Re: Matthew 5:39

On Tue, 1 Nov 1994, Tom Blake wrote:

> I'm sorry?  Is there evidence that he did not turn the other cheek?

Yes - it's found in Q... :)

No seriously, I have a hard time picturing Jesus turning his cheek in the 
following passages (which in fact leads me to think he was being 
metaphorical in Matt. 5:39), but it's up to the reader to decide.

Matt. 26:67; Mark 14:65; John 18:22-23, 19:3.

In John 18:22-23, Jesus answers a blow not with an encouragement to a 
second blow, but with a verbal response meant (IMHO) to make the person 
responsible reconsider what they have done.  Not that it worked (which 
reminds me of the Aikido thread on soc.religion.quaker) but I'll pass on 
further comment.

Greg Jordan