A Slap on the Cheek

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Journal 2021

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 ESV)

Whenever I read this verse, I pictured a non-retaliatory response—a martyr passively submitting to bullies and taking abuse uncomplainingly. “Go the extra mile” or “give him your cloak as well” meant actively showing that you’re made of better stuff than the controlling person in your life. And so I’m intrigued with the following interpretation. See what you think.

A slap on a person’s right cheek meant the abuser was using the BACK of his right hand—an insult. “Turning the other cheek” called out the abuser: If you’re going to hurt me, do it like man-to-man, using the FRONT of your hand (which would land on my left cheek), not like a master hitting his slave.

If you take my cloak, I’ll give up my undergarment, too, and stand semi-naked. It will show up your cruelty.

The law stated a soldier could require a civilian to help carry his gear for one mile. If I offer to walk a second mile, the soldier will protest, or he’d get into trouble. My act shows up the injustice.

Either way you interpret these verses, it takes courage and grace not to retaliate.

Jesus and the Law

Posted on by under Choices, God, Scripture

Journal 2021.

The Law said to stone anyone with a “ghost” or “familiar spirit.” (Leviticus 20:27)*

The Law said to stone those who commit adultery. (Numbers 15:32-36)

The Law said to keep the Sabbath holy. (Exodus 20:8-11)

Jesus’ teachings were radical and seemed to contradict these laws. He expelled the demon rather than stoning the person. He dismissed the accusers rather than stoning the woman. He healed on the Sabbath and let His disciples pick grain.

The Pharisees were strict observers of the Law, trying to do what was right. After all, God Himself made these laws, and they didn’t want to suffer the consequences of disobedience. No wonder they were incensed with Jesus.

So how do you reconcile the law about stoning a demon-possessed person with Jesus ignoring or disobeying or changing the Law? He compared murder and hate, adultery and lust, the letter of the law vs. the intent of the law.

Even rules of the road have exceptions. The posted speed limit on the highway may be 40-70 mph, but in bad weather, the rules change. The intent is safety.

Just like the Pharisees, we carry on traditions handed down to us, and our children pass them on to theirs. Take Christmas, for example. Exchanging gifts (a fun and good thing) can become mercenary and greedy and all about me—unless my heart is right. God is not pleased or displeased about my choices but about my heart. It is not sinful or wrong to give or receive a gift. I just need to check in with my heart—gratitude or grudging? Stingy or generous? A cover for pain or an overflow of abundance?

The Pharisees kept the letter of the Law without a heart of love and generosity. It became less about honoring God and more about self (e.g. long prayers in public places).

Mercy and grace trump rules I think.

*Note: Other versions say “medium” or “spiritist” or “wizard” or “necromancer.” This seems to imply someone who has deliberately aligned themselves with Satan, rather than someone who was tormented by evil spirits.

A Clash of Agendas

Posted on by under Emotions, God, Scripture

Journal 2009.

Baruch (Jeremiah’s scribe) said,

Woe to me! The Lord has added sorrow to my pain; I am worn out with groaning and find no rest. (Jeremiah 45:3 NASB 1995)

God said,

“Are you seeking great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for behold, I am going to bring disaster on all flesh,” declares the Lord, “but I will give your life to you as booty in all the places where you may go.” (v. 4)

Sounds like Baruch was struggling to accept God’s plan for Israel because it messed with his personal goals and life. Sound familiar?

“Each man’s eternal rewards are proportional according to his faithfulness and not to his earthly recognition or the lack of it.” (Commentary on Jeremiah)

God’s Word

Posted on by under God, Scripture

Journal 2009.

Jeremiah 32. God’s Word can be trusted.

Jeremiah predicted doom and gloom to all of Israel, and it made the king mad, and he shut Jeremiah up in the court. Jeremiah must have been having some doubts, so the Lord told him ahead of time his cousin would come to him and sell him a field. When it happened, just as God said, God then told Jeremiah to have the deed buried in a safe place. And just as God accurately predicted the scenario with his cousin, He would assuredly fulfill His promise to bring Israel back to the land and prosperity.

When Jeremiah still struggled with the prophecy, God said this famous quote: I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is there anything too hard for Me?

A rhetorical question: No!

Jeremiah 33. God’s Word gives hope.

God sees the big picture; He knows the end from the beginning. Our sight is limited and finite, and the amount we know is miniscule, according to the will and desire of the Creator.

I fear I think like an American—individualist instead of tribal. What good did it do Jeremiah to learn that God would restore Israel and he’d never live to see it? Who cares how many descendants David’s throne would have when he was hurting, mocked, and imprisoned? The future won’t affect him personally!

But there’s that thing called “hope.” This earth, this life, isn’t all there is. There’s a bigger picture. I’m just one speck in the Grand Plan. My part is miniscule, but important, in God’s eyes. It’s not all about me and only me. God was showing Jeremiah that his life was not in vain. That His calling on his life was important for the greater good.

We have a future and a hope. Hallelujah!

Jeremiah 36-38. God’s Word is to be obeyed.

I am in awe of Jeremiah’s dogged persistence and obedience to the Lord. He was asked to do some pretty bizarre things, and he was given the very unpleasant task of telling bad news and warning people and no one listened—at least not the kings. His life was threatened. He was persecuted. But he continued to trust.

“Obey the Lord and it will go well with you” (38:20) was a promise to the king, but it has application for today. We cannot conclude, however, that God will always spare our lives if we obey Him. But we do know disobedience reaps consequences.

There are certain commands in Scripture we know we are to obey (love your neighbor, don’t lie or steal) and when we’re given a direct nudge from the Holy Spirit. There are consequences to our disobedience and blessings when we obey.

Fairness in the Future

Posted on by under Choices, Scripture

Because of one man’s obedience (Abraham), God blessed future generations and individuals. They didn’t earn it or deserve it.

Jeremiah 29 records that, because of Shemaiah, a false prophet in Babylon, his offspring would also be punished. Actually, verse 32 implies he wouldn’t even have any offspring (but if he did, they wouldn’t ever get to see “the good that I will do to My people.”) His children would suffer for their father’s poor choices.

How blessed I am to have been born into a godly heritage. I only knew two grandparents, but both were godly men who loved Jesus. And though I never met them, I know my grandmas did too. I didn’t do anything to deserve this honor, but I am eternally grateful.

My husband did not experience the same blessing growing up, but he became the chosen one to stop the line of unbelief in his family. In God’s mercy, He gave him Halsey, his godfather, to encourage him in the right direction.

My choices affect future generations.

A 2023 Update. My children are blessed because of their heritage, and to their credit, now my grandchildren are being taught in the ways of the Lord. I pray for them daily to walk in the godly steps of their great-great grandparents.

How to Recognize a False Prophet

Posted on by under God, Scripture

Journal 2009.

Poor Jeremiah. He prophesied for 23 years, right up to the Babylonian captivity. That’s a lot of doom and gloom. That’s a lot of ridicule and abuse and no positive response from the people. Was He a true prophet then?

There are several Scriptural guidelines for telling a true prophet from a false one, including if all his predictions come true.

But the prophet who prophesies peace will be recognized as one truly sent by the LORD only if his prediction comes true. (Jeremiah 28:9 NIV)

Jeremiah predicted 70 years of captivity, and it happened.

Hannaniah predicted 2 years and it didn’t happen.

Jeremiah predicted Hannaniah’s death, and it happened. So who was the true prophet?

God says false prophets do not stand in His council and do not hear and perceive and mark His words, but they SAY they hear. False prophets claim they have dreams and visions and even use God’s name. But it comes out of the deceit of their own hearts.

God did not say He doesn’t give dreams and visions. He does. But His words are like fire and like a hammer that breaks the rock into pieces (Jeremiah 23:28). So how would the people know which prophet was God’s mouthpiece? A God of peace sounded more appealing than a God of war. I may have been duped as well had I lived in Jeremiah’s day.

Finally, Jeremiah said a true prophet profits the people (23:30).

I think it takes discernment, spiritual maturity, and sometimes time to recognize and identify a false prophet. Deception is so . . . well . . . deceptive.

Lessons from Jeremiah 14-18

Posted on by under God

Journal 2009.

  • God is so creative! He knew the Israelites needed visuals to get His point across. I counted 83 of them by chapter 14 of Jeremiah. I process best with symbolic representations of my emotions, so I get it with Jeremiah. Why didn’t the Israelites? Because of the blindness, hardness, and stubbornness of their hearts.
  • In 14:11, God told Jeremiah NOT to pray for Israel—not for their good anyway! Astonishing! Even if they fasted, He said, He wouldn’t hear them. He wouldn’t accept their offerings either. That’s pretty bad!
  • Jeremiah said the prophets were predicting peace (14:13-14). God said, “I didn’t send them, command them or speak to them. Their words come from the deceit of their own minds.” Ouch!
  • In 15:1, Jeremiah pleaded with God to reconsider His judgment, and God said no, He’d made up His mind. Remember when both Moses and Samuel interceded for the people, and God refused to change His mind? He came to the end of His patience, tolerance, and kindness. This time, the rebellious son went too far, and God had to let him go. Lesson: Don’t rebel! There’s a time limit on God’s patience.
  • Jeremiah struggled with the call of God on his life (sometimes I do too), but he kept remembering God’s words, and God kept comforting and reassuring him (Chap. 15).
  • God named Manasseh as the reason for His wrath (15:4). One man, one ruler, can ruin it for an entire nation. Obviously, the people could have rebelled and refused to follow Manasseh in his wickedness (and maybe some did), but often it’s the case that as the leader goes, so goes the nation. (Be careful who I vote for . . .)
  • “You [Israel] keep going in reverse” (15:6). What a strong visual—quite a contrast to the Disney movie I recently watched (Meet the Robinsons) with the motto: Keep going forward. I don’t like it when I slide backward. God promises that He won’t let my foot slip, but if I deliberately turn around and head back down the mountain, He may let me go my own stubborn way—but, because I am His, He will put obstacles in my way (think Jonah’s whale and Balaam’s donkey) to urge me to start climbing again.
  • We often try to apply Jeremiah’s potter wheel metaphor (chapter 18) to our individual lives—and that’s okay if we’re sharing a devotional. But in this context, God was using it as a visual for what He intended to do to Israel (crush her and start over, using the same lump of clay) and to show Jeremiah that He had a right to do so because He is the Master Potter. (Yes, I sometimes struggle with God’s sovereignty.)

What Makes Me Spiritual?

Posted on by under God, Scripture

Journal 2009.

As a literalist teen, trying to obey the Bible, I felt unspiritual because I wasn’t visiting orphans and widows like James instructed.

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction.”  James 1:27 (KJV)

I knew no orphans and had contact with only one widow (who seemed more well off than I was). And I conveniently ignored the rest of the verse: “and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”

I think James may have been quoting the prophet Jeremiah who said bad people don’t “judge and plead with justice in the cause of the fatherless and defend the rights of the needy” (Jeremiah 5:28). But his instructions are broader than that. Jeremiah adds:

IF you:

  • Practice justice between neighbors
  • Don’t oppress the alien, orphan, or widow
  • Don’t shed innocent blood
  • Don’t walk after other gods to your own ruin

THEN you can dwell in the land. (7:5 NASB)

This list of instructions for piety included more than looking after widows and orphans. Different things were required for God’s blessing. And in verse 9 he added keeping the 10 commandments.

A 2023 Update. I understand, now, that spirituality is far more than completing a specific list. It’s a matter of the heart and motives. And I won’t even go there with the promised consequence of keeping this list means I’m going to “dwell in the [promised] land” when I happen to live in America. I need not feel guilty if I don’t specifically visit widows and orphans, but I can minister to any who are needy in my community or overseas. Here are some organizations I recommend.

Widows: Widowconnection.com

Orphans: Hopegivers International

Needy: Compassion International

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God’s Instructions

Posted on by under Choices, God, Scripture

Journal 2009.

When I give someone instructions (a recipe, directions to my house, how to send a file in an email) [yes, this was written a few years ago!] I give clear, precise information. If I don’t, the food may be tasteless; the person will end up at the wrong destination; I won’t be able to open the file.

When God gives instructions, He is the expert. He knows the intended outcome as well as the steps to achieve that goal. His instructions are clear and precise. When God speaks, we better listen . . . and obey to the letter.

God said to Jeremiah (26:2):

  1. Stand in the court of the Lord’s house (where and with what posture).
  2. Speak to all the cities of Judah that come to worship there (what to do and to whom).
  3. Speak all the words that I command you to speak; diminish not a word (what to say—precisely, fully, accurately).

So . . . Jeremiah obeyed. But AFTER he finished speaking, the people, priests, and prophets seized him and threatened death. Obedience does not guarantee comfortable results!

Jeremiah’s response, however, is most interesting and gratifying. He had already grappled with the fear of the results of his actions.

Be assured, however, that if you put me to death, you will bring the guilt of innocent blood on yourselves and on this city and on those who live in it, for in truth the LORD has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.” Jeremiah 26:15 (NIV)

I have learned the hard way that disobedience to God’s clear instructions brings only heartache. I would have saved myself a boatload of angst had I obeyed the first time!

There is on-going debate in our family over whether this is a salad or a dessert.

Is God Unfair?

Posted on by under Choices, Emotions, God, Scripture

Why do I struggle with the concept that God has the right to do as He pleases with His creation? I want fairness, and it doesn’t FEEL fair for God to choose one person for special purposes and another for common use.

Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use? (Romans 9:21 NIV)

With my great power and outstretched arm I made the earth and its people and the animals that are on it, and I give it to anyone I please. (Jeremiah 27:5 NIV Emphasis added)

I can view my story from an egocentric viewpoint or a theocentric one. I can read the story of Pinocchio through his eyes or through the Woodcarver’s who created Pinocchio in love for a relationship. The only safe place for Pinocchio was in his father’s house and under his creator’s care. He could have had greater adventures, in safety, had he stayed with Geppetto, but he ran away. His rebellion resulted in grief, but then he found redemption when he returned to his maker.

When I think “birth” instead of “creation,” I have a paradigm shift in my response to “unfair.” I am a baby, then a child, adolescent, and adult in God’s kingdom. But even as an adult, I never outgrow the need to be loved and cared for. The danger as an adult is to think I’m self-sufficient.

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