Karate chops of Jesus’ blessings and woes of last week continue in today’s reading. The heart of Jesus’ revolution is about non-violent violence. Your enemy expects you to fight back, to hate, to curse, to strike out. When he receives the unexpected, he is thrown off balance and becomes disoriented and confused. The wind is taken out of the “sails” of violence.
The underlying message of the one turning the cheek is, “Your first attempt to insult and hurt me has failed; would you like to try it again? Is there not an alternative to violence?” The turned cheek has a spiritual violence about it—a karate chop to the soul.
Notice how Jesus gives a way out of chronic anger on the part of one attempted to be made a victim by some evil persecutor. If your heart is filled with prayer, blessing, and love for your enemy, joy can never be taken away from you.
What are “Bible Breaths”? Learn More…
Example: Loving all my enemies v. 27
Sundays are dedicated to the Gospels from the Revised Common Lectionary.
In year C, we generally read from the Gospel of Luke.
For all the Firestarters I recommend the ebook. You will have the entire program of well over a thousand of these introductions with you on your phone or tablet. Check the menu options at the site for more information.
The Bible Through the Seasons 