This post appeared thanks to some entries and discussions in my feed, comments left, as well as this photograph seen on the Internet, which depicted nuns with weapons. Italy - Rome, Vatican, 1937.

There was a "Vatican Women's Shooting Team", which was disbanded in February 1938 because Pope Pius XI did not think that the existence of a shooting team would advance the pious image of the Catholic Church.

So. Is it necessary to turn the other cheek if you hit one?

There are many interpretations of this phrase, but they all practically boil down to the fact that one should not get angry or offended in response to aggression. Some have even gone so far as to refuse to take up arms, but! It is not always possible to stop evil only with words or inaction. And as you know, unpunished evil gives rise to new evil, thanks to which it only multiplies.

Do you know what the problem with most interpreters is? From direct perception of the text. A person simply literally interprets the words spoken almost 2000 years ago from the point of view of modern concepts, without taking into account the traditions and customs that once existed.

So. Let's go back to the source. Gospel of Matthew:
“You have heard that it was said: “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” But I tell you: do not resist evil. But whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other also to him; and whoever wants to sue you and take your shirt, give him your outer clothing too; and whoever forces you to go one mile with him, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks from you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” Matt. 5.38-42.

Few people wonder why it is said “who will hit you” on the right cheek yours》. Don't think that the right cheek is indicated just like that. There are reasons for this.

Imagine a slave in ancient Palestine standing before his master, who is about to hit him. He cannot hit a slave with his left hand, since it is intended only for performing unclean work. For example, washing yourself after going to the toilet is not a whim, but a commandment of faith. The owner can only hit the slave with his right hand. He cannot hit the person standing in front of him on the right cheek with the fist or palm of his right hand, because in this case he would have to twist or otherwise direct his hand. Therefore, if he wants to hit the slave on the right cheek, he will have to do it the other way around - with the outer side of his palm. In the time of Jesus, striking with the outside of the palm had a special meaning. This gesture was used only by people with great power, wanting to humiliate the weaker. With the outer side of the palm, masters beat their slaves, the Romans beat Jews, men beat their wives, and parents beat their children. Thus they said: “Know your place... you are below me.”

If, having obeyed the words of the Gospel, you turn the other cheek, that is, the left, then the owner, who is obliged to hit only with his right hand, will no longer be able to hit with the back of his palm. Wanting to hit again, he will have to hit with his fist or palm, which is the same thing. However, only people who were equal to each other fought with fists.

Now do you understand the meaning of our phrase? And this meaning is not at all about humility.)

In this regard, I recall a parable that is known in different versions. I present here one of several.

A boorish-looking young man enters the temple,
approaches the priest, hits him on the cheek and, smiling maliciously, says:
- And what, father, it was said, they hit you on the right cheek, turn the left one too.

Father, a former special forces soldier, sends the insolent man into the corner of the temple with a left hook and meekly says:
- It is also said that with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you!

Frightened parishioners:
- What is happening there?

Deacon important:
- The Gospel is interpreted.

In addition, our ancestors understood and knew the true meaning of this phrase. How else can you explain this proverb? "If you are hit on your right cheek, turn your left but don't let me hit you"

This means that you don’t need to get angry, but just fight back while maintaining your dignity. Indeed, the man jumping around you, waving his arms and spewing curses, because he cannot hit, is ridiculous and absurd and can only be compared with an annoying fly.

And one last thing. In ancient times, monks actually wandered around the world seemingly unarmed, but... they always had a staff in their hands, and they themselves, as a rule, were proficient in one form or another of hand-to-hand combat. That's it.)

A hairy, bearded man is sitting on a bench. Smokes "Belomor"
drinks beer, reads the Gospel.
The gops come up.
- Well, hairy one, do you honor the Holy Scriptures?
- Wha...
Rub him on the face!
- And what does it say, hairy one?
- “If you hit one cheek, turn the other.” - And turns
face with the other hemisphere.
Shake!
- What now, hairy?
A hefty fellow, about two meters tall, rises from the bench,
one and a half meters at the shoulders and calmly says:
- But Scripture says nothing about the third cheek...

A boorish-looking young man enters the church, approaches the priest, hits him on the cheek and, smiling sarcastically, says: “What, father, it was said, they hit him on the right cheek, turn the left one too.” Father, a former master of sports in boxing, sends the insolent man into the corner of the church with a left hook and meekly says: “It is also said that with the measure you use, it will be measured to you!” Frightened parishioners: “What is happening there?” The deacon is important: “They are interpreting the Gospel.”

How to understand the words of Jesus “if they hit you on the left cheek, turn your right” and that “all earthly power is from God” (Antichrist too?).

Priest Afanasy Gumerov, a resident of Sretensky Monastery, answers:

The words of Jesus Christ, “whoever hits you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also” (Matthew 5:39) figuratively express the commandment: to respond to evil not with evil, but with good. Judgment and punishment for those who have done evil must be left to the Lord. At the heart of this commandment is the immutable faith in the omniscience and omnipotence of God. The Lord alone knows the measure of what we need to endure. “Are not five small birds sold for two assars? and not one of them is forgotten by God. And even the hairs on your head are all numbered. So do not be afraid: you are worth more than many small birds” (Luke 12: 6 – 7). If we fulfill this commandment, we will increase goodness in the world. “For this is the will of God, that by doing good we should stop the ignorance of foolish men” (1 Pet. 2:15).

Is this commandment achievable? Yes. First of all, the Savior Himself gave us the greatest example of its fulfillment. By your redemptive feat. “Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example so that we would follow in His footsteps. He committed no sin, and no flattery was in His mouth. Being slandered, He did not slander each other; while suffering, he did not threaten, but handed it over to the Righteous Judge. He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we, having been delivered from sins, might live for righteousness; by His stripes you were healed” (1 Pet. 2:21-24). Many followers of Christ sought to fulfill this commandment and defeated evil. The noble princes Boris and Gleb, when their brother Svyatopolk began to fight against them, had their own squads and could, at the cost of bloodshed, try to take over him. But, as true disciples of Christ, they followed the path of sacrificial humility and became saints, and evil soon fell. One cannot think that the fulfillment of this commandment always involves the shedding of blood. Not a day goes by without us being required to show ourselves as true disciples of the Savior and to respond with kindness and love to small or large troubles caused to us. How often our spiritual weakness is revealed!

Is all power from God? Scripture answers this question. The idea of ​​the absolute omnipotence of God runs through all the sacred biblical books. The Lord is the only Sovereign of heaven, earth and the underworld “You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is power and strength, and no one can stand against You!” (2 Chron. 20:6). If not a single hair from the head can fall without the will of God (“Luke 21:19”), then who can arbitrarily assert his power over any nation? “The kingdom is the Lord’s, and He is Ruler over the nations” (Ps. 21:29). At the same time, you need to differentiate. Some rulers are pleasing to God. The Lord crowns them and anoints them to the kingdom: the prophet David, St. Constantine the Great, Justinian, Holy Queen Pulcheria, St. Grand Duke Vladimir and many faithful kings, noble princes and other honest and worthy men. He chooses others to admonish the nations who have fallen into grave sins. Many rulers were such scourges in the hands of God: Sargon II, Nebuchadnezzar, Attila, Genghis Khan and many who lived after them. The Lord Himself speaks about the purpose of such power: “O Assur, the rod of My wrath! and the scourge in his hand is My indignation!” (Isa. 10:5). Divine Providence allows such power to establish itself and uses it for Its purposes, but personal guilt for the crimes of the rulers remains. God knows exactly the extent of everyone’s responsibility and will reward everyone at the Judgment. When Pontius Pilate told Jesus that he had the power to crucify Him and the power to release Him, “Jesus answered: You would not have any power over Me if it had not been given to you from above; Therefore, he who delivered Me to you has greater sin” (John 19: 10 – 11). At the end of times, to test the faith of people before the upcoming Judgment, the Antichrist will be allowed to temporarily establish dominion on earth: “power was given to him to act for forty-two months” (Rev. 13: 5). Then the Lord will not only deprive him of power, but will also “kill him with the spirit of his mouth and destroy him by the manifestation of his coming” (2 Thess. 2:8).

The well-known truth that every nation has such rulers as it deserves is fully consistent with the biblical teaching about earthly power.

“I want to be a real man, I want to be able to stand up for myself. Father, bless me to practice martial arts. Is this not a sin?” - young people sometimes ask priests with this or a similar question. But in fact, the problem is more serious and deeper: how compatible are martial arts and Orthodoxy in principle, is such a “connection” possible? And how should we generally approach the problem of resisting external aggression and evil in our extremely difficult conditions today? Let us decide to offer our own version of the answer to these questions that are so pressing today.

The desire for security

The desire of a young man or young man to learn self-defense techniques is quite understandable, especially these days, when it is often difficult to walk down the street without hitting anyone, or running into someone’s unfriendly, or even downright threatening, gaze. The chronicles of incidents are replete with reports of robberies, beatings, group fights and the like. And even the most peace-loving person begins to think: “Isn’t it true what they say that the best way to defend is to attack? And shouldn’t you prepare for war if you want peace?”

The martial arts of the East (karate, wushu, taekwondo, judo, aikido, etc.) quickly entered the life of European, including Russian society, and became firmly established in it. This was facilitated by both active advertising of this “product of ancient culture” by the film industry and the media, as well as a huge number of dedicated enthusiasts. With all the diversity of these combat systems, they are united by a common principle: training that requires great physical and moral effort, allowing you to master a technique that makes it possible to fight with one or more opponents. Conventionally, schools are divided into “soft” and “hard”, but the goal of all methods is the same: to teach the adherent of the school to defeat the enemy, blow by blow, while remaining the least vulnerable.

What is the secret of such popularity of martial arts? Probably, there is a whole complex of reasons that determine the love for them on the part of not only men, but also representatives of the “weaker sex” who are trying to get rid of their weakness. However, I would like to dwell here on the most essential. As noted above, the world around us today is a scary world. And the people of this world afraid, - they are afraid of life, they are afraid of people like themselves. And they are looking for protection, or rather, a feeling of security.

And the image of, say, a karateka in a snow-white kimono, rapidly moving across the tatami and delivering lightning-fast blows with his feet and hands, from which the boards split with a crash and bricks crumble into orange dust in the hands of the “assistants” - the image of a person who is extremely protected, powerful don't be afraid of anyone or anything. This image attracts and becomes an example to follow; a teenager, a youth, a young man who is just entering adulthood really wants to become “like that.”

The Gospel and the Art of Combat

But in this case we are not talking about how appropriate such a method of “protection” from the outside world is for non-believers, non-church people, who do not see any moral problem in such a choice. The question is: what should a Christian answer when he approaches a priest in a church and asks him for his blessing to master the art of martial arts?

The first thing we turn to in this case is the Gospel, which contains answers to all questions. Whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other to him as well.(Matthew 5:39) Is it appropriate for a Christian, after such words of Christ, to purposefully learn not only how to prevent a blow on the right cheek, and even more so on the left, but also how to deliver a crushing blow in return?

Everyone knows the common statement: “Goodness must come with fists.” But the whole point is that, having learned to use them, it gradually ceases to be good. The Apostle Peter, wanting to protect Christ from the encroachment of soldiers sent by the high priests and elders of the people of Israel, draws a sword and cuts off the ear of one of the high priest's servants. And what? The Lord stops him: return your sword to its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword(Matthew 26:52). Moreover, He heals the wounded.

One could say that the example of Christ is unattainably high; one could refer to the fact that He was moving towards fulfilling the goal of His earthly ministry, preparing to suffer for the human race, to be crucified, to die and to be resurrected for three days. But the fact is that we see following the example of Christ in the lives of a whole host of not only saints, but also simply pious Christians who sincerely believe that, according to the word of the Lord, blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth(Matthew 5:5). One of the most striking cases of such meekness is the well-known episode from the life of St. Seraphim of Sarov, when he, being in a deep forest, being an extremely strong man and having an ax in his hands, in the full sense of the word, gave up his hands and allowed himself to be beaten half to death, maimed for life to the robbers who attacked him. We agree that not everyone will decide to do something like this with the fearlessness of a saint; someone will try to defend themselves, perhaps successfully. But even in this case, for a church person, the correct reaction to such an incident would be repentance for the fact that he could not fulfill the commandments of Christ, and not proud arrogance: “Like I did them!”

The most frequently heard objection from those who are trying to “ennoble” the art of combat sounds something like this: “But it is not necessary to apply the acquired skills. You can just own them.”

However, a believer knows what temptation is. And a very big temptation is precisely to apply such skills.

No matter what is said about martial arts, no matter how they are presented as a “system of harmonious personality development,” the fact is obvious: they precisely deform a person’s personality, and in a very specific way.

An athlete who practices martial arts (even if it is “traditional” boxing or wrestling) inevitably develops what could be called, in the words of the famous church writer Archimandrite Raphael (Karelin), a “combat complex.” It manifests itself, in particular, in the fact that a person begins to evaluate any situation from the point of view of his physical (read - combat) capabilities. The approach to everything that irritates, turns out to be contrary to his will, already contains a certain internal aggression, based on the ability to implement it efficiently.

What does the training of an athlete-fighter consist of? A necessary set of exercises to develop strength, flexibility, coordination... And what else? Practicing defensive movements (they, however, are never considered in isolation from striking or attacking techniques) ... And - staging a strike. It takes years to “deliver” a blow that can “turn off”, knock down or knock out, and finally kill the intended opponent. If for an athlete the culminating moment is a jump to the maximum height or maximum acceleration at the finish line, for an attacker in football - a goal scored, for a chess player - checkmate to the opponent, then for a fighter it is a blow into which all the forces are invested, after which the opponent can no longer continue the fight. In such a blow, in addition to ordinary human (or inhuman) cruelty, there is also an obvious occult-mystical moment. What, for example, does a heartbreaking scream mean? “Ki” is energy, “I” is movement. The movement of energy in this blow... What energy, whose? Divine? This question is probably unnecessary.

The occult-mystical moment is generally inseparable from the practice of martial arts, even if they are extremely freed from religious content and are as close as possible to a sports discipline. “Kata” in karate is a kind of meditation in motion, the same meditation is concentration at the beginning and at the end of training. And what is “worship of the spirit of the school (or teacher),” if not outright paganism? What are postures and movements that copy the movements of representatives of the animal world - up to the adoption of some behavioral characteristics?.. But even where all this is not there, the spirit itself is present - a certain thread that connects all fighting traditions - the spirit, frankly speaking, not Christian at all. And therefore there is little “positive” difference between, for example, hand-to-hand combat and karate, judo or aikido.

Trust in God or non-resistance to evil?

And yet, even after all the above reasoning, the question of “security”, the ability to “stand up for oneself” remains open for many. For some, the reason for this is pride and pride, for others it is all in the same fear of the cruel and therefore frightening reality that surrounds us.

Why did St. Seraphim refuse the opportunity to “stand up for himself”? His words are known: “As iron is surrendered to a blacksmith, so I surrendered myself entirely to God.” They contain the trust in God, His all-good Providence, necessary for every Christian, the belief that the Lord never leaves a person who has decided to fulfill His commandment, that without His will not a hair will fall from our head (see Matthew 10:30) .

In this faith, for a Christian, there is the basis of his security, such that no one has, even the holder of a black belt and the highest dan in Kyokushinkai karate.

But, of course, Christianity is not Tolstoy’s “non-resistance to evil.” And there are cases when, not even for one’s own sake, but for the sake of other people, one has to resist evil. Including on the physical level. However, it is one thing to do this out of necessity, and another to have it as the main content of life.

There is also such a terrible reality as war. War is always evil, even when it is liberating. But, according to the rule of the Holy Fathers, when two evils are presented, it is necessary to have the courage to choose the least of them in order to avoid the greater and deliver others from it. And in war you have to not only kill, but also... learn to kill. This is truly a scary reality.

But war is war. And the people, who do not want to feed their own army, feed someone else’s, and this always results in even greater evil. Therefore, if a Christian who refuses possible self-defense for the sake of the Gospel commandment shows virtue, then politicians who do not care about the presence of an army capable of protecting the state from external aggression betray their people. And, perhaps, the only place where the art of hand-to-hand combat and other martial arts in the full sense are justified by necessity itself is the army and those units and services that are responsible for the security of the country. Although, if the person guarding this security is a true Christian, then he will always regard his duty as a sorrowful duty, generated by the imperfection of our existence, damaged by sin. Therefore, a completed task and a won duel or fight will make you not only and not so much rejoice as repent of an involuntary, “necessary”, but still sin.

And also - a small but eloquent piece of evidence from life, which also helps to clarify the problem posed. Practice shows that people who practice martial arts (including very seriously) come to the Church. And then their activities often gradually fade away. But it also happens that Christians who have already become churchgoers begin to train in martial arts sections, and this necessarily reduces the intensity of their church and spiritual life, if it does not lead them away from the Church completely.

Therefore, it seems that we need to listen to the words of the Apostle Paul: Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial(1 Cor 6:12) and make the right choice, at least for yourself.

The author's argument does not lose any of its significance due to the fact that the blow to right cheek (respectively the back of the hand) was a ritual insult among the Jews. In essence, any blow is not only physical damage, but also an insult to the dignity of man as the image of God. - Red.

Regarding the traditional nature of boxing and wrestling, it seems necessary to make a reservation: when women engage in them, this is not only a violation of tradition, but also a gross violation of the ontological status of women in the created world. - Red.

The Gospel tells how Jesus Christ, during the Sermon on the Mount, calls for humility, even to the point of non-resistance to violence. Literally this passage goes like this:

“You have heard that it was said: “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” But I tell you: do not resist evil. But whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other also to him; and whoever wants to sue you and take your shirt, give him your outer clothing too; and whoever forces you to go one mile with him, go with him two miles.” Matt. 5:38-41

However, you should know that the Holy Scripture (especially the New Testament) was written in Greek and then translated from Greek into other languages.

During the translation, naturally, some distortions could occur, which sometimes led to a complete distortion of the meaning of what was written.

For example, the call of Christ - hit one cheek, turn the other, is known to almost all Christians, and with many of them the incorrect interpretation of the words of Jesus played a cruel joke.

For example, the well-known Saint Seraphim of Sarov, when he once met robbers in the forest, did not resist them, although he was young and strong and could have stopped the villains. The robbers brutally beat him, after which he remained hunched over for the rest of his life. The robbers, meanwhile, went on to rob further, but were soon caught, and then again Seraphim begged them not to punish him.

This was his conviction not to harm another person and to turn every cheek he had. True, it would be possible to look at this kindness from the other side, unpunished criminals become more and more daring and commit more and more terrible crimes, who will be to blame for this?

However, perhaps this fatal phrase of Christ is not at all an error in the Greek translation, but a deliberate distortion of the meaning for the benefit of the church.

When the church was formed as an institution, its main task was to maintain power over the minds and bodies of parishioners. The commandment to obey, no matter what, turned out to be very convenient not only for the clergy, but also for the state.

During the Tatar-Mongol yoke, Batu Khan forbade touching Christian priests and robbing monasteries, the reason was his conviction that the Christian church teaches obedience, including to the Mongols.

Agree, in society it is almost impossible to fulfill the commandment of non-resistance In any case, neither ordinary people, nor especially the church, managed to do this.

Today they have come up with an explanation that this commandment should not be taken literally.

Like, it’s not without reason that Jesus says - if you hit the right cheek, a right-handed person can hit the right cheek only with the back of his hand (a controversial issue), which means we are not talking about a blow, but a slap in the face. This is how Jews insulted each other in those days.

Based on this, today's theologians teach, you need to understand that Jesus calls to endure only insults, not beatings.

But I consider this explanation unsatisfactory; if you cannot stop the insults, but humbly endure them, then sooner or later the insolent person will become bolder and move on.

So what did Jesus really say?

If we discard all implausible explanations and turn to the meaning of the Sermon on the Mount, then we can freely restore the original commandment of Jesus Christ, it sounds like this:

“If they hit you on the right cheek, do not take revenge! And you will be perfect..."

The fact is that if a person does not resist violence, he thereby encourages evil, a lot of terrible crimes occur precisely because the criminals at the very beginning, when they committed “innocent pranks,” did not receive harsh rebuff from society.

If someone is breaking your windows and you don't want to stop, then very soon that someone will want to beat you up.

Such non-resistance leads to the downfall of both souls: the victim and the criminal.

Every injustice and evil deed must be stopped, but precisely to stop, and not to take revenge, this is the wisdom of Christian teaching.