In today’s Gospel Jesus tells us to turn the other cheek. This is contrary to our natural desire to seek revenge, to get even. We don’t like it when someone puts one over on us, gets the best of us, gains an unfair advantage.
Last night our son Tim came over for dinner. Somehow, the conversation after dinner got around to high school experiences, particularly bullies and their victims. Kids can be very cruel creatures, almost like animals in the jungle. Some seem to be able to recognize weakness in others and to use that weakness to their advantage.
When I was in grade school and even into high school, I used to get beat up on a fairly regular basis. Schools have clamped down on fighting nowadays, so the abuse is more verbal and mental, rather than out and out physical violence. I’m not so sure that the old way wasn’t better. Today, I hear that even the Internet is being used as a tool to make some kids’ lives miserable, spreading malicious rumors about the unpopular kids. One well thought-out email, sent to the right people can ruin a kid’s entire high school experience, maybe even drive them to something as serious as suicide or the Columbine High School tragedy.
So what are we supposed to do about Jesus’ instruction to turn the other cheek? Whether we’re talking about the kid in high school who made our lives miserable, or a boss who builds himself up by tearing us down, or the idiot on the highway who thinks his time is so valuable that it’s ok to run us off the road, risking injury or even death just so long as he gets where he’s going two minutes sooner, are we really supposed to say “please sir, may I have another?”
I think he’s telling us that responding in kind, seeking revenge, is not the answer. As we decided last night, we don’t gain by lowering ourselves to the level of the bully. The campus big shot, who builds up his own self-esteem by picking on kids who are small, or overweight, or who have some other obvious weakness, thinks that he can get through life that way. Most of the time, he (or she) finds out too late that when you become an adult, the person you picked on in school is likely to turn out to be your boss.
At the ten year reunion, the now overweight high school jock just might be surprised that the “geek” that he picked on for all those years has become rich and successful and married to a beauty queen. Meanwhile, the former bully spends his days flipping hamburgers.
The bully of a boss soon finds out that his type of management doesn’t work for long. Sooner or later he (or she) will have to explain to someone over them why they have such high turnover and such poor results. Most likely, they’ll end up on the street, looking for another job and wondering what happened.
As far as the highway terrorist, sooner or later the day will probably come when they take one chance too many and end up in a ditch. Hopefully only their car and their pride are damaged.
Of course, even if their payback doesn’t come in this life, Jesus assures us that our reward will be great in heaven. Vengeance is mine, says the Lord. It’s not up to us to exact revenge. So yes, turn the other cheek Remember that in John’s Gospel Jesus says “you are my friends if you do what I tell you.” With Him as our friend, can anyone else really hurt us?
Last night our son Tim came over for dinner. Somehow, the conversation after dinner got around to high school experiences, particularly bullies and their victims. Kids can be very cruel creatures, almost like animals in the jungle. Some seem to be able to recognize weakness in others and to use that weakness to their advantage.
When I was in grade school and even into high school, I used to get beat up on a fairly regular basis. Schools have clamped down on fighting nowadays, so the abuse is more verbal and mental, rather than out and out physical violence. I’m not so sure that the old way wasn’t better. Today, I hear that even the Internet is being used as a tool to make some kids’ lives miserable, spreading malicious rumors about the unpopular kids. One well thought-out email, sent to the right people can ruin a kid’s entire high school experience, maybe even drive them to something as serious as suicide or the Columbine High School tragedy.
So what are we supposed to do about Jesus’ instruction to turn the other cheek? Whether we’re talking about the kid in high school who made our lives miserable, or a boss who builds himself up by tearing us down, or the idiot on the highway who thinks his time is so valuable that it’s ok to run us off the road, risking injury or even death just so long as he gets where he’s going two minutes sooner, are we really supposed to say “please sir, may I have another?”
I think he’s telling us that responding in kind, seeking revenge, is not the answer. As we decided last night, we don’t gain by lowering ourselves to the level of the bully. The campus big shot, who builds up his own self-esteem by picking on kids who are small, or overweight, or who have some other obvious weakness, thinks that he can get through life that way. Most of the time, he (or she) finds out too late that when you become an adult, the person you picked on in school is likely to turn out to be your boss.
At the ten year reunion, the now overweight high school jock just might be surprised that the “geek” that he picked on for all those years has become rich and successful and married to a beauty queen. Meanwhile, the former bully spends his days flipping hamburgers.
The bully of a boss soon finds out that his type of management doesn’t work for long. Sooner or later he (or she) will have to explain to someone over them why they have such high turnover and such poor results. Most likely, they’ll end up on the street, looking for another job and wondering what happened.
As far as the highway terrorist, sooner or later the day will probably come when they take one chance too many and end up in a ditch. Hopefully only their car and their pride are damaged.
Of course, even if their payback doesn’t come in this life, Jesus assures us that our reward will be great in heaven. Vengeance is mine, says the Lord. It’s not up to us to exact revenge. So yes, turn the other cheek Remember that in John’s Gospel Jesus says “you are my friends if you do what I tell you.” With Him as our friend, can anyone else really hurt us?
posted by Mike at 11:00 PM
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