The Sword and The Cheek

Preaching Reflections · Family Reflections

Introduction

This started with a hard question from my wife: “What if one of your students misused what you taught? What if our family was touched by violence?” That question carries weight. Teaching comes with responsibility. And it forces me to wrestle with two commands from Christ that live in tension: turn the other cheek and sell your cloak and buy a sword. These verses don’t cancel each other. The Christian life is lived on the razor’s edge between them.

1) Turn the Other Cheek — Personal Humility

Matthew 5:39 — “But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.”

• Not weakness—strength in humility.
• Refusing to answer insult with insult; restraining pride when it wants to lash out.
• About my personal response, not abandoning my responsibilities to others.

2) Buy a Sword — Prepared for Protection

Luke 22:36 — “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.”

• Spoken by Jesus on the eve of His arrest—readiness, not aggression.
• The sword symbolizes vigilance, responsibility, and defense of the innocent.
• Modern context: a responsibly carried firearm. Not for offense, but for protection.

3) Holding Both Truths Together

• The Cheek: humility, restraint, the strength of self-control.
• The Sword: vigilance, readiness, the duty to protect family and community.
• Not pacifism. Not aggression. Balance. We don’t get to choose one and discard the other.

4) The Burden of Responsibility

Psalm 144:1 — “Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.”

• As an instructor, I feel the weight: training can be misused.
• More often, that same training equips the righteous to stand against evil.
• Responsibility is heavy—but it is holy. Husbands, fathers, and protectors understand that weight.

5) The Anchor of Faith

Romans 12:19 — “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.”

• Final justice belongs to God. My role isn’t vengeance.
• My role is stewardship, protection, and faithfulness where I stand.
• The cheek keeps me humble; the sword keeps me responsible; Christ keeps me grounded.

Conclusion

• The Christian life is lived on the razor’s edge between The Sword and The Cheek.
• We cannot abandon one for the other—both are commanded by Christ.
• As husbands, fathers, instructors, and believers, we live this tension daily.

The call: stay humble. stay ready. keep Christ at the center.