Why “Turn the other cheek?”
Updated: July 2, 2025
This phrase comes straight from Jesus in His famous Sermon on the Mount as recorded in the Bible book of Matthew. It has been quoted ever since it was written, with many taking Jesus’ words to places He never intended.
Many think God disapproves of His people involved in violence of any kind. This cannot be true when considering the whole of scripture. Can Christians serve in the military or law enforcement? Can they be judges or prosecutors or serve on a jury? Can a Christian fight for the defenseless? Can a Christian defend themselves? According to scripture, the answer to all of these is an emphatic “yes!” The Bible records the deeds of many in these roles. The scripture specifically refers to such people as “God’s ministers.” Think of that: people doing God’s work of providing safety and security. If you are in a position of authority (even a parent!), then you have a responsibility to protect and defend. If God’s people can’t do God’s work, should we count on the ungodly to do it? Of course not. If ever we needed Christian people doing God’s will in these areas, it is now.
No, Jesus was neither telling us to invite evil through real or perceived weakness, nor was He advising us to acquiesce to evil’s threats or demands. He was not commanding us to be silent when the situation demands our voice. Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers…” and peace is often made by projecting strength and the threat of violence against the wrongdoer. In those words, Jesus is getting us to look at the bigger picture (the Kingdom of God), which includes both the visible and the invisible, the present and the future. He is not teaching total pacifism any more than His words on giving in the same sermon mean that we can’t ever own anything (“Lay not up for yourselves treasures…”), or that we can never tell anyone about our giving or fasting. No, we are instructed elsewhere to “resist the devil.” We don’t just accept whatever he or his evil ministers dish out.
Here is the sum of it: What if you had a Father with unlimited wealth, Who promised to make up for anything anyone ever did to you? What if He gave you the keys to His estate and promised to grant every request? Wouldn’t that inform your behavior whenever anyone wronged you? If you are a believer (See Why Born Again?), then this is talking about you! Anything we give, forgive, or give up can be committed to the Lord as a gift of obedience to this scripture. We can say, “I know that what they’re doing is wrong, but I will not return evil for evil as I know my Father will turn it around for my good!”
Jesus says that this can be our default position, the normal way we respond unless or until the Spirit of God leads us otherwise. This is faith, reflecting a total reliance on nothing but God’s supernatural providence (as it makes no sense from a natural, worldly point of view). This is what Jesus meant when He (later in the same sermon) said “store up treasure in heaven.” We lose our earthly expectation in favor of expecting God to recompense and make things right. When we do this it inevitably results in peace and reward. (See also Why Forgiveness?)
(Matthew 5:38-48, Matthew 6:19-21, Matthew 16:19, Romans 13:1-4, James 4:7, 1 Samuel 17:45-47, Proverbs 10:10 RSV, Proverbs 29:17, John 18:36, Hebrews 10:34-35, 1 Peter 3:9, 1 Peter 2:19-23)