I was unable to sleep last night and while browsing the web I came across the Willow Creek Community Church website. Remembering they were supposed to have Rob Bell teach recently, I decided to poke around and see if the video was there. Sure enough, it was. So I figured, “Hey, I can kill an hour”, and decided to watch.
Regardless of what you believe about Rob Bell, you need to watch this message. There’s nothing heretical in it, nor is there anything blasphemous (and to be honest, I’ve never personally heard Bell teach anything heretical or blasphemous). I recommend watching the whole message (it lasts about an hour). Note: if the correct video doesn’t autoplay, choose from the list below the main video.)
Anyways, here’s my notes:
“Familiarity breeds unfamiliarity.”
- Dallas Willard
I.E. You hear something so often that it loses its edge, vitality and life.
Scripture text: Matthew 5:38-41
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 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. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.
resist – “violent revenge” in the original Greek.
Turn the other cheek – often taught that if you’re really serious about following Jesus, then when someone wrongs you, when you suffer injustice, you’re just supposed to take it, that’s what Jesus wants you to do.
“If you’re a woman in an abusive relationship, you’re just supposed to ‘turn the other cheek’ and take it, making Jesus the founder of the First Church of the Spineless.”
“Is there anything else going on here that might inform what it means to ‘turn the other cheek’?”
First century culture was hierarchal, and violence was no exception. There were two ways to hit a person: a punch with a closed right fist, and a slap with the back of the right hand. Punches were reserved for equals, slaps were reserved for those who you deemed ‘lower’.
Therefore, in that culture, if someone hit you on the right cheek (as the verse says), that meant they were slapping you with the back of their right hand – insulting you, deeming you a lesser being. When Jesus said “turn to him the other also”, was he saying by turning the other cheek we are forcing our oppressors to treat us as equal?
Jesus doesn’t stop there.
In the first century you generally wore two garments: a tunic and a cloak. So Jesus says that if you find yourself in a position where someone sues you for your tunic, give them your cloak also, exposing your nakedness. In that culture, the shame of nakedness was not on the one who was naked, but the one who saw the nakedness (e.g. Noah). Who has the power now?
“And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.” – a subtle reference to Roman military law. By law, a Roman soldier could order any civilian to carry his pack, but only up to one mile. Generally, we have what to carry packs in the first century? Donkeys and mules. But Jesus says, “go with him two miles.” How would it look if, after carrying a soldier’s pack for a mile, you kept walking? If his commander saw that, what would happen? Who has the power now?
Our world generally teaches us that when you are wronged, you have two options – do nothing or return the wrong.
- Do Nothing – passivity, which leaves you powerless and always leads to despair.
- Return the Wrong – revenge, which always escalates, keeping the pain in circulation (relational Pong).
Was Jesus presenting a third way?
A third way…
- protects human dignity at all costs (i.e. you don’t have to take this).
- takes tremendous strength, courage, creativity and spinal fortitude (revenge doesn’t take strength, it’s the easy way out).
- leaves room for the other party to change (i.e. repentance)
When you return the wrong, you elliminate the chance of the other person repenting. You always have options. When wronged, always ask, “Is there a third way here?”; a third way can open the door for you to share the gospel.
About forty minutes in, Bell shares a very tough story involving a member of Mars Hill who went through a very abusive marriage and how the third way applies in that type of situation.
You always have options.
