Turn the Other Cheek

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Thursday morning, the 4th of July, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.

We start in the Book of Exodus 21:24:

“…eye for eye, tooth for tooth,…” 

Then we go to the Gospel of Matthew 5:38-39. Jesus says:

“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.”

I want to tell you a story that touched me very deeply. There was a dairy farmer in the USA. He was born in 1913. His name was Demos Shakarian and he came from an Armenian background. He was the biggest dairy farmer in America in those days, and he met the Lord Jesus Christ, fell in love with Him and he thought the Lord was calling him to be an evangelist. So he bought a massive tent and started preaching but it was not his calling. So what he realised was that he was an instrument by God to set up meetings for other people to preach at. He formed the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International. It went right around the world touching businessmen. But he tells the story that he set up his tent and had a visiting evangelist - a crooked evangelist. After this man had preached the Gospel, he made the appeal for money and people came forward and they gave lots of money, and he made another altar call and he did it again.

After the meeting, they went around the back of the tent and they were sorting out the finances and Demos Shakarian was going to give the evangelist a generous gift and he said, “I just need to square up all the debt and then I will give you the money that is left.” He said, “No ways! I want all of it, the whole lot!” Demos Shakarian turned the other cheek, didn’t he? He gave him the bag of money and the evangelist disappeared. A few years later, Demos Shakarian was sitting in town in his pick-up and he saw a tramp walking up the road in rags. He looked at that tramp from a distance and he thought, “I recognise that face”  - it was the evangelist. 

I want to say something to you: Don’t worry if someone has short-changed you or done you down. Pray for that person, commit them to the Lord, and move on with your life. The Lord is the one who will do justice. 

Jesus bless you and have a wonderful day,
Goodbye.