God MathSample

When Cameron plays pretend-fighting with our nephew, he often jokingly tells him, “You want maar??” Unsurprisingly, his nephew never says, “Yes! But make it two, please.”🤣

But in Matthew 5, Jesus says something that may surprise you:

“Do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.” – Matthew 5:39-41

Is Jesus really suggesting that if someone slaps us, we should invite them to slap us again? On the surface, it seems like He’s asking us to passively accept injustice.

The true meaning of this verse cannot be understood outside its cultural context. Jesus was referring to a backhanded slap, which, in those days, was considered the greatest insult and was used by masters to demean slaves. Turning the other cheek required the aggressor to execute the next strike with an open hand, a gesture reserved for equals, not inferiors.

In other words, turning the other cheek wasn’t about accepting humiliation—it was an act of creative resistance, saying, “I am not intimidated by you. You hold no power over me. You cannot insult me because my honour is not dependent on human approval.”

When Jesus said, “Do not resist an evil person,” He didn’t mean do nothing. Instead, He was demonstrating a radical form of nonviolent retaliation—a way to confront injustice without resorting to aggression.

Have you felt “slapped” lately? Are you being humiliated, hurt or shamed by someone? Ask the Holy Spirit to show you how to “turn the other cheek” in your specific situation.

And remember what Jesus said:

“In Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33

Hey! You are a Chamatkar

Jenny Mendes

P.S. This is the final day of this plan. The texts from this reading plan come from the daily email subscription Chamatkar Every Day. If you'd like to receive a daily encouraging email, I invite you to subscribe here.