Getting Slapped Twice

Hockey has an unwritten code. If you hit our goalie, we’ll rough you up. If you slash me and the ref doesn’t call it, I’ll slash you back. If necessary, I’ll drop my gloves and fight.

After watching lots of hockey, you don’t think twice about the code. You hit me; I’ll hit you. It seems normal.

We see a similar code in politics and business. When the US president imposed tariffs in trade wars all through 2025, other countries imposed tariffs on trade with USA. This week, when 8 European countries gave military support to Greenland, Trump imposed a 10% tariff. It will rise to 25% in June.

As he teaches in Lk 6, Jesus introduces a different code. It sounds like the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew’s gospel. Jesus’ teaching begins with blessings:

Blessed are you when people hate you,

when they exclude you and insult you

and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Luke 6:22 (NIV)

Does that surprise you? Insults don’t feel like a blessing!

But Jesus has different standards, a different frame of reference than we’re used to in our culture, in a sin-stained world. Jesus’ command to love your enemies and be generous to those who can’t repay you isn’t what we learn in hockey, in the schoolyard, or in business. It feels odd.

Does it work? Is it sustainable?

Jesus paints a picture of our behaviour as his disciples:

Ifsomeone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Luke 6:29 (NIV)

Most days, I’m not sure I can follow Jesus’ teaching.

To be honest, I’d prefer that nobody tested me on this, not now and not after the service. Even after wrestling with this passage all week, I’m not sure I’d let you slap me on one cheek, let alone smack me twice.

What about you? Could you turn the other cheek if someone slapped you?

Jesus also says:

Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Luke 6:30 (NIV)

This doesn’t come naturally. When someone steals my wallet or cell phone, my computer or truck, I want it back!

Jesus describes life by the code of the kingdom of God. He’s teaching his disciples – then and now – what life looks like as citizens of the kingdom of heaven. Even after they heard Jesus’ teaching, his disciples struggle with the idea.

In ch. 9, Luke tells how Jesus heads to Jerusalem and sends messengers ahead to a Samaritan village to get things ready. He plans to stay there. But the people of that village don’t welcome Jesus. Luke describes how the disciples responded to the rejection:

When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” But Jesus turned and rebuked them. Luke 9:54–55 (NIV)

We understand James and John. They know the hockey code. If you reject our rabbi, we’ll call fire down from heaven! Right?

Jesus doesn’t want that. He rebukes his disciples and goes to another village. But who can live up to Jesus’ standards?

It would take a miracle! It requires a change in our default settings. Danger triggers us our fight or flight response. It’s how we react when sinful people do sinful actions to us.

But Jesus aims for his followers to overcome our evil tendencies. Later in the chapter, Jesus shows the principle in his teaching:

Agood man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. Luke 6:45 (NIV)

My natural reaction when I get hit is to hit back. My natural reaction when someone takes my stuff is to grab it back. I don’t naturally live up to Jesus’ teaching. My sinful nature shows up.

I need help.

That kind of change will take a miracle. Can you relate?

Jesus is different. His natural reaction to evil is not to do more evil. Jesus shows his goodness when people do evil to him. If you’ve read the gospels before, you know what’s coming.

On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus tells his disciples that he’ll be rejected in Jerusalem, just like at the Samaritan village:

The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Luke 9:22 (NIV)

Do you remember how Jesus responded to that rejection and violence?

 On the night Jesus was betrayed, he took his disciples to the Mount of Olives where he prayed. When Judas led a crowd there to arrest Jesus, Luke describes how Jesus’ disciples were ready for a fight. “Lord, should we strike with our swords?”

Andone of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.

But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him. Luke 22:50–51 (NIV)

Jesus responded to the aggressive crowd with healing instead of lashing out.

When Matthew tells the story, he recalls what Jesus said:

“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? Matthew 26:52–53 (NIV)

And that’s the point. Jesus did not call his angel armies to defend himself. He did not respond to aggression with aggression. He didn’t return evil with evil. Jesus came to rescue the world from an endless cycle of violence and evil.

At his trial, Jesus was smacked around. Luke describes it:

The men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating him. They blindfolded him and demanded,

“Prophesy! Who hit you?” Luke 22:63–64 (NIV)

But Jesus did not respond with violence. He didn’t defend himself. He allowed himself to be convicted and sentenced to death, even though he was innocent and righteous. Jesus allowed himself to be beaten. Jesus allowed himself to be crucified. He took the violence without striking back.

It is not just a principle of non-violence. It is Jesus’ determination to do good, to be loving, to be generous and holy in all situations.

It is God’s love and generosity that brought Jesus into the world – the Creator didn’t abandon his world to sin and damnation. Jesus came to rescue the world, to rescue you, from sin and wrongdoing. It’s principle we find later in the NT, in Ro 12:

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:21 (NIV)

Jesus overcame evil by allowing himself to be beaten, spit on, and crucified. Jesus was rejected and died in our place. His generosity, his willingness to take our punishment breaks the cycle of violence. His resurrection gives us new life as good people who “bring good things out of the good stored up in your heart,” just as Jesus did.

Jesus rescues us from sin and brokenness and welcomes us as citizens of his kingdom and as dearly loved children in God’s family. Once he atoned for our sin, he poured out the HS of God on his disciples to transform our thinking, to miraculously reshape our attitude to align with his. He replaces the miserable hockey code with the code of the kingdom of God.

Now that you have enjoyed God’s grace and generosity, you’re invited and challenged to extend grace and generosity to others, just as Jesus said:

Love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Luke 6:35–36 (NIV)

The result of generosity is being children of the Most High.

You faithfully reflect God’s image. The mercy you receive from God transforms your actions, your attitude, your behaviour.

Jesus describes what he’s looking for:

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:38 (NIV)

This isn’t easy. It doesn't come naturally. But when you experience it, it’s a breath of fresh air and a bit of a surprise.

Did you read Les Misérables or watch the musical?

In the story by Victor Hugo, Jean Valjean is a thief. We meet him when he’s released from hard labour and the Bishop Bienvenu offers him supper and a bed. During the night Jean Valjean gets up, gathers the silver plates and runs away.

When he’s arrested and accused of stealing, Jean says the silver plates are a gift from the bishop. When the bishop is summoned, he scolds Jean Valjean: “My friend, you left the best behind! Take the silver candleholders too!”