Eye For An Eye?

[Maria Faustina]

I was debating with someone the other day and they brought up the eye for an eye (Exodus 21:23–27) and how it seems to contradict when Jesus says to turn the other cheek (Matthew 5:38-42). I really didn't know so I said had to get back to them on that. So could someone explain this to me? Thanks!

In Christ,

Maria Faustina

[cappie]

In Matthew 5:38, 39: Jesus was making reference to a passage found in the Old Testament law Exodus 21:23-27:

This passage taught that retribution for injury should be the same act performed by the offending individual. In other words, if someone hurt your eye or tooth, their eye and tooth would be hurt in like manner. From this passage we get the phrase, “An eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.” This was a popular phrase in the time of Jesus and remains so today. It was used to justify personal retaliation. Sadly, this same passage is still used today to excuse personal retaliation. However, such an interpretation is actually a misapplication of the Word of God.

The context of this passage is found within specific instructions given to Moses by God concerning the manner in which the civil government should handle crimes committed against individuals. “An eye for an eye” was the judgment to be carried out by civil authorities. It was never to be used as license for individuals to retaliate for personal insults or injuries against themselves. This is the attitude Jesus was addressing in Matthew. He was dealing with the prevailing opinion that you should retaliate and seek vengeance for yourself. Personal vengeance was forbidden even under the Law.

It is interesting to note that Matthew 5:39 specifically states that if someone slaps you on the right cheek, you are to turn the other cheek also. As today, most people then were right-handed. If a right-handed person were to slap you, you would be hit on the left cheek. This verse is speaking of getting hit with a back hand across the right cheek rather than getting hit across the left cheek with full force.

Although getting backhanded was not as painful because it came with much less force than getting hit with the dominate hand, getting slapped backhanded was one of the biggest insults in Hebrew culture. Therefore, Jesus was really saying when someone insults us, we should not attempt to retaliate or get even, rather we should turn the other cheek.

Several verses in Proverbs might help us here with this issue.
Proverbs 9:11 A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense
Proverbs 12:16: A fool's wrath is quickly and openly known, but a prudent man ignores an insult

Proverbs teaches us that it is prudent to overlook an insult and it is a glory or credit to us if we pass over a transgression against us. Often, we have opportunities in the flesh to feel anger at being insulted or demeaned. We want to get back at those who insult, injure or humiliate us; we want to make them feel the same way they caused us to feel. People who insult others reveal their own insecurity. It takes a sense of security, knowing who you are in the Lord, to refrain from retaliation when insulted. If you know who you are in the Lord then what other people think of you will matter little, because you are secure in the fact that the Lord thinks highly of you!

I’ve discovered that the six inch cavity between someone else’s ears is much too small a place for me to allow my own happiness to dwell. What am I saying? Simply this: We should care more about what God says and thinks of us than what people may say or think.

The nature of the flesh desires to retaliate against those who oppose us. It is, however, the new nature in Christ that will surrender the situation to God and allow Him to repay us for any loss we have suffered. God will make up for any insult or injury we may have endured if we allow Him to do so. It is our new nature that will have compassion on those who hurt us and enable us to pray for them as Jesus did. The old nature won’t even consider it.

It is actually a glory to overlook an insult from others and to refrain from seeking vengeance. You will receive eternal rewards in heaven for being a peacemaker when you choose to overlook personal slights and insults. I also believe when you refuse to retaliate or to get even with others, you will rise into a new level of grace and glory in your walk with God.

In the natural, you may have been insulted, but in the Spirit you have been promoted and raised to a new level. It takes faith to believe that. It takes faith and a willingness to yield to your new nature in Christ in order to put the insults and offenses that come against you into God’s hands and refuse to respond or retaliate yourself.

It is not wrong to protect our lives and the lives of our loved ones, but our reputation is in God’s hands if we truly live in the light of fellowship with God. If someone has insulted you or done evil against you, stop trying to get back at them or defend yourself. Put the whole case over in the Lord’s hands. He not only knows how to deal with the situation, but He will also do a much better job of handling it than you could. “Turning the other cheek” when we are insulted, is difficult in our own strength. Only a close walk with God in the Word and in prayer will provide the spiritual strength we need to live out the example given to us by our Lord Jesus.

When someone proverbially “slaps your right cheek,” you should turn to the Lord and receive his grace and glory!

Hope this helped shed some light on this verse.