Turn the Other Cheek

Turn the Other Cheek

Jesus commanded His followers not to resist evil with evil, but to turn the other cheek and go the extra mile. This calls us to break the cycle of retaliation - not out of weakness, but from strength rooted in God's justice. It matters because responding to harm with more harm only multiplies pain. In everyday life, this looks like refusing to return insults, choosing patience when provoked, and trusting God to make things right in His time.

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Category
Character & Conduct

Key Passages

Resist not evil; turn the other cheek

Matthew 5:39-42

Jesus commands a radical non-retaliation that breaks the cycle of violence - not passive weakness but active refusal to let evil dictate one's response.

B39ut I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. 41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. 42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

Did You Know?

1

This teaching is not about passivity but about refusing to retaliate in kind.

2

Jesus modeled this when He was struck and insulted during His trial.

3

It breaks the cycle of revenge and points to a different kind of power. the power of the kingdom.