Anyone who thinks Christianity is for sissies doesn’t know very much about it. The teachings of Jesus Christ are most challenging. Once he said, "If you are slapped on one cheek, turn the other." On the surface it seems as though our Lord expects us to be cowardly. Can you imagine how his words sounded to the disciples? They were rugged men of the sea, not panty-waists.

Looking deeper at his teaching, we see that Jesus Christ was calling forth from us a greater strength than hitting back. He suggests we elicit a force that can control the anger of hurt pride. One that can take a bad situation and change it into a good situation. Rather than hitting back and lowering oneself to the standards of the oppressor, stand tall, Jesus says; turn the other cheek.

It takes guts to be chicken. When someone spits in your face and walks away with his dry, our unreasonable but Christly behavior might well cause him to consider his action. If he is totally corrupt and does not see his sin, justice will still be accomplished; for the Lord says, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay." On the other hand, to spit back will only confirm an enemy and leave no chance to gain a brother.

When we consider the life of our Lord Jesus Christ and especially the story of Calvary, we find him obeying his own precepts. The soldier who nailed Jesus’ body to the tree may well have been the same one who proclaimed, "Surely this man was God’s Son."

We will never be able to turn the other cheek unless Christ gives us the power. To receive cheek-turning power we must first realize that our sins caused the hideous ring of hammer on nails as flesh parted and pain began. On the cross the other cheek was turned, and a man’s man as well as the God-man died.

As we feel the impact of Christ’s death for us, we are moved by his love. Our hearts then become receptive to a power from God that can cause us to do extraordinary things - like offering a cheek and thereby demonstrating we have the guts to be chicken.