Growing up in church culture, it was not uncommon to hear certain Scriptures twisted or taken out of context. After all, Satan has his own agenda, which is why he places wolves in sheep’s clothing within the body of Christ. He knows he cannot get everyone to dismiss God’s Word entirely because it does not come back void, so he seeks to distort it instead—because he is the master deceiver.
“Turn the other cheek” is one of the passages I often heard used to encourage people to simply overlook injustice or wrongdoing, especially when it came as a result of their faith and right standing with God. Yet, as I studied this Scripture more deeply later in life, I was amazed to discover what Jesus was truly teaching His listeners to do.
In Matthew 5:39, Jesus instructs His followers not to resist an evil person, if they slap you on the right cheek, turn to them the other. The word resist means not to withstand evil, cope with evil or retaliate against evil through violence. However, context is essential to fully understanding the message He was conveying.
Jesus spoke these words during the Sermon on the Mount to a people living under Roman rule and facing oppression from both the Roman Empire and their Pharisaical leaders. In that cultural setting, the most dominant and oppressive individuals would often strike someone with the back of their right hand. You would see this often between romans asserting authority over Jews, husbands asserting authority over their wives and masters asserting authority over their slaves.
Jesus paid close attention to details, and He taught that way too. Notice that He specifically mentioned the right cheek. In Jewish culture, most people were right-handed, while the left hand was commonly reserved for hygiene and personal bathroom needs. Because of this, the left hand was not typically used for dominant actions to slap someone. By referencing the right cheek, He is referring to their oppressors.
In that context, an open-handed slap to the face could signify that two people were equals. Jesus specifically mentioned the right cheek because He was addressing the reality of people asserting dominance and seeking to oppress others. By telling them to turn the other cheek, He created a powerful response.
If someone backhanded you with their dominant right hand, they would strike your right cheek. By turning the other cheek, you left them with two choices. They could strike your left cheek with an open hand—a gesture that would treat you as an equal and diminish their display of authority and strip them of their power in that moment. Or they could backhand you on the left cheek with their left hand, bringing shame upon themselves for using their unclean hand while restoring dignity to the person being struck.
When Jesus said to turn the other cheek, He was not asking believers to passively accept abuse or condone sinful behavior. Rather, He was teaching His children how to resist injustice righteously and stand against oppression without removing God from their response or retaliating with violence.
Once you understand this truth in context, it brings clarity to many other Scriptures throughout the Bible. In Matthew 6:3, Jesus teaches about giving to those in need: “Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” In other words, do not contaminate your giving by seeking attention or giving for the wrong reasons.
Ecclesiastes 10:2 says that the heart of the wise inclines to the right, while the heart of the fool inclines to the left—revealing how foolish choices can contaminate both the individual and those around them.
Proverbs 3:16 speaks of long life in wisdom’s right hand, and riches and honor in her left. This emphasizes what matters most: wisdom and a walk with God are greater than any worldly blessing, while riches and honor are secondary in comparison.
The beauty of studying God’s Word for yourself—and taking time to understand its culture, historical setting, and context—is that you are less likely to let others contaminate, distort, or manipulate the truth of what God is saying for their own agenda or to oppress others. Jesus wasn't telling you to take on more abuse. He was telling you to find ways to take a stand against it, but with dignity grace and self-restraint.
Sincerely, Selena
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