Verse: Matthew 5:38-42
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.
Devotion:
Ok, not going to lie, these verses stir up a lot of emotion in me. And, there’s a lot to unpack about what this passage actually means. I think upon reading this, there’s a couple of different feelings that can be elicited. Maybe you read that and automatically think “no, this isn’t right. God loves justice. An eye for an eye is the way to go.” Maybe you read it and think “We’re supposed to put everyone else before ourselves and forgive others freely, despite what I need” Or, maybe you read it like me and filter it through the broken perspective of guilt thinking something like “SHOOT I am most definitely too selfish and need to work on giving with a selfless heart. What can I do to be better?” Or… maybe you’re way less messed up than I am and are able to read this with a perfect biblical perspective and don’t bring broken views into reading this. Amazing. Read this and let it reinforce your understanding. If you’re broken like me, stick it out with an open heart and hear what God intended this to mean.
Upon reflecting on these verses and digging into a bunch of commentaries, here are some things I know to be true:
This statement is citing the Old Law that states “You shall appoint as a penalty life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise” in Exodus 21:23-25. You can think of this as our concept of “the punishment should fit the crime”.
However, in the New Testament, we also get verses like this:
Then Peter came up and said to him, ‘Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times’ (Matthew 18:21-22)
Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all (Romans 12:17).
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).
So how can all these things be true at the same time? Let’s start with the history of “an eye for an eye”. God gave this as instruction to the judges in Israel who were responsible for maintaining justice, holding criminals responsible for their actions. God commanded them this to create a fair justice system. However, because of living in a broken and sin filled world, as time progressed judges began to use this as a justification for abusing power in order to fulfill their personal revenge against others.
Jesus knows about this abuse of power when He returns, however He still says “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17). This is because the original commandment IS true. God does love justice. The punishment should fit the crimes. Jesus endorses this, just not the abuse of power. Instead of directly addressing the misuse of power, we get the verses we’re studying today. The point of these verses is to make a statement about personal vengeance. These verses are about when the line from seeking fair justice for sin is crossed over into seeking personal revenge for wrongs.
Jesus is telling us that the only way to reconciliation and peace is to choose love and forgiveness instead of hate and retaliation. It is not our job to repay evil for evil. It is not our job to make others suffer for what they have done. It is not our job to make others pay for the sins they have committed. Jesus is encouraging us to trust Him. God is our ultimate maintainer of peace and justice. Are we willing to relinquish control and trust God? Are we willing to let go and keep our eyes focused on Him? Can we release hate and continue to be a vessel for the outpouring of His love to others? That is what this passage is about. It is not condemning justice for sins, but it is commanding us to trust in the creator of Justice and to not allow ourselves to be filled up with vengeance and hate.
Easy, right? Not at all. Our broken, human nature is to automatically harbor our personal hurt and to want vengeance for it. You are not alone if you feel temptation to retaliate. The hurts of this world are deep, immense wounds. It is so hard to let go of the and trust God to do His job, be in control. Romans 12:19 says “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” Jesus also says “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).
God cares about your hurt. He cares about the wrongs other have committed against you. He cares about your broken heart (Psalm 34:18.) He is not asking us to give up our well being. He is not asking us to forget about our boundaries and let others take advantage of us. The bottom line is, He wants us to trust Him enough to turn our burden over to Him. He wants to bind up our broken hearts, fill us with hope, and for us to show His love, grace, and mercy to our fallen world. He will also be the one to pass judgment for the sins committed against you. So friend, let go. Trust in the One who is the ultimate creator of justice. Don’t let your souls be burdened and heavy. Choose the rest for your heart.
Reflection:
This has probably been the longest, hardest devotion I’ve written you. These verses hit me HARD. Let me tell you why as we enter a period of reflection. Three and a half years ago, I was in a serious car accident, by no fault of my own, that completely changed my life. Since this, I have been in a whirlwind of doctors appointments and heartbreak. I have lost all of the dreams I had for my life, including the career that I loved, relationships, financial stability, my health, and activities that brought me immense joy. Every day when I wake up, I have a choice in how I’m going to feel. Should I feel sorrow and heartache for all I’ve lost? Will I stay in bed all day and wallow? Will I wake up angry and want the person who was driving recklessly and hit me to pay for what he did? Will I try to be distracted all day so I can dissociate from the reality of my situation? Or, will I choose to trust in the Creator to serve justice, to bind my broken heart, and to be the center of my identity and dreams?
I wish I could tell you I always choose the later. If I’m being totally honest and vulnerable, I almost always choose a different option. That’s why theses verses hit so hard. I’ve been wrestling with God for control for a long time. In my sinful heart, I’ve been holding onto mistaken identities, loss, and hate. But, what would it feel like to wake up everyday and practice laying down my feelings and heavy burdens at the feet of Jesus to take up His yoke instead? What would it feel like to have my hands open to find out what new dreams He has in store for me instead? What would it feel like to release hate and to trust Him to serve justice as He sees fair instead? I’m right there in the struggle with you friend. It’s so hard. But, I know that choosing Him is worth it. So, let’s spend time together in reflection. You know what I’m reflecting on and praying through now. What about you? What hurts are you holding onto? What situation do you want vengeance for? How can you release it to God? Trust Him. Try. See what it feels like to let go of your burdens to the One who sees you, loves you, and wants to give you a yoke that is easy and light.
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