Turn the cheek
James Jordan points to structural links between the death of the innocents at hands of Herod (Matt 2) death of innocent Jesus at hands of Romans (Matt 27). While Jesus escapes the first slaughter by fleeing to Egypt, he enters the “Egypt” of Jerusalem/Judea to suffer the slaughter.
There is an inversion of the logic of Passover at work here. The original logic was that the Egyptians who killed the firstborn of Israel would themselves lose their firstborn. In Matthew, “Pharaoh” Herod slaughters infants but does not lose his firstborn. Instead, Jesus, the firstborn of the Father, is killed in a greater Passover. Herod strikes out at the infant King, and instead of receiving retaliation, another king, Pilate, gets a second change to strike, and succeeds.
Herod strikes on one cheek; Jesus turns His cheek so Pilate can strike the other.
Peter Leithart
Peter J. Leithart is President of Theopolis Institute. He is the author of numerous books on theology, literature, and culture, including Theopolitan, Defending Constantine, and Baptized Body.
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