The book talks a lot about how Jesus' methods of doing things were completely different from anything else - that his "kingdom's" focus was far different that any others. Specifically his reactions to injustice and violence. The book argues that Christ's method was neither passive nor vengeful, but an alternative "third way". The authors point to Jesus' teachings in the Sermon on the Mount and the idea of "turning the other cheek" (Matt. 5:38-42):
"When hit on the cheek, turn and look the person in the eye (v. 39). In the orderly Jewish culture, a person would hit someone only with the right hand. In some Jewish communities, if you hit someone with the left hand, you could be banished for ten days. So a person would have to use a back slap to hit someone on the right cheek with the right hand. It's clear that Jesus described a backhand, like an abusive husband to a wife or a master to a slave. It was slap to insult, degrade, and humiliate, a slap meant not for an equal but for an inferior, to put someone in their place. But by turning the cheek, the other person said, 'I am a human being, made in the image of God, and you cannot destroy that.' Do not cower and do not punch back. Make sure the person looks into your eyes and sees your sacred humanity , and it will become increasingly harder for that person to hurt you." (Claiborne & Haw, pgs. 92-93)
It seems to me that most of the interpretation regarding this Scripture centers on meekly submitting to the assailant and allowing God to have His justice rather than you fighting back or seeking vengeance on your own. Claiborne and Haw's take on the passage is entirely different - there is a powerful dignity and boldness to be found within the victim's reaction. It is as though they are actively fighting back without violence and not simply allowing themselves to be passively tread upon.
This idea really struck me and i think it is a good lesson for the church as a whole. Especially within the culture, I think Christians have a tendency to stoop to either violence or passivity and fail to go that "third way". Often we either passively wait as culture passes us by and we are rendered totally irrelevant or we over-aggressively attack it back and completely alienate the people around us.
A specific example that comes to mind for me is the homosexual marriage debate. Obviously many Christians are very outspoken against anything having to do with homosexuals. There is a whole bunch of homophobia and aggressive verbal attacking that goes on from people claiming Christ. On the other end of the spectrum, there are the more "PC" Christians who, embarrassed by their more conservative brethren, are highly passive and willing to give into the marriage thing so that people aren't offended and turned away from the Gospel. I definitely fall more on the "PC" side of things, but as I've thought about it more and been confronted with this "third way" stuff, the more I believe that there is a way for traditional, God-ordained marriage to "turn its cheek" and show that it is sacred and created by God and that it is OK to stand up for marriage and kids having a normal mom and dad. It is also OK to offend some people (there are good and bad ways to do it) because the Gospel is offensive and Jesus was offensive - but He spoke the truth and stood up for the truth and he did it without being passive or violent.
Honestly, I don't know what taking the "third way" looks like in this particular situation (and many other situations) and it is oftentimes scary, but it is something that I'm going to try to work on.
3 comments:
I originally started this post with the intention of disagreeing with that interpretation of the verse. However, after thinking about it and reading more I have found that I do agree.
Here is the mentioned verse and then a similar verse in Luke:
Matt. 5:39-40 (ESV)
But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.
Luke 6:29 (ESV)
To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either.
When I read the part about giving your tunic to the man who stole your cloak, I thought for sure Jesus was saying that we should passively let him take it. But when I read that the tunic was a garment worn next to the skin under the cloak I started to think about what that would look like.
Imagine someone steals your pants and you give them your underwear. This would completely expose you to them. They would be forced to look at your nakedness and think about what they had just done. This is another way to "look them in the eye" after they slapped you in the face. Awesome!
I've been trying to think of how this could apply to homosexual marriage, but I'm not sure how that can be done.
Anyway, thanks for posting and making me think.
This 3rd way stuff is the Christianity that I want to be a part of. Everything in our lives in this Gospel third way. Everything.
Thanks for showing this third way Brian.
actually right after the part about turning the other cheek, the book talks about the tunic example and said basically exactly what you said, Aaron.
They also mention the next example about walking another mile with someone when they ask you to walk one mile. They said that Roman soldiers used to ask citizens to walk a mile with them and carry their equipment for them, but Roman law limited the distance they could make a citizen go with them to one mile and military code even forbade soldiers to have people go more than a mile with them.
So the thought here is that you don't angrily resist the Roman Empire by refusing to go, and you don't simply walk meekly beside them and do their bidding. Instead you build a relationship over that mile, and you go as equals and when they dismiss you, you insist on going another mile with him. Because of you living out the third way and your compassion and friendship, the soldier would break his own code to continue on that relationship for at least another mile.
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