Eye for an Eye
Matthew 5
Good Morning Church
Please turn with me to the book of Matthew chapter 5.
What does Jesus have to say about the attitude of an eye for an eye?
What does He says about Vengeance and retaliation.
The attitude of getting even for every wrong that has been done to you or you perceive has been done to you.
The world defiantly has a way of dealing with it but what does Jesus say about it?
Before we do that lets have a word of prayer and ask the Lord for His words to guide us and direct us.
Prayer-
Matthew chapter 5 is the Sermon on the Mount.
100’s of 1000’s if not millions of sermons have come from His words in this chapter. He speaks about relationships, our emotions…Jesus shows us how we should act.
Before you weigh in, we need to know that these words were first found in the Old Testament in Exodus chapter 21 and in the book of Leviticus. Right after the giving of the Ten Commandments in Exodus, there are words concerning personal injury caused by someone else.
Exodus 21
Strike someone with a fatal blow- you are to be put to death, however if it was done unintentional, but God let it happen, they have to flee to a place of refuse.
Attack your Father or Mother- put to death
Kidnap someone- put to death
Get in a quarrel and hit someone with a stone or your fist and the victim does not die but is confined to a bed, you are not held liable if the person is able to get up and get around and can walk with a cane.
Hit a slave in the eye, you must compensate the slave for their eye.
(23) “But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.”
Notce it went from life for life qll the way down to bruise to bruise.
Why in the world would that be allowed? Because there was no police force- a family member would take revenge for the wrongs of those in the family. It was the Law of Moses and later in the Babylonian empire called the Hummurabi code. Without going into great detail it was to do unto someone as they did to you and more. WITH THE EMPHASIS ON MORE
The nation of Israel still practices it today. The Prime Minister was asked why they follow that law of retaliation and he said because it keeps their enemies at bay because they know they will get more done to them than what they did to Israel.
Illustration-
A trucker goes into a truck stop for dinner and soon after sitting there minding his own business, two tough bikers come over and begin giving him a hard time. The one slaps the trucker and he get up and leaves. The other biker says to his buddy, what a bad example of a man as he just leaves and does nothing. The waitress who was watching and looking out the window says, well he isn’t much of a truck driver either because he just ran over two bikes with his truck.
We have no problem listening to those stories of people getting what they deserve-
Illustration-
During the Korean War a certain military unit had hired a local boy to cook and clean for them. Being a bunch of jokesters, these guys soon took advantage of the boy.
They’d smear Vaseline on the stove handles so that when he’d turn the stove on in the morning he’d get grease all over his fingers.
They’d put little water buckets over the door so he’d get soaked when he opened the door
They’d even nailed his shoes to the floor during the night.
Day after day the young Korean took the brunt of their practical jokes without saying anything. There was no blame, no self-pity, no temper tantrums.
Finally the men felt guilty about what they were doing, so they sat down with the boy and said, “Look, we know these pranks aren’t funny for you, and we’re sorry. We’re never going to take advantage of you again.” It seemed too good to be true to the houseboy.
“ No more sticky on stove?” he asked. Nope.
“ No more water on door.” NO
“ No more nail shoes to floor?” NO never again.
“ Okay” the boy said with a smile, “no more spit in soup.”
If we were allowed to live by that standard of life, we would live in a society of people that would be missing eyes and hands and foot. Burned, beaten and hiding in caves.
There are a lot of people who agree that that should continue- they say without hesitation that if you do someone to me I will retaliate and do the same or worse to you.
If you do something mean to me, I will do more to you.
We would have people dueling in the street over arguments and having no value on life and doing whatever they want to do to someone else- oh wait, we are doing that today! We are living in a time that we do those things to each other.
Jesus comes along in Matthew and presents a new way of doing things- not natural.
It is not natural to be nice to someone who is not nice to you.
Most are only nice to those that are nice to you.
Most only do for those that can help you.
Most never let someone get one up on you.
Most make them pay for what they have done and if you can, you try to do it to them even before they would do it to you.
Some of you are saying Amen. Maybe not out loud, and maybe not to anyone else but that works for you. I was raised that way and I lived that lie until I met Jesus. Because I am better than I was before I met Jesus and Jesus is not done with me yet, this is still something He continues to work in my life.
Don’t look at me and judge me- Some of you know exactly what I am talking about.
I need Jesus and I need Him to be in me and working through me.
Now let me say this as I look at scripture- if you are being robbed and your family is in danger, I do not think that Jesus is saying just let someone hurt you or your family and do nothing to prevent it.
I am seeing that it is an attitude adjustment and a different mindset that Jesus is wanting in our lives.
Jesus himself in Luke 4:29 when the crowd was more than willing to stone him and throw him off the town cliff did not let them do it. It was not his time to die and he did not let them. We do not know exactly how He did that but scripture say that he slipped away from them.
Some say that they will just be good people- they will not harm anyone and that is what they expect out of others but that is not what happens- everyone of us has enemies- if you don’t think you have any- watch your back!
Even those who do good have enemies- Jesus perfect Jesus who harmed no one and did not sin had enemies and those who wanted to do him harm but for no other reason than for who He was and what he believed.
Here are Jesus words… what are we going to do with them?
Matthew 5:38-42
“You have heard it said, eye for an eye, and tooth for tooth. But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”
That is a tough interpretation of this verse- it seems like Jesus is telling us to let everyone just walk all over us.
Hear this same verse in the passion version-
Passion version Matthew 5:38-42
“Your ancestors have also been taught, take an eye in exchange for an eye and tooth in exchange for a tooth. However, I say to you, don’t repay an evil act with another evil act. But whoever insults you by slapping you on the right cheek, turn the other to him as well. If someone is determined to sue you for your coat, give him the shirt off your back as a gift in return. And should people in authority take advantage of you, do more than they demand. Learn to generously share what you have with those who ask for help, and don’t close your heart to the one who comes to borrow from you.”
In the culture of Jesus time to slap was the greatest insult thing to do. Jesus said it is better to respond with kindness and rob the oppressor of his ability to humiliate you.
Proverbs 15:1- “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
Someone has to be the better person. Someone has to try to right a wrong-
I believe Jesus gives us things to do when dealing with difficult people in our lives. We see that in verses 43-48.
Matthew 5:43-48 read from Bible
You are not judge and jury
Jesus says that vengeance is mine - it is not your job to be there judge and it is not your job to pick their punishment.
“Do not judge, or you will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you,”
Reconciliation cannot happen with retaliation
Our sins have separated us from God. God is holy. He is separated from all evil. The problem is, we are not. God cannot have fellowship with the wicked. We are wicked. We’ve sinned against everything especially the Holy creator of the universe. God would still be just and still be loving if He threw us into hell for eternity. God doesn’t owe us a thing. Out of His great love for us He came down in bodily form.
The cross is the ultimate proof that Jesus loves us!
“Love chooses reconciliation over retaliation every time.”
Jesus did not do that with us- Jesus chose reconciliation over retaliation.
“God did not wait for a change of heart on our part. He made the first move. Indeed, He did more than that. He did all was necessary to secure our reconciliation, including our change of heart. Even though He is the One offended by our sin, He is the One who makes amends to Himself through the death of Christ.” Jerry Bridges
1 John 2:1-2 My little children, I’m writing these things to you so that you might not sin. Yet if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus, the Messiah, one who is righteous. It is he who is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world’s.
1 Timothy 2:5 For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity–the man Christ Jesus.
God’s presence in our life changes our life
“I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven,”
That does not happen without the presence of God in your life. It is not natural. It is not the first thing we think of when people do us wrong,
Jesus tells us that unless our righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law we will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven,
Closing,
There has to be a difference between the world and believers to see the presence of God working- I want to be different and if different has to be considered weird by the owlrd’s standard- I am okay with that.
If you don’t think you have enemies- you are mistaken. There are people who do not like for no other reason than you are who you are and believe what you believe.
You have not done anything to them but they resent you.
Some you have tried to help but they reject it and still dislike you or talk about you.
If we are to be who Christ wants us to be- we cannot be like them- we have to be different- we have to be Christ-like. The very presence of God which may repel them is the same presence of God that may draw them to Christ.
Prayer- That we would love those that persecute us and talk bad of us so that we might see God move in there life.
I
