the deaths of Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain, and George Floyd and what felt like calls for Christians to ignore injustice for the sake of unity, Nwigwe sent out this public service announcement: “Try Jesus, not me.” As a Christian, Nwigwe sought to be a peaceful man, but if someone harmed him or his family, he wouldn’t be turning the other cheek like Jesus commanded. Things were bound to get physical.

Like Nwigwe, I struggle with Jesus’s turn-the-other-cheek theology. When I get to this part of Jesus’s inaugural sermon, my amens also begin to fade. Jesus, do You really want me to get slapped again?

Though much of the Bible can be readily understood, some passages require a kind of archaeological dig. Jesus’s teaching on cheek-turning is one of them. You’ve got to pull out some commentaries to dig up the historical, cultural, and social contexts. You’ve got to do some word studies to examine how our English definitions compare with those of the original Hebrew or Greek. And sometimes you’ve got to consider the whole counsel of Scripture and ask the question: What couldn’t this mean?

What Jesus Doesn't Mean

In light of His character and the whole counsel of Scripture, here’s what Jesus couldn’t mean when He commands us to turn the other cheek:

1. To willfully allow someone to continuously sin against you.

Remember, Jesus hates sin. Whether you are the one sinning against someone or someone is sinning against you, Jesus hates it. If someone’s lying tongue betrays you or wicked heart abuses you, Jesus would not be on board with them doing further harm. He came to rid the world of sin, not to promote it. He came to establish a new Kingdom filled with shalom, not more sin. If turning the other cheek means willfully allowing someone to continuously sin against you, this creates more opportunity for sin to flourish. This is the antithesis of shalom. But Jesus and His teachings are meant to be a conduit of more shalom, not more sin—so turning the other cheek can’t mean staying and letting someone continue to abuse or sin against you. It must mean something else.

2. To ignore sin.

Turning the other cheek also can’t be a call to ignore sin. Nowhere in Scripture do we see God, the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit ignoring sin. The triune God ain’t no Swiffer Sweeper. When Israel sinned against Him, God sent prophets to confront them about their sin and plead with them to turn back to Him. The Holy Spirit’s chief responsibility is to “convict the world concerning sin” (John 16:8 ESV) and through His teaching, Jesus is faithful to do the same. Prior to His command to turn the other cheek, Jesus calls out those who have proverbially slapped their neighbors’ cheeks with insults. He says to them, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council” (Matthew 5:21-22 ESV). Jesus doesn’t overlook their sinful anger or insults; He rebukes them. He doesn’t ignore sin; He confronts it. And, as His followers, He calls us to do the same.