What does the “turn the other cheek” Bible verse mean? How does Jesus expect us to respond to that? Does that mean you have to accept abuse and not defend yourself when someone attacks you?
"Turn the other cheek" biblical context
This is another one of those confusing verses that gets ripped off the page and manipulated to say things that don’t fit the context.
Matthew 5 is a part of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus’ most famous sermon. He was teaching to Jewish disciples who thought they would be considered righteous in God’s sight by following the law to perfection. But Jesus came not to abolish the law, but to accomplish it, and to help them understand what it really meant.
First Jesus dealt with the issue of murder. He sets it up with the external focus (“You have heard that it was said…’Do not murder…’”). But then He goes a step further to the internal focus. It’s not good enough to just get through the day without killing someone. “But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.”
Then Jesus goes on to adultery. The law said not to commit adultery, which is to have sexual relations with someone outside of your marriage. That’s the external focus. He takes it further to the internal, saying that if you even lust, you’ve committed adultery in your heart. It’s not enough to just not have sex with someone who isn’t your spouse. Go beyond the external, but look at the internal heart and thoughts that lead to the wrong external actions.
On divorce, Jesus laid out that according to the law, people could divorce their wives if they wanted just by writing her a certificate of divorce. But once again, Jesus says go above and beyond that, and only allow divorce if there is adultery. And even then, it’s preferred to reconcile if you can.
On love, Jesus quotes the law that says to love your neighbor and hate your enemy. Again, Jesus goes further and says you should also love your enemies and pray for those who hurt you. This is some hard stuff!
Breaking down "turn the other cheek" verses
With that context and pattern established, let’s get to the verses in question.
You have heard the law that says… ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’
You have to understand in this time, many people were taking it out of context and using it as an excuse to retaliate against other people. But that principle was given in the context of legal punishment for crimes, not for individual interactions.
If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also.
Jesus said as Christians, you don’t have the right to always retaliate when people hurt you. Instead, seek reconciliation, even if it seems like you’re the one losing out in the end.
Conclusion: What does "turning the other cheek" mean?
What does this all mean? Jesus was dealing with self-righteous, legalistic people. He wanted to teach them to go above and beyond the minimum expectations, and to focus on internal thoughts and feelings, not external actions.