Slapped in the Face....

If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic.—Luke 6:29

Ever been slapped? Really. Have you ever been slapped? My parents were known to pop a few backsides, but I can honestly say slapping was not in their realm of discipline. As a child, I understood the difference in punishment and abuse. To me, a slap in the face not only insulting but it’s somewhat abusive.

We went to a nice Italian restaurant one evening to enjoy a dinner with our sons. The hostess seated us and within minutes our waitress literally stormed our table. Slamming a pitcher of water on the table and tossing our bread dishes at us, we wondered if the plates would survive the bashing. The girl flipped four menus onto the table, popped her gum and asked if we needed some time. When we asked for a few minutes she rolled her eyes and walked away.

Within moments we heard shouting from behind us, then pop, smack, and whack. Turning in my seat, I saw our waitress and the hostess enter into hand-to-hand combat. Hands were flying and heads were jolting as they stood shouting profanities and slapping each other in the face.

In a time when some men feel their manhood peaks when they slap their wife, or a parent feels “in control” when they beat their child, turning the other cheek is difficult.

Words equally as painful, equally as degrading, can tear away at the heart of those who take the blow – chipping away their soul, bit by bit. I know this darkness and wondered if there was escape, cried out to be heard, and was grateful to have been saved.

Christ never lifted a finger to attack those who beat him unmercifully rather He turned into the blows. He took the beating, both physically and mentally, and as He hung dying on the cross, He pleaded to the Father to forgive them. That still amazes me, still takes me back. He asked for God to forgive them, to forgive us. When you feel slapped by life, belittled and estranged wondering if there is hope. When the darkness is overwhelming –reach for the hand that turned the other cheek, grasp for the redemption that lies in the love of the Savior and He will save you. Seek Him, and you will find refuge.