Has my cheek turning been corrupted?

My friend and I were talking about turning the other cheek the other day.  It’s one of my favorite discussion topics, because it’s so utterly hard to apply in our daily lives.

We agreed that returning kindness for evil is not only part of Jesus’ message, it’s also psychologically pleasing.

It feels good to reflect on the incident and know that you were “the bigger person”.  You were a kind person, a reasonable person, whatever it is.

But turning the other cheek because it feels good is self-seeking, isn’t it?  Once we realize that kindness feels good, we could begin to turning the other cheek simply for the psychological satisfaction.

Our question:  Does turning the other cheek, having recognized the positive mental and emotional results, negate the authenticity of the action as a Jesus-like self-sacrifice?

At some point, does the action become more selfish than good?

What about the fact that responding to negativity with kindness makes the offending party look and feel like a real jerk?

Once we possess this knowledge, do we lose all credibility for our cheek turningness?

Comments

I’m right with you.  I suppose it doesn’t hurt to pray for God to give you the right reasons to do what you know is the right thing.

Strangely, Romans almost sounds like Paul has fallen prey to this:
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

I suppose it really comes down to being real with yourself.  If you are turning the other cheek to make the other person feel like crap, then you’re not turning the other cheek, but merely finding a passive aggressive way to attack someone armed with scripture to backup your actions.  Not good.

On the other hand, studies from psychology to metaphysics show us that the universe responds positively to positive actions between people.  So to go out and be a good person merely to get the “good guy high” I think is not dangerous at all.  We are creatures of addiction.  If your addiction is not being a butt hole, then more power to you.

A similar question could be asked: 

I started giving to charities and tithing initially because it was the right thing to do.  I have since found an inexplicable increase in income.  Now I give because it is not only the right thing to do, but I am aware that stopping may bring about negative consequences to my pocketbook.  Has my giving been tainted?  I don’t think so.  Much like in turning the other cheek, doing something because it’s right and then continuing because it feels so damn fine is not bad at all.

It’s the same reason I smoke cigarettes.  It was the right thing to do to start; now it makes me look cool and feels great.  Just like the commercial says.

w/o context of how large of a problem we are dealing with, Could the question be.... arbitrary?  What I consider a big deal to turn the cheek is a smaller deal to you or her.  On maybe weightier matters that we might agree is big, stealing from me, driving and wrecking my car, your dog pooping on my house sidewalk...or worse transgressions.
if we can at least, turn our cheek for the better good, in our hearts, an attempt to be like Jesus in words n deeds.
What I’m thinking is, the Holy Spirit will come into the situation. Enable us to be meek and humble instead of smirky, haughty or arrogant.
Once we do all we can, how the other person feels about you and the situation is their own right The results is outta our hands.

Here is a prayer by McHenry:
O Lord, give us thy prudence and thy patience, and disappoint their evil purposes. Furnish us with such meekness and patience that we may glory in reproaches, for Christ’s sake, and that thy Holy Spirit may rest upon us.

Luke 11:39 (KJV)
And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.