Exodus 21:23-25
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.
Leviticus 24:19–20
Anyone who injures their neighbor is to be injured in the same manner: fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. The one who has inflicted the injury must suffer the same injury.
Deuteronomy 19:21
Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
Obadiah 1:15
“The day of the Lord is near
for all nations.
As you have done, it will be done to you;
your deeds will return upon your own head.
Matthew 5:38-48
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for 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.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Every society has a “rule of law” to provide a system for appropriate and justifiable relationships between people. We have the Constitution. England has the Magna Carta. The Jews have the Torah (first five books of the Bible). The difference between the Torah and the other two is that the Torah was handed down by God and therefore has a divine foundation. The Constitution and Magna Carta were put together by men and guided by different philosophies and world view. Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy (I threw in Obadiah as well) all show a societal structure that models retribution in kind for whatever is done. I’ve heard some explanations say that these laws show that you are to not go beyond equal retribution and therefore keeping peace in society. This kind of structure keeps violence from spiraling out of control.
Looking back at these laws in the Old Testament, I caught a different glimpse of their tone. These laws don’t seem to say, “take retribution all the way up to, like for like.” There seems to be more of a command to them. If a person does X then you must do X to them. Jesus speaks against this kind of justice system and calls his followers to create a society that embodies a better way of being. Deuteronomy says, “Show no pity,” but Jesus calls for something better. The law says that justice is required when wrongs are done. Jesus’s revolutionary teaching for his new society is to, “Show mercy and unravel the system of retribution that pervades our society” (Scot McKnight).
Jesus calls his followers to be peacemakers and refuse to fall into the cycle of vengeance that keeps the world of violence turning. The way of the peacemaker changes the world through small steps: Steps away from conflict, toward empathy. Steps away from confrontation, toward cooperation. Steps away from dogmatic monologue, toward a dialogue of equals.
The way of peace which Jesus calls us refuses to see others as enemy and embraces them as those who have the image of God within them. Jesus invites us to love our enemies as though they are neighbors. The overwhelming ethic of the way of Jesus is to love God and love neighbor. This even (and especially) applies when our neighbor has a lifestyle that is contrary to what we believe, says nasty things about us, and advocates for a different way forward for our country than I personally hope for. It is important to take stock of who you struggle to love and allow yourself to be drawn into the presence of God to learn to love them as he loves them. What does loving the LGBTQ+ community look like for Jesus? The illegal immigrant? The Democrat? What does loving the Trump supporter look like for Jesus? The Republican? The White nationalist? Please do not get stuck on the random list I’ve created. If there’s one of these that makes you uncomfortable, please allow the Spirit to invite you into reflective prayer.
Jesus ends this section with a call to be perfect, as our heavenly Father is perfect. This is a continual journey of transformation where we will never do it perfectly and therefore must always be making strides to move forward in allowing the Spirit to bring us to a place of transformation. One really important message I believe Jesus is sharing with us in where he places this call to perfection is that when we look at our enemies, we typically see all of their imperfections and in turn offer ourselves and those on “our side” all the grace needed.
Here are some steps to becoming the peacemaker Jesus has called you to be:
Know who your enemies are. Which group makes your blood boil, works you up, and gets you angry? Spend time in prayer asking God to reveal to you the way He sees them. Ask God to help you to see them as His image bearers and to see what love looks like for them.
Refuse to be enemies. We should expect that the world is going to hate us. Jesus promises that this will happen (John 15:18). Refuse to be enemies no matter what the world does.
Prepare how you will respond to the world in love. What does love require of you in any given situation? Does your idea of responding in love look like Jesus on the cross?
Jesus meets us where we are, in our sinfulness, to bring us into a transformative relationship where we continue the journey with him into our resurrection. What does it look like to meet people where they are and journey with them towards fullness in Christ found in the resurrection?