Turning the Other Cheek
Jesus gave us the standard of God’s Kingdom when He said, “…But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” In that culture, a backhanded slap to the right cheek was not merely an act of violence; it was a gesture of insult, contempt, and humiliation. It was a way of treating a person as inferior.
Today, that slap can come in many forms. It may not come as a physical assault. It may come through conversations, body language, exclusion, subtle hostility, or even administrative resistance to you as a Christian in the workplace. But whatever form it takes, we must remember that we belong to another Kingdom, and that Kingdom has a standard.
It is unlikely that many of us will experience a physical attack at work because of our faith. But it is not uncommon to experience a change in attitude from others. Sometimes, that change in attitude becomes the slap on the cheek. It may show up in the assumption that because of what you believe, you are not intellectually capable of handling certain responsibilities. Perhaps an opportunity passes you by and, although nobody openly says so, you suspect that your profession of faith has influenced the decision.
Sometimes the slap may come when you are attempting to establish a Christian workplace group and those responsible for equality, diversity and inclusion do not appear to regard it with the same seriousness or enthusiasm as other initiatives.
That kind of slap can hurt. It can make you defensive. It can tempt you to retaliate, withdraw, become bitter, or begin fighting people rather than loving them. Yet, in that moment, we must remember the instruction of our Lord: turn the other cheek.
But what does that look like?
Turning the other cheek looks like Paul, who was stoned and left for dead outside the city gate. Yet after the believers gathered around him, he rose up, dusted himself off, and went back into the city to continue preaching the gospel. His persecution did not change the Great Commission. It only confirmed that he was truly living it.
It also looks like Stephen, who, after confronting the people with the truth, was stoned to death. Yet, before he committed his spirit to the Lord, he prayed for the very people who killed him. He asked the Lord not to lay that sin to their charge. It is as though he was saying, “Lord, let this act not be counted against them. Let it turn instead to mercy.”
Above every other example, it looks like Jesus on the cross. After He had been beaten, mocked, dragged through the streets of Jerusalem, and nailed to a wooden cross with a crown of thorns pressed into His head, He still chose mercy. He had legions of angels at His command, far more powerful than the Roman Empire could ever imagine. Yet on that cross, He turned the other cheek. And to the Father, He cried, “…forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”
For each of us, we must also learn to turn the other cheek. We must learn to turn the conversation to the Father. We must learn to turn insult and pain into prayer. We must turn the wound into intercession for the salvation of those who oppose us.
The compassion of Christ was clearly revealed in His prayer. He knew that ignorance of the truth drives people towards destruction. Scripture tells us that if they had known, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory.
In the same way, our colleagues may not always know what they are doing. They may appear confident. They may sound certain. They may act as though they fully understand their opposition. But in reality, many do not know what they are doing. Their hearts may be blinded. Their minds may be veiled. Their resistance may be rooted in ignorance, fear, misunderstanding, or spiritual blindness.
Therefore, in compassion, we must keep praying for them. And where possible, we must walk right back into the city, carrying the everlasting gospel of Christ not only in our words, but also in our conduct, patience, humility, excellence, and love.
So perhaps our prayer in this season should be:
Father, forgive our colleagues for every careless or hostile word spoken concerning You, for ignorance of the truth, and for every resistance to what You desire to do in our workplaces.
Lord, Your Word tells us that the god of this age has blinded the minds of those who do not believe. We therefore ask that Your light would shine through us even more brightly. Let our lives reveal Christ in such a way that darkness is exposed, deception is broken, and truth becomes visible.
Give us grace not to respond to hostility with hostility, rejection with bitterness, or misunderstanding with resentment. Teach us to overcome evil with good.
Father, let Your love overwhelm hatred. Let Your truth dispel every lie. Let mercy triumph over judgement. And let Your grace abound towards every one of our colleagues, drawing men and women to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
And when the slap comes, teach us to turn the other cheek. Amen.
| Transform Work are going to New Wine in the form of Steven Evans who leads the Christian Network Group at E.ON |
| Meet Kirsty, an archaeologist within the heritage sector. Kirsty shares her testimony about setting up a workplace group in her organisation. |
| A few months ago, a colleague of mine was preparing to leave the company after more than 15 years of service. As their final days approached, I felt prompted to arrange a one on one meeting with them. |
| Listen to Sam's testimony of his experience of starting a Christian Workplace Group in an engineering company. |
| This autumn, E.ON’s headquarters in Essen became a beacon for Christian workplace groups, as colleagues from across the UK and Europe gathered for a groundbreaking Christian Network Conference. |
| I joined our Christian prayer group at work in March 2025, during the Lenten season, seeking a deeper connection with God in a busy and sometimes demanding work environment. |
| I arrived with great expectation, but I couldn’t have anticipated the incredible move of God that was about to unfold in my workplace. |
| A story of small beginnings, persistent faith, and increasing impact. What began in 2013 as a humble attempt by a few Christians to connect during challenging times has blossomed... |
| It was so exciting to hear about Transport for London's Easter event. |
| I’ve been working at my company for 23 years, and for most of that time as the only Christian in the workplace and so sourced my workplace support via Chaplaincy Plus in Birmingham but always wished to be able to set up a small group in our company. |
14/10/2026