Connect Luke 22:50 with Matthew 5:39 on turning the other cheek. Connecting the Two Scenes • Luke 22:50: “And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.” • Matthew 5:39: “But I tell you not to resist an evil person. If someone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” At first glance these verses seem at odds—violent action in the garden versus Jesus’ teaching of non-retaliation. A closer look shows perfect unity. Setting the Stage in Luke 22 • Location: Gethsemane, moments before Jesus’ arrest. • Peter (cf. John 18:10) reacts instinctively to protect Jesus. • Jesus immediately heals the servant’s ear (Luke 22:51) and stops further violence. • Key truth: Jesus refuses to advance His kingdom by force (John 18:36). Setting the Stage in Matthew 5 • Part of the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus reorients His followers’ hearts. • “Turn the other cheek” addresses personal retaliation, not governmental justice. • Jesus calls disciples to mirror God’s mercy in everyday insults and injuries. Jesus Models What He Preaches • In Gethsemane Jesus could summon “twelve legions of angels” (Matthew 26:53), yet He yields. • He not only forbids retaliation; He reverses the damage done by His own disciple. • By healing the ear, He literally “turns the other cheek” on behalf of His attacker. Human Impulse vs. Divine Mission • Peter’s sword represents trusting the flesh; Jesus’ restraint shows reliance on the Father’s plan (Isaiah 53:7). • Violence would have derailed salvation’s timeline; submission secured it (Hebrews 5:8-9). Implications for Today • Personal offense: choose mercy over retaliation. • Verbal insults: respond with blessing (Romans 12:14). • Persecution: entrust justice to God (1 Peter 2:23). • Defense of the gospel: rely on spiritual, not carnal, weapons (2 Corinthians 10:3-4). Related Scriptures • Proverbs 20:22—“Do not say, ‘I will repay evil’; wait for the LORD, and He will save you.” • Romans 12:17-21—overcome evil with good. • 1 Thessalonians 5:15—seek what is good for everyone. Takeaway Peter’s sword stroke and Jesus’ cheek-turning command are not contradictions but a vivid lesson: disciples are called to lay down the sword of personal vengeance and pick up the cross of sacrificial love, just as their Master did. |
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