Take My Hand Inspirations
Fruit of the Spirit Series
GENTLENESS: Part 2 - Turning
the Other Cheek
Disciples
John and his brother James once asked Jesus, Lord,
do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just
as Elijah did? (Luke 9:54). They wanted to destroy a
whole community of people because of their rejection of Jesus. They did not welcome Jesus into their
community; and the sons of Zebedee felt so angry by that rejection, they wanted
to murder every human in that village. They had “hot” personalities and were
easily provoked. But
He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit
you are of. For the Son of Man did
not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another
village. (Luke 9:55-56). 
In
our previous conversation, Blog #25,
we realized that in order to bear the Fruit of
Gentleness, we ourselves must undergo some serious pruning by our
Father, to cut out all that is not right with us—murderous thoughts, words and
violent, destructive actions that cannot be undone; and could turn our heaven
bound destiny toward hell. He may do
this through “slappings”.
James
and John felt they were “slapped” by the Samaritans rejection. When you are slapped by rejection, betrayal,
backbiting, and all things which provoke you, what is your first course of
action? How do you react? “You have heard
that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you
not to resist an evil person. But
whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.” (Matthew 5:38-39).
Oh Jesus!
You have said a hard thing for us to do.
It took me many years of anger and tears before I could bear this Fruit of Gentleness. God knows He still has to prune me every now
and again in order for me to produce more of this fruit. My hot personality could only be cooled with
the Living Water which never makes me thirsty for revenge or destructive
regrettable retaliation ever again.
How
do we turn the other cheek?
1. After Pilate
asked Him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against You?”, Jesus
answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly. (Matthew 27:12-14). Jesus, with one word, could have opened the
heavens and called all the legions of angels to come to his aid. He could have also called down fire to put an
end to all humanity in that instant. But He spoke not one word. We turn the other cheek when we don’t talk back.
2. The scribes and the Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in
adultery. A Canaanite woman came to
Jesus for the healing of her daughter and was called a dog. A Samaritan, who had had five husbands and who
was currently in an affair with another man, spoke to Jesus. Zacchaeus, the notorious tax collector, opened
his home to dine with our Lord. Not one
of them made a case of defense to justify themselves. They remained silent or confessed. If you are wrongly or unjustly accused, don’t go round
justifying yourself (proving that you are right and the accusers are wrong). Stay calm, quiet and non-violent. The Lord
will vindicate you.
3. Practice the formula of forgiveness. Another strong-willed disciple asked Jesus, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against
me, and I forgive him? Up to seven
times?” Jesus answered Peter, “I do not say to
you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” (Matthew
18:21-22. Read Matthew 18:21-35;
18:15-17, and 5:43-48). We turn the
other cheek when we unconditionally forgive those who offend—insult,
mock, devalue, reject, ignore, lie about--sin against us.
4. Watch and pray, lest you
enter into temptation [desiring to retaliate and enacting dubious/diabolical
schemes to get revenge]. The spirit
indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. (Matthew 26:41). As we know,
there are three spirits we struggle with to control our soul on a daily
basis—the spirit of evil, the spirit of the flesh, and the Holy Spirit. Allow the Father of spirits, to steer you clear out of
harm’s way through prayer. NEVER CEASE PRAYING! And give all your fury, fears,
fits, and future to Jesus.
Jesus,
the Father of spirits, slapped James and John with a rebuke. He wanted them to check that evil murderous spirit in
them; and make them to want to exchange it for the Holy Spirit. That’s what chastening is: To chasten is to make someone aware that they
have failed or done something wrong and make them to want to improve. This kind of action is done through the
portal of LOVE bearing gentleness.
Jesus
did not use abusive words or publicly humiliate them or go to the other
disciples and gossip terribly behind them.
He rebuked them from a heart of good intent—of gentleness—to help them
change for the better, to improve and be fit for the Kingdom he had prepared
for them.
Gentleness is to act or react from a heart of good
intent—in other words, from a heart of righteousness. When we bear the Fruit
of Gentleness, we wholly desire to do what is right in every
situation, good or bad. We want to walk
in the light of Jesus Christ, so that those who are “slapping” us may also see
their reflection in our mirror and want to turn to Christ, later bearing His
same Fruit of the Spirit.
Governor
Pilate marveled, the Roman centurion and the soldiers with him fearfully
confessed: “Truly this was the Son of God!” (Matthew 27:54); and your own
enemies, betrayers, backstabbers and other kinds of haters will come and
apologize, even do good to you when they finally come to the light you walk in. And if they never come, they will be
powerless to do you any more harm while you continue to abide and to walk in
the light of Jesus Christ. For you and I
are not here to destroy the lives of men, women, brothers, sisters or children;
but to save them—this is our Great Commission.
But after many years of pruning by their
Master Jesus, it was the same Apostle John that wrote, In
this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever
does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his
brother. (John 3:10).
What
happened in John’s life that changed him from a man calling fire down on an
entire village into a man who understood and could identify True Love and bear Love’s
Fruit of Gentleness?
It’s
what happens to you and me who fully give our lives into the hands of the
Master Vinedresser. When we give up our
will to fight others unto “destruction or death” and let God have His way in
every matter we face, then we allow the Holy Spirit to solve every problem,
confusion, and unfair situation. I have
experienced vindication, received apologies, and have been led through so many
doors of blessings and incredible opportunities because I have prayed for my
will (to retaliate and get revenge) to be subjected and submitted under the
judgment of God and His will. He fights
my battles for me because I trust Him to do it the right way—that at the end of
each day, I know that because He lives
[in me], I can face tomorrow.
Gentleness is
not being a doormat for the abusers to come dancing on. No, I will rebuke and correct in an
instant. But now I do with a heart of
good intent—Jesus is the righteousness that now lives in me. Allow Him to live in you right now.
Prayer for the Fruit of
Gentleness:
Oh Father, I
cry out to You. Change my ways of
thinking, speaking and acting. My tongue
is set on fire, and I need your Living Water to cool it off. Make my mind to be like Yours, oh Lord. I desire the mind of Christ, which will give
me wisdom to know how to act in every situation. I need Your heart, oh Lord, to beat from
Your Spirit of Love. Make me into the
man/woman of God in whom You are well pleased.
CHANGE ME, OH LORD, INTO THE IMAGE AND LIKENESS OF YOU and prune me to
bear your Fruit of Gentleness so that when I’m slapped, I can turn the other
cheek. In Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN!
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Take My Hand Inspirations
