Aphorisms Unplugged: Turn The Other Cheek

T
he phrase “turn the other cheek” has come to be interpreted as an admonishment to “just let it go.” But that understanding of this aphorism couldn’t be further from its original meaning.

“Turn the other cheek” is a Biblical reference, to a verse within Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount:

The Sermon on the Mount took place at a time when the Hebrew people were living under brutal Roman rule. So, think about who Jesus was talking to when he delivered that Sermon. Who was in that audience?  It was people who were being oppressed and persecuted on a daily basis.

Jesus prefaced this verse with the statement:

Yes, “an eye for an eye” is indeed intended to curb violence. It’s an expression of lex talionis, [3] “the principle or law of retaliation that a punishment inflicted should correspond in degree and kind to the offense of the wrongdoer.”[4]

But, Jesus’ message isn’t to not respond at all. Just don’t counter the offense with violence (equal or otherwise). Refuse to oppose mistreatment by mirroring its cruelty. What he is admonishing his audience to do, is assert their dignity in the face of oppression.[5]

Some Cultural Context.

How is offering someone a chance to mistreat you a second time asserting your dignity?

To understand the passage fully, we need to know a couple of things about ancient Mediterranean society. Jesus specified the “right cheek”. Why the right cheek? Because it indicates a back-handed slap, the kind intended to humiliate, degrade, and assert dominance.

And, how do we know it must be a back-handed slap? Because a punch, or striking with an open hand on the right cheek, would require it to be delivered with the offender’s left hand. And, in the absence of Charmin products, use of the left hand was restricted to personal hygiene. So, the left hand was considered culturally (not to mention literally) unclean.

Only the right hand was used for interpersonal interactions. Even when dealing with those regarded as inferior – as the Romans most assuredly considered the Hebrew people to be. Using the left hand would bring shame onto the person doing the striking. Therefore, the only possible blow to someone’s right cheek using the right hand was a back-handed slap.[6]

And, paradoxical as it may seem, turning the other cheek is not an invitation for continued abuse. It’s intended to force the aggressor (in this case a Roman soldier) into a moral/cultural crisis.[7]

Due to the aforementioned pre-Charmin restrictions, it isn’t possible to strike the left cheek with a back-handed slap. Since the soldier in question must use his right hand to clout the victim, the only possible blow to the victim’s left cheek is an open-handed slap or a punch.

The problem for a Roman soldier is that both of these gestures are only used in a conflict between equals. And, as with the prohibition to use the left hand for interpersonal interaction, doing otherwise would bring shame onto the person delivering the blows.

And, therein lies the moral/cultural dilemma. Does the soldier – who has clearly set out to establish dominance and humiliate the victim – shame himself by backhanding them with his left hand? Or does he treat a person the Roman empire has deemed inferior as though they are equal? It’s quite the conundrum.

In Conclusion

Jesus’ charge to turn the other cheek is clearly the call for a political act of nonviolent defiance. In his case, one directed toward a Roman oppressor.

We’ve seen similar acts of nonviolent defiance throughout American history. Responses to social injustice like the the National Woman’s Party picketing the White House during their suffrage campaign. Lunch counter sit-ins during the Civil Rights movement. The Black Lives Matter movement, as pictured above. Or the way citizens of Minneapolis blow whistles to alert their immigrant neighbors to the arrival of ICE agents.

And, that’s a far cry from the passive act of “just letting it go.”

Pair this with

Endnotes:

[1] Matthew 5:39. The New Oxford Annotated Bible. An Ecumenical Study Bible. Edited by Herbert G. May and Bruce M. Metzger. New York: Oxford University Press.

[2] Matthew 5:38. The New Oxford Annotated Bible. An Ecumenical Study Bible. Edited by Herbert G. May and Bruce M. Metzger. New York: Oxford University Press.

[3] “What Jesus Meant By ‘Turn the Other Cheek’ in Matthew 5:39. BibleProject. https://bibleproject.com/articles/what-jesus-meant-turn-other-cheek-matthew-539/

“Transcript of Walter Wink’s Nonviolence for the Violent.” Lutheran Peace Fellowship. https://www.lutheranpeace.org/articles/transcript-of-walter-winks-nonviolence-for-the-violent/

[4] Lex talionis. Dictionary.com

[5] Fr. Scott A. Haynes.  “’Turn the Other Cheek’: A Biblical Lesson in Dignity and Moral Resistance.” Mystical Theology. https://www.mysticaltheologyofthemass.com/post/turn-the-other-cheek-a-biblical-lesson-in-dignity-and-moral-resistance

[6] “What Jesus Meant By ‘Turn the Other Cheek’ in Matthew 5:39. BibleProject. https://bibleproject.com/articles/what-jesus-meant-turn-other-cheek-matthew-539/

“Transcript of Walter Wink’s Nonviolence for the Violent.” Lutheran Peace Fellowship. https://www.lutheranpeace.org/articles/transcript-of-walter-winks-nonviolence-for-the-violent/

Fr. Scott A. Haynes.  “’Turn the Other Cheek’: A Biblical Lesson in Dignity and Moral Resistance.” Mystical Theology. https://www.mysticaltheologyofthemass.com/post/turn-the-other-cheek-a-biblical-lesson-in-dignity-and-moral-resistance

[7] Fr. Scott A. Haynes.  “’Turn the Other Cheek’: A Biblical Lesson in Dignity and Moral Resistance.” Mystical Theology. https://www.mysticaltheologyofthemass.com/post/turn-the-other-cheek-a-biblical-lesson-in-dignity-and-moral-resistance

Images

Let it Go: Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

Some Cultural Context: Photo by Micah Camper on Unsplash

Black Lives Matter Protest: Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Reuters