Meekness is not Weakness
“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. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. -Matthew 5:38-42
Theologian/Christian Hip Hop artist KB says in his song “Anomaly,” “You think being meek is weak, huh? Try being meek for a week.”
Meekness is not weakness. Turning the other cheek is not weakness. It takes great strength to live out what Jesus calls his followers to do in the sermon on the mount, especially this paragraph and the next. In fact, I would argue that this is an unattainable standard Jesus has set. Martin Luther was angry at God for requiring a standard he knew we could not meet. That was until Luther understood the gospel. He came to understand that God met the righteous requirements of the Law for us in Jesus.
Paul writes to the Church in Rome in Romans 8:2-4, “For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”
We spend so much effort trying to fulfill the righteous requirements of the law in our lives when we should really trust God for all he has done. When we truly trust him and love him we will naturally begin to do the things he calls us to do. We will still fail because our hearts love to go astray, but when we truly trust in him for our righteousness and truly know just how good of a Father he is we do not hesitate to run back to him. Jesus willingly gave himself up for us, more than turning the other cheek, so that we would have life in him. Today, walk according to the Spirit and seek no retaliation for those who have done you wrong. When we want to retaliate we are not forgiving. Here’s the thing, though. Forgiveness has much more to do with your heart than another’s actions/inaction. There is freedom and healing in forgiving and not needing to retaliate. The Spirit will give you what you need to live this out. Trust him and live out Christ’s call.
-Brad Holloway (Covenant Member)