Refuse to Retaliate
“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.” - Matthew 5:39
Most of us know how it feels to be insulted. Maybe someone undercut your reputation, spread lies behind your back, or disrespected you to your face. In those moments, your first instinct is rarely calm and grace. You want to clap back. You want to prove your point. You want to protect yourself.
But Jesus painted a very different picture of what kingdom character looks like. When He mentioned a slap on the right cheek, He was referring to an open cultural insult, not physical violence. It was the kind of disrespect that made people feel dishonored. And Jesus’ response? Turn the other cheek.
This is not weakness. It is power under control. It is not letting people walk all over you. It is choosing not to walk like the world. Jesus never said you would not be insulted. He said when you are, you do not have to retaliate. He was not inviting you into passivity. He was calling you into spiritual maturity.
Because when you retaliate, you stoop. But when you refrain, you rise. When you choose humility over revenge, restraint over rage, and grace over getting even, you mirror the very character of Christ. That is what He did on the cross. They spat in His face, slapped Him, and mocked Him. Yet He chose silence. He chose surrender. He chose to absorb the insult for the sake of something greater.
If we are followers of that same Jesus, we cannot keep reacting like the world expects. The world says, “Protect your pride.” Jesus says, “Reflect my love.” That means you might have to walk away from the fight your flesh wants to win. Not because you are scared, but because you are submitted. And submission to Christ is always stronger than revenge from the flesh.
Next time someone insults you, do not react in your pride. Respond with His presence. It is not natural, but it is supernatural. And it is exactly the kind of response that shows people you belong to a different Kingdom.
Most of us know how it feels to be insulted. Maybe someone undercut your reputation, spread lies behind your back, or disrespected you to your face. In those moments, your first instinct is rarely calm and grace. You want to clap back. You want to prove your point. You want to protect yourself.
But Jesus painted a very different picture of what kingdom character looks like. When He mentioned a slap on the right cheek, He was referring to an open cultural insult, not physical violence. It was the kind of disrespect that made people feel dishonored. And Jesus’ response? Turn the other cheek.
This is not weakness. It is power under control. It is not letting people walk all over you. It is choosing not to walk like the world. Jesus never said you would not be insulted. He said when you are, you do not have to retaliate. He was not inviting you into passivity. He was calling you into spiritual maturity.
Because when you retaliate, you stoop. But when you refrain, you rise. When you choose humility over revenge, restraint over rage, and grace over getting even, you mirror the very character of Christ. That is what He did on the cross. They spat in His face, slapped Him, and mocked Him. Yet He chose silence. He chose surrender. He chose to absorb the insult for the sake of something greater.
If we are followers of that same Jesus, we cannot keep reacting like the world expects. The world says, “Protect your pride.” Jesus says, “Reflect my love.” That means you might have to walk away from the fight your flesh wants to win. Not because you are scared, but because you are submitted. And submission to Christ is always stronger than revenge from the flesh.
Next time someone insults you, do not react in your pride. Respond with His presence. It is not natural, but it is supernatural. And it is exactly the kind of response that shows people you belong to a different Kingdom.
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