Jesus (Did Not) Say Get Slapped for Fun | S2E1

Season Two of the Dear God Lettuce Pray podcast opens with one of the most misused verses in the entire bible:

"Turn the other cheek".

Some folks use it to paint Jesus as soft. Some use it to guilt you into silence. And some weaponize it so you'll tolerate things God never asked you to tolerate.

This episode breaks down what Jesus was actually teaching in Matthew 5:39, using the real historical and cultural context that most people skip. You'll hear why this verse had nothing to do with letting people walk all over you, why Jesus wasn't promoting passivity, and why this moment was a direct challenge to the systems and power structures of His day.

If you've ever wondered what this verse really meant or if you just want to understand Jesus without all the social-media theology, this conversation is for you. We jump right into biblical context, emotional maturity, and how to practice boundaries and uphold your authority without losing the heart of Christ. That and... 

Jesus wasn't a doormat. In fact, He was by far the realest and toughest guy I know.

Stay tapped in, and if this episode helped you, we would love for you to follow the show, subscribe on your favorite platform, and leave us a review. It would be even more amazing if you shared an episode with a friend. Don't forget to follow us on Instagram @DearGodLettucePray, and donate as low as $5 to help keep the podcast going for season two.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:00

Hello and welcome everyone to another riveting episode of the Dear God Let Us Pray podcast. I am your host, Santana. If you are new here, hello and welcome. If you are still here, thank you for continuing this journey with me as we launch the season two of the Dear God Let Us Pray Podcast. Um there is something that I wanted to talk about today, and honestly, I wanted to bring up how it even became an uh episode topic. Um I heard someone recently, and I hear it all the time, but I've heard somebody recently reference Matthew 5.39. You know, the scripture where Jesus is talking about turning the other cheek. And the way that he referenced the scripture, I knew he did not understand what it meant. And of course, he's not the only one, you know. Um, there are a lot of people that reference this scripture and give it such a passive or negative connotation like Jesus was a doormat, or even encouraging other people to be a doormat. And, you know, when it's brought up this way, you know, what they're really doing is using it to like take a shot at Jesus. Like you've heard somebody say, like, you know, I'm not turning no cheek, I'm not Jesus, or like why don't they do religion? Like Jesus is telling y'all to let people walk all over you. And every time I hear it, I think like, who said that? When was Jesus ever giving dormant? You know, and so it bothers me because I understand that it's just a lot of people that just don't know what they're talking about. Because even the version of Jesus that they're rejecting was never Jesus in the first place. Like it's this watered down, out of context, passed down like gossip version, which really don't exist. And the truth, like the real meaning of turn the other cheek shows Jesus wasn't weak at all. Like he was very, very strategic, very intentional. And if you notice, he knew exactly what he was saying and exactly why he said it. So in today's episode, let's break this down in a way that makes sense, not in 2025 language, but in the language and in the world that he lived in at that time. All right, so when Jesus said these words, he wasn't talking to people who lived by our rules, and you know, in our modern day, our culture, or our our like ideas about strength. Back during his time, you know, the world ran on honor and shame. Like that was their social system, there was their currency, like everything happened in public, and everything was about where you set it on the ladder. And because we don't think that well, I won't say we don't think that way today, but we don't handle business how they did back in the day, all right. So when we hear turn the other cheek, we're thinking like, you know, oh, so Jesus basically told people to let folks hit them twice. No, like heck no, Jesus wasn't talking about violence, like this um, you know, slapping somebody in the face was about humiliation. And let me tell you why that matters. Jesus said, if someone slaps you on your right cheek, and for those of you that want to follow along, again, the scripture is Matthew 539, really, you know, 538 through 39. Again, Jesus said, if someone slaps you on your right cheek, now why did he say right and not just cheek if he was trying to give the whole be a doormat vibe? He said right cheek specifically because in his culture hitting someone's right cheek meant one thing a backhanded slap. And a backhand in that world was not a fight, like it wasn't about injury, it was about insult, it was about a message. Like if someone backhanded you back in the day, what they were pretty much saying is like you're beneath me, like you are not my equal, you have no honor, you know, like you're a peon, a commoner. You know, this was how someone higher, quote unquote, in society would degrade someone they viewed as lower. So Jesus isn't talking about somebody coming up and throwing punches, he's describing a moment where when somebody tries to publicly humiliate you to reinforce a power imbalance. Now let that part settle a little bit. It's not about physical harm, it was never about physical harm, it's about social dominance. So, like, let's just let's just imagine this right quick. Somebody backhands your right cheek, right? Humiliates you in front of everybody. I'm talking about the whole crew, and then Jesus says, turn the other cheek, not bow your head, not walk away defeated, and most definitely had nothing to do with taking another hit. He's Jesus is telling you to turn your face towards them. And why is that powerful? Because they can't backhand you again, they would have to switch to an open hand hit or a fist, and at that point, at that point, it's symbolizing equality. So they no longer see you as somebody beneath you, you would become their equal, according to the culture at that time. So Jesus is teaching a move that says, You tried to treat me like I'm beneath you, but I refuse to play that role. Turning the other cheek is a non-violent way to confront the humiliation without responding in pride, violence, or ego. We know how things can go horribly left, whether we cause a situation or not. We know how things can go left if we respond in pride, violence, or especially ego. So that had nothing to do with being weak. That is really what you call like controlled strength. It's like a a moral stance that says, like, I know who I am. Because, period. So let's be honest. If Jesus was the quote-unquote soft version people try to make him into, his life wouldn't look anything like it does in scripture. And that is the reason why I encourage everyone to read the word for themselves and and stop holding on to what other people have said to us. Like, go read it for yourself. It ain't got nothing to do with church, ain't got nothing to do with going to hell, whether you believe in hell or not. Just get back to reading yourself. All right, like this is the same Jesus now. Now keep in mind, he walked straight through a mob trying to throw him off a cliff. You can read about that in Luke 4 30. The same Jesus that checked entire religious systems to their faces, stood in front of political power without flinching, called out hypocrisy publicly, refused manipulation every time it was attempted, and drove people out of the temple with authority. Y'all know about them flipping them tables and braiding up that whip. So I'm sorry, you ain't doing none of that if you're a doormat. You're not doing any of that if you're a passive, you're not doing any of that if you are teaching and encouraging other people to be a doormat. So that's not true. Like, Jesus was that dude. Like, he wasn't afraid of conflict, he wasn't fragile, he wasn't passive, he was he was focused, he was smart, he was intentional, and because he wasn't controlled by ego, he didn't need to puff himself up or clap back when he was insulted. That is how you master strength, that has nothing to do with weakness. So people misread this verse because I mean, in our modern day, we see everything through the lens of pride, whether we try to or not. But like, you know, and I know you've heard somebody say it, think it, put on a social media post, it's like, you know, in this day and age, strength looks like don't let nobody try me. You know what I'm saying? But Jesus teaches strength that isn't reactive, like a dignity that can't be taken from you, and most importantly, power that doesn't need a performance. Like he's not teaching his followers to take abuse, he's not teaching his followers to to be a doormat, to be passive, to be weak. But what he is teaching is you know, don't let someone else's attempt to shame you control who you become. Don't play their game, like don't fight with their tactics or mirror their arrogance. Like, keep your dignity intact, even when you're provoked or insulted, and especially when you're publicly challenged, because again, that's controlled strength. So now Jesus was weak, baby, and he wasn't telling his people to let others walk all over them, he was teaching them how to break the shame cycle of their culture without getting dragged into the pride cycle of someone else's ego. It's not let them hit you again, it's straighten your face, stand your ground, know your worth, and don't let nobody else's disrespect tell you how to act. So, again, I want you to revisit Matthew 5:38, 39 and read it for yourself and understand that when you are reading scripture, you have to think about culture and society at that time. Because this verse isn't about being a victim, it's about being so grounded in who you are in God's kingdom that humiliation can't shrink you, and pride cannot hijack you. Now that's the real teaching, and that's the Jesus people really don't know. Alright, you guys, so thank you, thank you, thank you for tuning in. Thank you for listening to another episode of the Dear God Let Us Pray podcast. If you haven't already, please be sure to give us a follow wherever you tune in to listen to podcasts. Give us a follow, subscribe, leave a review, especially if you're on Apple Podcasts. Leave a review, follow us on Instagram at the Dear God, not the it's at sign, dear God. Let us pray. All right, again, I am your host, Santana. Spread kindness. I love you. There's someone that loves you even more than that. All right, peace.