Turn the Other Cheek

Overcoming Evil

Matthew 5:38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist one who is evil. But if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also; and if anyone would sue you and take your coat, let him have your cloak as well; and if any one forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to him who begs from you, and do not refuse him who would borrow from you.

This is a misunderstood passage. Jesus is not saying we should be spineless passive cowards who submit to whatever evil we face. Jesus does not forbid self-defense - we are not passivists. In John 18:22 Jesus defends himself…more on that later. In this passage what Jesus forbids is returning evil for evil. We cannot overcome evil with more evil. We can only overcome evil with good.

Attack and Endure

When faced with evil we have 2 good options that are the 2 parts of Fortitude: Attack and Endure

  1. When you face evil, attack it, pounce on it, bar its entrance - Take initiative and change it if you can, but don’t remain passive in the face of evil

  2. When you have tried everything and you can’t change things, then you must

    1. Endure evil with patience, that is, without giving up, giving in or becoming evil yourself

Following Christ’s Example

Joseph Pieper, in his book The Four Cardinal Virtues, gives us the teaching of St Augustine and St Thomas Aquinas on this passage of the Sermon on the Mount

Christ Himself…whose earthly life was entirely permeated…by His readiness for sacrificial death, (His readiness to sacrifice that which is lesser to preserve that which is greater) — This same Christ drove the money-changers from the temple with a whip; and when (Jesus) the most patient of men stood before the high priest and was struck in the face by a servant, He did not turn the other cheek, but defended himself saying: “If I have spoken wrongly, bear witness to the wrong; but if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?” (John 18, 23). Thomas Aquinas…has pointed to the apparent contradiction between this scene and the injunction of the Sermon on the Mount: “I say unto you, resist not evil; if one strike you on the right cheek, offer him the other” (Matt. 5, 39). A passivistic interpretation is quite unable to solve this “contradiction.” Thomas explains…: “Holy Scripture must be understood in the light of what Christ and the saints have actually practiced. Christ did not offer His other cheek, nor Paul either. Thus to interpret the injunction of the Sermon on the Mount literally is to misunderstand it. This injunction signifies rather the readiness…to bear, if it be necessary, such things and worse, without bitterness against the attacker. This readiness our Lord showed, when He gave up His body to be crucified. That response of the Lord was useful, therefore, for our instruction.”

By His life and by his words Jesus shows us that we must fight evil to change it; and when we have done all we can and can do no more; then we are ready to endure and even give up our life for the greater good.

Fortitude

The readiness to meet the supreme test by dying in patient endurance so that the good may be realized does not exclude the willingness to fight and to attack.

In fact, it is this readiness to sacrifice lesser things for the sake of greater things that gives the Christian the proper detachment and freedom to do great things and overcome evil.

Fortitude is to

  1. Do what is right and good even when you don’t want to

  2. Endure what is evil without giving up, or giving in to evil 

There are two basic acts of fortitude:

  1. Attack  

  2. Endurance

1. Attack: 

  1. Do all you can to change what is bad

  2. Do the good even when you don’t want to

  3. Resist Temptations

  4. Defend the good – speak up, defend what is Right and Good

  5. Correct evil

2. Endure: Remain good in the face of evil

Once we have done all we can to fix or change a bad situation, and there is no more we can do for the moment or at all; Accept the things we cannot change; Offer them up and Unite them to the suffering of Christ; Trust He will work this for your greatest good and the greatest good of others; and Endure without becoming evil yourself 

Romans 8:28 God works all things for good for those who cooperate with Him.

  • Chronic illness

  • The death of a loved one

  • Being failed by a loved one

  • Being wronged by another

  • Bearing with a difficult person

  • Enduring difficult family or professional situations

Patience

The virtue of patience is necessary to harness the good God given power and emotion of anger. Patience is a special form of fortitude whereby we endure hardships cheerfully. Patience enables us to bear physical and moral sufferings without being overwhelmed by sorrow. Patience harnesses the emotions of anger and sorrow to help us take advantage of the good of suffering that purifies us of disordered attachments, increases our Faith, Hope and Love which is our capacity to receive the life of God, and helps us leverage our suffering to help save souls and change world events. Paul writes in Col. 1:24 I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake. And in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the Church.

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