38"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.'" 39But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. Matthew 5:38-42
Leviticus 24:20 says it more graphically...
20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. As he has injured the other, so he is to be injured.
...and in Deuteronomy 19:21
21 Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
Jesus started by saying: "you have heard that it was said... but I tell you...
" it is not our burden to bear (to return fracture for fracture), it is not our jackets they want (all that i have belongs to Jesus)... the old is gone and we take on the likeness of Jesus... and in Him we liberated!!!
it all belongs to Jesus, the right to vengeance, the ownership of things... i am left with freedom to love
beloved, let's exercise the right to give it up!
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4 comments:
helen, thanks for a wonderful reflection on a very famous section of the sermon on the mount.
Jesus points out the wide gulf between legality and the law of love.
in Christ, we must willingly relinquish the right to seek revenge, or to "right" the wrongs that we have suffered.
this is not in any way to excuse the injustices that have been done to us.
but God sees everytime you have been wrongly treated or injustly accused. and He says in His Word,
"Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord" (romans 12:19).
in other words, God will take it upon Himself to avenge the wrongs done against His children. He will "avenge" and "repay" so much more completely and thoroughly than we ever could. it will be a truly frightful day, the day when God "repays".
in the meantime, we can wait upon and put our hope in the Lord. we are instructed instead to pursue "the law of love", which exhorts us, to "overcome evil with good" (romans 12:21) until the day of the Lord's coming.
what a challenging passage! who wouldn't want to seek revenge or fight back when someone has treatly them unjustly? it's our nature to stand up for ourselves. but what we may think is just may not be just according to God. we may not be in the best state of mind (esp. in the moment), and do something that would cause us to feel more regret than justification. as we have all mentioned...it's hard to let go of our pride, anger, and selfishness in those very moments. but imagine how God can use those tough situations and turn it into a blessing.
i see my life how much more i can gain as i learn to let go of these very things that causes me to want to seek revenge and justice.
When I read the passages like these, it gives me a chill. Because what Jesus was saying is unthinkable action to take against those who hate us. It is completely opposite from what the world would tell us to do. What Jesus reminds me the story I've once read on children's book.
The Wind came over to Sun proudly told him that his power is stronger than the Sun and the wind would love to prove to Sun how powerful he is. The Sun smiled and suggested that they do a little competition to see whose power is stronger. The wind agreed and suggested that whoever takes the man's coat off first would win. The wind tried everything within his power to blow off the man's coat. However, stronger the wind blow, harder the man grab onto his coat. Finally the wind gave up and sadly stepped aside to let the sun try. The sun calmly stood high up in the sky and shone hot sunlight upon the man. The man, as getting hotter and hotter by the sun, took off his coat.
Worldly wisdom is far behind wisdom of our God.
I think it is in our nature to seek revenge and retribution for the wrong that is done against us or we'll grow bitter inside. In all truths, I don't oppose the concept of "eye for and eye, tooth for a tooth." But that goes against, everything that God is. The thing I struggle with is the "turning the other cheek" when someone does something wrong against me. It's hard to do because when you don't fight back, it's like you're showing a sign of weakness and your pride takes a big hit. And I sometimes forget that I have a God who will avenge for me. It may not be while I'm alive on this Earth but someday He will do that for me.
If you think about it, having God in your corner to support you and fight for you, it makes one feel smug and should give you confidence.
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