Turn the Other Cheek: How About Assertiveness?

From the New International Version, Matthew 5:39 reads:

Matthew 5:39 (New International Version)
39"But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also."

(Source:http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%205:39&version=31)

Now I have been struggling with this verse since I became a college student. You see when I was younger, I used to take this literally. Later when I stepped-in the university I realized to value assertiveness and dismissed the previous thought of martyrdom. And then a few years after that it I had a change of attitude. It seems more logical then to take on the thought that the verse was meant as literally as it was written--but it was meant only for the holies. And since I do want to be close to being holy, I must adhere to that verse as closely as I possibly could.

Fast forward to present day. One does not need a ten years working experience to realize that the verse can not be literally be interpreted and applied to a working environment--unless of course that person wants to be career dead! In the workplace arena, assertiveness is so much valued that loud-but-not-so-bright people are promoted faster that wise-but-shy-and-quiet talents. How do we settle then the verse with the view of assertiveness?

Well we can look at Jesus. In his day when he is being attacked verbally by the pharisees, I don't see him shy away. Instead he passionately defends what he believes in. That thought make me go back to the verse to look deeper at its context.

Context1: In verse 11, the dialogue was a personal teaching for his disciples. And more importantly it was said in the context of persecution of holding on to the Christian faith. Let me quoute the verse here:

11"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me."

Context2: It also was a dialogue against hypocrisy. This is clear from verses 17 and 20 qouted below:

17"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven."

What was being emphasized was the logic and heart beyond the old testament laws, and that it should not be taken as just a laws to be followed, but a heart to be imitated.

Given those contexts, I can now undestand a bit about the verse. Re-pasted below the whole statement is:

38"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.'[g] 39But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. "

Now what was being talked about here is the attitude about revenge. In the old testament, it was viewed as just--as long as you give only what is due. Revenge therefore is an expression of justice. In the new testament however, this was corrected by teaching that resentment should not be nurtured at all. Revenge in view of justice just breeds hatred, breeding by itself revenge again thus completing the cycle. To stop this Jesus' answer is forgiveness, to let go of the resentment.

Now going back to the question. Where does one places assertiveness? Well what I conclude is, go for for it. Fight passionately for what you believe in. If you are attacked because of you ideas, defend it without resenting the person. You can not take your work related arguments too personally! If someone throws you an argument against your ideas, then retaliate by throwing counter arguments! Just as long as you keep it as a pure intellectual exercise and you keep your emotions guarded from being personal and below-the-belt I believe it is alright ot be assertive. Well that is what I believe, at least for now that is. :-)