Scripture:
"But I say to you, do not resist him who is evil: but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also" (Matthew 5:39)
"Jesus said: Ye have heard, it was said of old, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say unto you RESIST NOT EVIL. But if one smites thee on the right cheek, turn him the other also; and if one will go to law thee to take thy coat from thee, give him thy cloak also." (Matthew 5:38-40 KJV)
Reflection:
These two verses are my favorite two verses in the whole of Scriptures. They are also the most difficult to live by. Turning the other cheek is very, very, hard to do. Your not only to turn the other cheek, your supposed to give him the other one. Give....Me....A....Break! Who in the world can do that? Well apparently we can. I think we need to remember a few things here. Evil will win some battles, but it will not win the war. You know why? Because our faith in Jesus Christ tells us not to resist evil but to be better than evil.Thats right! EVIL CANNOT SURVIVE GOD;S GOODNESS. and God's goodness is in us. Also remember that when you violently resist evil, often you become like evil. Evil often time lies in the violence. Goodness cannot become evil, then evil does win. I know how hard it is, but we must keep turning the other cheek. The more we turn the other cheek, the more God's goodness shines. Do me a favor will you? The next time we hear rumors of a war, let's remember these two verses. And let's remember one more thing, Jesus tells us to take care of the logs in our own eyes before we look for the specks in others.
Prayer:
Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred . . . let me sow love Where there is injury . . . pardon Where there is doubt . . . faith Where there is despair . . . hope Where there is darkness . . . light Where there is sadness . . . joy O, Divine Master, Grant that I may not so much seek To be consoled . . . as to console To be understood . . . as to understand, To be loved . . . as to love For it is in giving . . . that we receive, It is in pardoning, that we are pardoned, It is in dying . . . that we are born to eternal life.
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