A few years ago, my daughter and I took our dog to a local dog park. It was our first time there, and at first it was a little off-putting. Dozens of dogs were running off their leashes. At times, dogs we had never seen before walked up to us as if to say, “I don’t care if you’re a stranger; pet me!” However, after a while, we got used to the situation, and we started to have a lot of fun watching the different dogs interact with each other.

One of the most fun aspects of the day was watching the various dog personalities emerge. We saw leaders, followers and loners. One dog stood in the pond with his ball and growled at anything that came close to him. Our dog seemed to be the social butterfly, as she greeted each new dog and “invited” them to join in the fun.

But one dog stood out most of all. This little guy was completely intimidated by the other dogs, and when they approached, he would roll on his back as if to say, “Don’t hurt me!” The dogs would run off, and this one would get back up until they came back and he rolled on his back again.

That seems to be the image a lot of people have about Christians and the teaching about “turning the other cheek.” Christians aren’t allowed to fight or stand up for themselves. We’re just supposed to essentially roll on our backs and take whatever abuse others heap on us.

Obviously, that notion is completely wrong.

That’s not to say that we’re supposed to strike back at others in anger and vengeance. That is precisely what Jesus was telling His followers not to do. Jesus was speaking to Jews who had grown up with a law that limited retaliation to an exact measure. If someone cost you an eye or a tooth, justice could not go beyond an eye or a tooth. That law was not meant to encourage revenge. It was meant to prevent revenge from escalating.

But Jesus takes His followers even further. Under the New Covenant, we are not called to look for the most revenge we can justify. We are called to seek peace, mercy and love. Christians are supposed to avoid vengeful retaliation when people say or do things to harm us. Jesus wants us to seek the path of peace instead of vengeance in order to demonstrate His love to others.

That does not mean we simply “roll on our backs” and allow others to abuse us at will. It is still entirely Christian to righteously stand up and defend ourselves when the need arises. As individuals, we should not retaliate or seek retribution or revenge. There are times when proper authorities must deal with issues of justice, and God will ultimately handle what human systems cannot.

I hope that today you won’t encounter any situations that even approach a need for turning the other cheek. Those are never fun, but they do happen. Pray that the next time someone does something to harm you, the Lord will give you the strength to show grace and mercy in that situation and to extend His love to those around you.

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