Sorting the Pecking Order
Good Friday reflection on how Jesus' teachings on non-violence and his death challenge us to be better than some of our most basic instincts.
My freshman year I moved to a new high school. One day at my locker, a kid in the hallway said out loud, “why don’t you punch Preston.” When I turned, there was Richard. We played football and basketball together. Richard looked 21 and, as far as I knew, he was that old and not someone I wanted punching my face. Fortunately, Richard acknowledged that, even though he ought to punch me (for some unspoken reason), he would not because we were basketball buddies. And you don’t punch teammates.
I avoided a fight and, in that instance, Richard got to be top dog without even throwing a punch. And I got to walk away without a bloody lip.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you: Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also,”
- Matthew 5:38-39
Jesus said turn the other cheek when someone punches your head.
What do you do with that in a world where the pecking order needs sorting. Put a group of kids in a room and, within minutes, they are making the pecking order. Power in relationships functions so naturally in our interactions we are not conscious of it even in the smallest of circumstances.
Many who shouted “Hosanna” as recorded in Matthew 11, thought Jesus would lead the fight against their oppressors. They could not fathom that their hero would hang on a cross, a place reserved for the lowliest of hen-pecked dredges.
Jesus demonstrated on the cross that turning the other cheek is the only way to flip the social order. In God’s Kingdom, turning the other cheek wins.
(Originally published March 26, 2024 as a part of the LENTEN DAILY DEVOTIONS from First Baptist Church, Jefferson City, Mo. These daily devotions are provided by First Baptist Church, Jefferson City, Missouri. Many are written by members and friends of First Baptist Church. If you have questions, please contact Azelene Evans, Theresa McClellan, Kristie McGonegal, Jeanie McGowan, or James Preston.)