“Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.”  (Matthew 5)

“Recompense to no man evil for evil…if it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men… Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”                                                                                                                                          (Romans 12)

 

God is the God of Balance. God is merciful and God is Wrathful. God Loves His own and God hates all workers of iniquity. God is tender and God is severe. Everything has it’s time and it’s place.

The passages above may seem to contradict one another. But if we believe that Scripture is inspired by God then we must believe there are no contradictions. Every word of God is Pure and every word of God fits together, nothing wanting. For example, in Christ’s sermon from the mount He says, Let your light so shine that men will see it and glorify God and then a minute later He says, When you do your good works let no man see thee.

What are we to do with these seeming inconsistencies? First we must know these are not inconsistencies. We must start off knowing that these puzzle pieces must fit together. When our Master tells us to let our light so shine and to be seen and then tells us to do our good works in secret, He is speaking of motive.

We should do good, even great works in Christ’s Name but we do not do this with the interest of drawing attention to ourselves. When we are doing a good work in Christ’s Name, we do so without looking for recognition, The Master said, if you do good works to be seen of men, then that is your reward and expect nothing from God. If you do good works in Christ’s Name and you do it without thoughts of praise and grandure, if you do good works only to please God and to help others, then God rewards you openly. These fit together nicely.

On to “eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” being compared with the Master’s “But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.”

What are we to do with this? Again, it all fits together. Eye for an eye tooth for a tooth speaks to judicial judgements. It does not speak to personal revenge. God put this law in place to keep life balanced, Eye for an eye means a balanced punishment for the crime committed. In other words, Justice does not take a life for an eye or a tooth. The penalty must fit the crime. Therefore, if a person kills another person, the killer has forfeited his life and should…no, must be put to death. The law of God states however, that one must not take personal pleasure in the death of the killer.

The law of God states that if a man kills another man, he is to be put to death. This law introduces the Avenger of Blood. The Avenger is a family member who had the right, judicially, to hunt down the murderer and summarily take his life. But, God adds a caveat, the Avenger of blood cannot take personal satisfaction and pleasure in the killing of the killer. If the Avenger of Blood takes pleasure and satisfaction, he then becomes a murderer in God’s sight, Who looks upon the heart of man. No pleasure is allowed in killing, it is a work of balance.

In this world that lieth in wickedness, the laws of God have been dismissed as brutal and inhuman and mean. God’s law of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth is still in play, but the cultured and respectable puny humans have deemed the law of God too Brutal and law as barbaric..

An example of God’s law being dismissed can be seen in divorce. It is written, What God has joined together, let no [puny human] man put asunder. Then and if the divorcee marries again God calls it adultery. Why? Because God has Joined them together and no man, no paper or edict can tear that union asunder. In God’s eyes the man and his bride are still  joined together. In man’s eye the couple are divorced and free to marry again, but God doesn’t see it that way. God had joined them together and puny man then decrees and thinks that divorce is just and good. In God’s Eye and according to God’s law, they are still (1) one flesh, therefore when the couple marries another they are committing adultery.

We are not allowed to take personal pleasure in the punishment of another. We are called to see that justice and balance are done evenly. But in our world there is no law, we live in a lawless world. In a responsible world where persons are diligent with law and order we would hear of God’s grace and mercy in the Church and then justice and law being kept, killers, murderers, rapists, etc. would be hanged at a communal place where God’s laws are honoured.

The world is what it is, but when the Master returns all will be right and good.

Godspeed.