Christian Reflection and Prayer

Scripture:

"But I say to you, do not resist him who is
evil: but whoever slaps you on your right
cheek, turn to him the other also"
(Matthew 5:39)

"Jesus said: Ye have heard, it was said of
old, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
But I say unto you RESIST NOT EVIL. But
if one smites thee on the right cheek, turn
him the other also; and if one will go to law
thee to take thy coat from thee, give him thy
cloak also." (Matthew 5:38-40 KJV)

Reflection:

These two verses are my favorite two verses
in the whole of Scriptures. They are also
the most difficult to live by. Turning the other
cheek is very, very, hard to do. Your not only to
turn the other cheek, your supposed to give him
the other one. Give....Me....A....Break! Who in
the world can do that? Well apparently we can.
I think we need to remember a few things here.
Evil will win some battles, but it will not win the
war. You know why? Because our faith in
Jesus Christ tells us not to resist evil but to
be better than evil.Thats right! EVIL CANNOT
SURVIVE GOD;S GOODNESS. and God's
goodness is in us. Also remember that when
you violently resist evil, often you become like
evil. Evil often time lies in the violence. Goodness
cannot become evil, then evil does win. I know
how hard it is, but we must keep turning the other
cheek. The more we turn the other cheek, the
more God's goodness shines. Do me a favor will
you? The next time we hear rumors of a war, let's
remember these two verses. And let's remember
one more thing, Jesus tells us to take care of
the logs in our own eyes before we look for the
specks in others.

Prayer:

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.
Where there is hatred . . . let me sow love
Where there is injury . . . pardon
Where there is doubt . . . faith
Where there is despair . . . hope
Where there is darkness . . . light
Where there is sadness . . . joy
O, Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled . . . as to console
To be understood . . . as to understand,
To be loved . . . as to love
For it is in giving . . . that we receive,
It is in pardoning, that we are pardoned,
It is in dying . . . that we are born to eternal life.