Turning a Cheek to the Law

Many Christians are confused about the realtion ship between the law and the Sermon on the Mount. These two principle have very different purposes. The former is not cancelled by the latter.

The law is the minimum requirement for the functioning of a society. If theft, murder and false witness are not controlled, society will fall apart.
Turning the other check is a higher standard for those who choose to follow Jesus.

The big difference is that the law can be enforced. Judges can use coercion to restore something that was stolen, to punish murderers and to correct those who bear false witness. Turning the other cheek is voluntary. We cannot force another person to love someone who hurts him. Turning the other cheek must be motivated by love.

The law applies to everyone, whether they love God or hate him. It can be imposed on non-Christians. Turning the other cheek is only for the body of Christ. Sacrificial love marks us off from the rest of the world.

Turning the other cheek should not be made into a law. The time may come when the whole world follows Jesus. In that day, turning the other cheek will be a universal practice, but the law should remain, in case there is a falling away.