#1230 Matthew 5 Part 15 Eye For An Eye

 

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42 Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. Matthew 5: 38-42

Matthew 5: 38-42

22 “If men struggle with each other and strike a woman with child so that she gives birth prematurely, yet there is no injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman’s husband may demand of him, and he shall pay as the judges decide.

23 “But if there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life,

24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.

26 “If a man strikes the eye of his male or female slave, and destroys it, he shall let him go free on account of his eye.

27 “And if he knocks out a tooth of his male or female slave, he shall let him go free on account of his tooth. Exodus 21: 22-27

You have heard - They heard the teachings of the Scribes, which in part came from the law, which Christ has already warned the people He has no intention of destroying the law. This section of Scripture has been so poorly treated that even in the church you will often hear Gandhi's interpretation of these words put forth as proper, while removing the text from context. The Pharisees did it to promote revenge, their "rights", and others use it to promote a lawless utopia that always ends in dystopia, tyranny, shifting of rights. The Pharisees pull the quote from Scripture, where it is given within the civil law, and admittedly, on it's own it would seem to justify the kind of retaliation they wanted, but we have to consider the whole counsel of God. Look at one of the passages it comes from above, Exodus 21, and it starts with an example of a woman who apparently gets in the middle of a conflict between her husband and another man. There is a penalty here, correct? The husband seeks it but the court decides. There has to be a penalty because it brings restraint, but you don't want vigilantism because the penalty will go all over the place, and in the heat of a moment, with bad evidence, wrong information, someone may take vengeance on the wrong person, and men are also prone to excess.

16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. 17Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. 18For I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.… Matthew 5: 16-18

In verse 24 we see eye for eye, tooth for tooth, but go down to verses 26 and 27 and you will see that penalty defined. The man doesn't remove the other's eye, and the court does not remove the eye or the tooth of the aggressor, but the law hits him hard in his pockets, for he loses his slave, which was a very expensive deterrent. You have to have penalties, you have to have consequences, but they have to be fair. So in saying eye for an eye, look at the penalty of that and know that the "punishment must fit the crime." We also looked previously at capital punishment, and how there were sanctuary cities because sometimes someone was killed without intent, and the example was an axe head coming off the handle. Even today there are still people groups who want to govern family to family, and even if the intent wasn't there they still don't want to use the courts but decide it themselves. This is rather Hatfield and McCoy, but the Bible actually has to speak to it because it is in men's hearts. Say you are at a bar and someone gets loud, and then they shove a waitress and you intervene, but the man escalates it by pulling out a knife, and a struggle ensues where you best him, but he dies. Now say the man was younger than you, close to the age of one of your own sons, and when his father hears about it he doesn't care that his son was in the wrong, he wants revenge. He doesn't even want to come after you directly, doesn't care to go to the police to see what an investigation will bring out, but he wants you to hurt like he hurts, so he wants to kill your son, and he says, "an eye for an eye, I'll take the apple of your eye." He doesn't know the scriptures so well as he pretends.

…15You are to pay his wages each day before sunset, because he is poor and depends on them. Otherwise he may cry out to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin. 16Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin. 17Do not deny justice to the foreigner or the fatherless, and do not take a widow’s cloak as security.… Deuteronomy 24: 15-17

John MacArthur explains that the rabbinic tradition had perverted lex talionis, an "eye for an eye", which in the OT

did not allow an individual to take the law into his own hands and apply it personally. Yet that is exactly what rabbinic tradition had done. Each man was permitted, in effect, to become his own judge, jury, and executioner. God’s law was turned to individual license (permit to act, freedom to take a specific course of action), and civil justice was perverted to personal vengeance. Instead of properly acknowledging the law of an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth as a limit on punishment, they conveniently used it as a mandate for vengeance-as it has often been wrongly viewed throughout history. What God gave as a restriction on civil courts, Jewish tradition had turned into personal license for revenge. In still another way, the self-centered and self-asserted “righteousness” of the scribes and Pharisees had made a shambles of God’s holy law. (MacArthur, J: Matthew 1-7 Macarthur New Testament Commentary Chicago: Moody Press)

But I say to you - Christ is going to bring it home, and in a way that they don't want to hear, because they are under Rome now and they hate the Romans. 

Spurgeon - The law of an eye for an eye, as administered in the proper courts of law was founded in justice, and worked far more equitably than the more modern system of fines; for that method allows rich men to offend with comparative impunity, But when the lex talionis came to be the rule of daily life, it fostered revenge, and our Savior would not tolerate it as a principle carried out by individuals. Good law in court may be very bad custom in common society. He spoke against what had become a proverb and was heard and said among the people, “Ye have heard that it hath been said.” Our loving King would have private dealings ruled by the spirit of love and not by the rule of law. - P A

Do not resist the one who is evil - What about my rights? They need to know who I am, and if I don't retaliate then I will be door mat. Americans hold up as hero the one who doesn't take nothing from no one, the one who asserts himself, who is quick to let you know how offended he or she is, and is going to return evil for evil. Forgiveness and meekness are a sign of weakness to them, and they are going to dominate, even when they aren't sure what the argument is about, and even when they find out they were wrong about the whole thing, by golly, I'm still gonna say I was right, and you still deserved whatever I gave you. Christ is telling them not to be so easily offended, but how contrary is that to culture.

…17Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18If it is possible on your part, live at peace with everyone. 19Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.”… Romans 12: 17-19

You have here our Lord Jesus Christ's rules for our conduct one towards another. He that would know how He ought to feel and act towards his fellow men, should often study these verses. They deserve to be written in letters of gold. They have extorted praise even from the enemies of Christianity. Let us mark well what they contain…

There is much in all this (Mt 5:38-48) which calls loudly for solemn reflection. There are few passages of Scripture so calculated to raise in our minds humbling thoughts. We have here a lovely picture of the Christian as he ought to be. We cannot look at it without painful feelings. We must all allow that it differs widely from the Christian as he is. Let us carry away from it two general lessons.

In the first place if the spirit of these ten verses were more continually remembered by true believers, they would recommend Christianity to the world far more than they do. We must not allow ourselves to suppose that the least words in this passage are trifling and of small moment. They are not so. It is attention to the spirit of this passage which makes our religion beautiful. It is the neglect of the things which it contains by which our religion is deformed. Unfailing courtesy, kindness, tenderness, and consideration for others, are some of the greatest ornaments to the character of the child of God. The world can understand these things, if it cannot understand doctrine. There is no religion in rudeness, roughness, bluntness, and incivility. The perfection of practical Christianity consists in attending to the little duties of holiness as well as to the great.

In the second place, if the spirit of these ten verses had more dominion and power in the world, how much happier the world would be than it is. Who does not know that quarrelings, strifes, selfishness, and unkindness cause half the miseries by which mankind is visited? Who can fail to see that nothing would so much tend to increase happiness as the spread of Christian love, such as is here recommended by our Lord? Let us all remember this. Those who fancy that true religion has any tendency to make men unhappy, are greatly mistaken. It is the absence of it that does this, and not the presence. True religion has the directly contrary effect. It tends to promote peace, and charity, and kindness, and goodwill among men. The more men are brought under the teaching of the Holy Spirit, the more they will love one another, and the more happy they will be. (Matthew 5 Commentary) - J. C. Ryle from Precept Austin

Turn to him the other also - Dear God, that's not fair for You to say that, when someone insults me to that level, I want to take their head off. God, You just wouldn't understand, You don't know what it's like. God actually saw this done to His prophets, to Job, and to His own Son, Who is also God.

…23So you see, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours, and the LORD has pronounced disaster against you.” 24Then Zedekiah son of Chenaanah went up, struck Micaiah in the face, and demanded, “Which way did the Spirit of the LORD go when He departed from me to speak with you?” 25Micaiah replied, “You will soon see, on that day when you go and hide in an inner room.”… 1 Kings 22: 23-25

…9His anger has torn me and opposed me; He gnashes His teeth at me. My adversary pierces me with His eyes. 10They open their mouths against me and strike my cheeks with contempt; they join together against me. 11God has delivered me to unjust men; He has thrown me to the clutches of the wicked.… Job 16: 9-11

…5The Lord GOD has opened My ears, and I have not been rebellious, nor have I turned back. 6I offered My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who tore out My beard. I did not hide My face from scorn and spittle. 7Because the Lord GOD helps Me, I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set My face like flint, and I know that I will not be put to shame.… Isaiah 50: 5-7

63The men who were holding Jesus began to mock Him and beat Him. 64They blindfolded Him and kept demanding, “Prophesy! Who hit You?” 65And they said many other blasphemous things against Him.… Luke 22: 63-65

Let him have your cloak as well - Stop it from escalating any further. Jesus already told them, in the same sermon, to agree with your enemy while in the way, to avoid the courts. We shouldn't be out suing others all the time, and in our country it has become a form of the lottery. You see hundreds of billboard ads and tv commercials with people posing next to a big fat check, smiling that they got "theirs", and it's not justice they seek, no, their pupils have turned into dollar signs. Jesus has already told us in this same sermon, "blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy, and blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake, rejoice and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven." They don't understand things from an eternal perspective, for them, heaven is whatever they can get right here and right now.

…6Instead, one brother goes to law against another, and this in front of unbelievers! 7 The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means that you are thoroughly defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? 8Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, even against your own brothers!… 1 Corinthians 6: 6-8

Let him have all he asks, and more. Better lose a suit of cloth than be drawn into a suit in law. The courts of our Lord’s day were vicious, and his disciples were advised to suffer wrong sooner than appeal to them. Our own courts often furnish the surest method of solving a difficulty by authority, and we have known them resorted to with the view of preventing strife. Yet even in a country where justice can be had, We are not to resort to law for every personal wrong. We should rather endure to be put upon than be for ever crying out, “I’ll bring an action.”

At times this very rule of self-sacrifice may require us to take steps in the way of legal appeal, to stop injuries which would fall heavily upon others; but we ought often to forego our own advantage, yea, always when the main motive would be a proud desire for self-vindication.

Lord, give me a patient spirit, so that I may not seek to avenge myself, even when I might righteously do so! - C. H. Spurgeon

Go with him two miles - This one really stung, because it was Roman law that a soldier could make a commoner carry his pack and equipment for a mile, and this was disruptive to a man's day, but they also hated the Romans. Jesus is asking them to go above and beyond the law, to love their enemy.

Give to the one who begs from you - Another one that the liberal churches blunder, as if it excuses them from the real hurt, and denies the use of discernment, but if they had discernment they wouldn't be under such teaching. When I was a drug addict and someone gave me money, it went to drugs. If it went to my car payment, well, that's because I spent my bill money on drugs already. This is not a verse that is meant to encourage enabling. Look at the whole counsel again:

…9Not that we lack this right, but we wanted to offer ourselves as an example for you to imitate. 10For even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “If anyone is unwilling to work, he shall not eat.” 11Yet we hear that some of you are leading undisciplined lives and accomplishing nothing but being busybodies.… 2 Thessalonians 3: 9-11

Give to him who asks of you - Spurgeon exhorts us to "Be generous. A miser is no follower of Jesus. Discretion is to be used in our giving, lest we encourage idleness and beggary; but the general rule is, “Give to him that asketh thee.” Sometimes a loan may be more useful than a gift, do not refuse it to those who will make right use of it. These precepts are not meant for fools, they are set before us as our general rule; but each rule is balanced by other Scriptural commands, and there is the teaching of a philanthropic common-sense to guide us. Our spirit is to be one of readiness to help the needy by gift or loan, and we are not exceedingly likely to err by excess in this direction; hence the boldness of the command. - Precept Austin