“Turn the Other Cheek”: A Biblical Lesson in Dignity and Moral Resistance

Fr. Scott A. Haynes

Among the most striking and oft-quoted teachings of Jesus Christ is His command in the Sermon on the Mount: “But I say to you not to resist evil: but if one strike thee on thy right cheek, turn to him also the other” (Matt. 5:39, Douay-Rheims). At first glance, these words appear to counsel passivity in the face of violence, or a meek surrender to injustice. But when read through the lens of first-century Mediterranean culture, Christ’s words reveal something deeper: a call to confront injustice, not with violence or retaliation, but with moral courage, dignity, and transformative resistance.

Cultural Context: The Right Hand and Social Hierarchies

To understand this passage more fully, we must consider the cultural world in which Jesus lived and taught. In the ancient Mediterranean society, strict codes of honor and shame governed interactions, especially in hierarchical relationships—between masters and servants, Romans and Jews, men and women, and the rich and the poor. These relationships were often reinforced through gestures of domination and humiliation.

One such gesture was the backhanded slap. In Matthew 5:39, Jesus specifically says “right cheek”—a seemingly small detail, but one rich in meaning. In order to strike someone on the right cheek with the right hand (the only hand considered clean and proper for interpersonal use), a person would have to strike backhandedly.

In this context, a backhanded slap was not meant to injure, but to humiliate. It was the gesture of a superior to an inferior, of someone asserting dominance and social superiority. Importantly, the left hand was culturally considered unclean, typically reserved for personal hygiene in the absence of modern sanitation. To strike someone with the left hand was not just improper—it was considered shameful for the one delivering the blow.

Turning the Other Cheek: Subversive Dignity

What then does Jesus mean when He instructs us to “turn the other cheek”?

If someone strikes you on the right cheek, they have delivered a backhanded slap—a calculated gesture of degradation. To turn the other cheek is not to invite more abuse. Rather, it forces the aggressor into a moral crisis.

If the aggressor wishes to strike again, they can no longer backhand the left cheek. They must now deliver an open-handed slap or a punch—a gesture used between equals in a conflict. In doing so, the oppressor must treat the victim as an equal—whether they intend to or not. This act of nonviolent defiance strips the initial blow of its dehumanizing power and exposes the injustice at its heart.

A Boundary, Not Passive Surrender

This teaching is often misunderstood as a kind of holy passivity or quietism. But Jesus’ instruction is not about becoming a doormat; it is about establishing a boundary and asserting one’s God-given dignity in the face of systemic or personal oppression. In turning the other cheek, the victim does not retaliate, but neither do they accept the terms of humiliation. They challenge the very framework of the interaction.

This response neither mirrors the aggressor’s violence nor submits to their claim of superiority. It communicates: “You may try to strip me of my dignity, but I refuse to cooperate with your attempt. I am a child of God, made in His image.”

Confronting Injustice with Love

In this way, the command to “turn the other cheek” fits with the broader ethic Jesus proclaimed—a radical, transformative love that disarms evil without becoming evil. It is a love that refuses to hate the enemy, but also refuses to let the enemy remain unchanged by their actions.

St. Paul echoes this sentiment: “Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil by good” (Rom. 12:21). The act of turning the other cheek is not merely nonresistance; it is nonviolent confrontation. It is the soul standing upright and refusing to be degraded by either violence or vengeance.

Christ's Own Example

Jesus did not merely preach this ethic—He lived it. In His Passion, He was slapped, mocked, and struck on the face (cf. John 18:22–23). Rather than curse His tormentors, He questioned their actions with clarity and composure: “If I have spoken evil, give testimony of the evil; but if well, why strikest thou me?” (John 18:23). In this way, Christ’s response was not submission but truthful resistance—a call for reflection and repentance, not revenge.

Ultimately, on the Cross, Jesus exposed the full injustice of human sin and hatred. By refusing to retaliate, He brought evil to the light, conquered it through love, and made a way for redemption.

Conclusion: Transforming the World One Cheek at a Time

The call to “turn the other cheek” remains one of the most powerful and misunderstood teachings in the Gospel. Far from endorsing weakness, it offers a model of holy strength—one that challenges us to resist evil without mirroring its cruelty, and to expose injustice without losing our integrity.

This is not easy. It requires grace, courage, and a deep trust in God's justice. But in doing so, the Christian does more than avoid sin—they become a light in the darkness, a signpost of the Kingdom of God, and a witness to the truth that love alone is credible.