Turn the Other Cheek

Matthew 5:38-42

Summary
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is not simply teaching us right doctrine or right behavior, but seeking to cultivate within us a right spirit, a spirit of love. While our natural instinct is to demand justice, defend our rights, and retaliate against those who wrong us, Jesus calls us to something radically different. He commands us to love others with a generosity and selflessness that often seems unreasonable, even when they do not deserve it. But how can we possibly love this way? The answer is found in the gospel. Jesus himself has loved us with precisely this kind of undeserved love. Only as we look to Christ in faith and are filled with his Holy Spirit can we begin to reflect that same love toward others.

Discussion Questions

1. Jesus is not merely concerned with right doctrine and right behavior, but also with cultivating a right spirit within us. Why is this distinction important? What does a spirit of love look like in the life of a Christian?
2. In Matthew 5:38-42, Jesus challenges our natural instinct to defend ourselves, demand our rights, and retaliate when we are wronged. Which of the four examples Jesus gives do you find most challenging? Why?
3. Jesus calls us to love others even when they do not deserve our love. How does this challenge the way we typically respond to difficult people? Can you think of a situation in your own life where you struggled to respond with this kind of love?
4. Jesus' teaching about turning the other cheek is sometimes misunderstood as a command to tolerate all wrongdoing or never stand up for ourselves or others. How can we distinguish between a godly pursuit of justice and a sinful desire for personal revenge?
5. In the sermon, we were reminded that we are not naturally the person turning the other cheek--we are the ones who have wronged Christ. How does remembering the undeserved love Jesus has shown us change the way we treat those who wrong us?
6. We cannot produce this kind of radical love through our own strength. We need the transforming work of the Holy Spirit. What are some practical ways we can cultivate a greater dependence upon the Spirit and grow in Christlike love toward others?
7. One sign of being filled with the Holy Spirit is learning to see Christ himself in the needy people God places in our lives (Matthew 25:40). Who might God be calling you to love more generously, patiently, or sacrificially this week?