Eye for an Eye

As Christians are we supposed to be pacifists and turn the other cheek?

Was Jesus being literal when He said this in Matthew 5:38?  

Retaliation

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.

Richard shares his thoughts on this and more on episode 88 of the podcast.

www.liveitfull.com

Transcript

Richard (00:01):

Hey, thank you for tuning in to the latest episode of the Ful podcast. I'm in that week between Christmas and New Year's, and sometimes I have a lot of podcasts in the hopper this week I don't. And so I'm actually in this timeframe I'm gonna talk a little bit about, but I know for some people it's a busy week. For some people it's a slow week where they take off. So depending on your industry, depending on what you're doing, what you're trying to accomplish, by your end, I hope that you either enjoy it, you hit your goals, or you get a little bit of rest. But before I get started on what I was gonna talk about this week, hey, go leave us a review. We've got like 40 reviews on Apple. Go leave us one on Spotify. If you're listening to the podcast, wherever it is, go leave a review.

(00:41):

If you haven't ever found us on social media, which I'm assuming that's where you found us, go find us there. But you can find all of our links to everything we do@liveitfull.com. Again, that's live it full.com. I wanted to talk this week a little bit about something that popped up in my, in my social media a couple of times in way different context, way different sources. And I think that could sometimes God, or maybe it's just Facebook, s he uses, you know, talks to us through things and said, rich, I think you should talk about this. Maybe it'll impact one person. Maybe it'll impact a hundred, I don't know. But God said, you know, you go after that one lost cheap, right? The other 99 will understand. But so what's today I'm gonna talk about is a verse from Matthew chapter five.

(01:29):

It's one that we've all heard. It's one we've all discussed. And so I think it's interesting. Sometimes we take things that Jesus or even Biblically prophets said literally, and then sometimes we talk about it figuratively. And I think there's probably different levels of interpretation. But in any context, I kind of want to understand what goes on. So I think it's really cool. I think one, one cool thing about doing a podcast is there are things that come up that I'm not an expert on that I don't know much about that being able to do the research to talk to y'all about it. I think it's an awesome deal or to get guests on who are, who are experts in that subject and sit down and talk about it. But I'd posted something on, on our Facebook group limit Full of Community, and it said just, it basically said, don't make this the last year you tolerate unsupportive, family, friends, you know, that kind of deal.

(02:19):

 It said specifically, let this be the last year you tolerate unsupportive, friends, family, and fake love. And someone in the comments who I really appreciate them taking the time to comment on it, said, you should turn the other cheek. And I'm assuming, and maybe I shouldn't, but that it's in response to not tolerating those who don't show you love, right? Or family or friends who were unsupportive. Okay? And so I think it was a very well-intentioned comment, but it made me really wanna start looking at that because I don't know that to me, what does it really mean? So I went back, I'm gonna read you Matthew five, verse 38. It says, you've heard that it was said, and this is an IV version, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But I tell you, do not resist an evil person.

(03:02):

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. And that's Matthew 5 38 through 42 right there. So I think it's really easy to take Bible verses out of context. I think we do it with several Jeremiah 29 11 being one of them. If you don't understand the context in what it was written, the historical things that were going on, the culture, sometimes things don't always make sense. And so I think it's, it's interesting that sometimes we take Jesus very literally, like turn the other cheek when the man spoken parables, sometimes confusingly. So to get points across to certain groups, right? But you also have to understand the context. Like if you don't understand the context of how a Jewish wedding feast would've happened, well then that parable probably doesn't make all that much sense. So I think it's important to study and learn and grow and try to figure out some of these things without just reading it at face value.

(04:12):

So the next part of that and I think you have to read that whole, it's the, it's the sermon on the mounts be attitudes. Like Matthew five's an important thing. Matthew five 17 I know says that, you know, I I've come to fulfill the law, not abolish it. So he's referencing Old Testament scripture, which would've just been their scripture when he talks about an eye for, you know, an eye for an eye. The the next part's the love your enemies. And I'm gonna include it instead of some of the other verses in there for the context. And, and maybe it'll make sense why, but it says, you know, verse 43 goes, you have heard it said love your neighbor and hate your I interview, but I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. That you may be children of your father in heaven.

(04:49):

He causes a 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 tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you really doing more than others? Don't even the pagans do that be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly father is perfect. I think there's some some context in there for the previous five verses that's important. He doesn't tell us not to take action. So I was reading a lot about Christian pacifism and apparently Tolstoy Russian author was a big, big proponent of this to the point that there's actually some Christian sex in Russia at the time that that practiced path pastorism and called it whole Storyk. And, and so it's interesting when you start reading that and, and, but he doesn't tell us not to take action. He tells us to pray for those that persecute you. That is, that's taking action.

(05:47):

But I also want to think about the historical context of, of what was going on at the time. Obviously the, the Israelites were under Roman occupation, under Roman courts. It, it's different. I think you have to understand some of that and understand some of the laws. And so I went deep into that and I got a little on Wikipedia, so if y'all hear me quoting from there, it could be, I do my diligence to make sure anything on Wikipedia is true. Cuz I think you can put pretty much anything on there. Most of the time it's fact checked by actual people who are doing it, not what I would consider Facebook fact checkers. But, so there's a scholar named Walter Wink and he wrote a book called Engaging the Powers, discernment and Resistance in the World of Domination. Now, I haven't read that book, maybe a terrible book, maybe a book that leans left right in the middle.

(06:34):

I don't know. So don't quote me saying, well Richard's reading these books that are blah, blah blah. But he interprets the passages ways to subvert the power structures of the time. And so I thought this was really interesting. Is it right? I don't a hundred percent know. I tend to believe that this is probably more accurate than a literal, just turn your other cheek cuz you have to understand the context of the laws in which it was written at the time of Jesus says, wink striking a striking backhanded person deemed to be of lower socioeconomic class was means of asserting authority and dominance. It was legal. You could backhand someone with your right hand if the persecuted person turned the other cheek, the discipler was placed with a dilemma. So as you know, and it's still customary in some Middle East cultures today if you travel the world, you'll see this some and, and in other, even in in, we don't see it as much in the West, but in, in the eastern world and in the Middle East, you'll see people that they're left hand, they use for unclean purposes at least is the way that you would, you would discuss it then.

(07:42):

 It's what they, you know, use to clean themselves.

(07:49):

So you wouldn't, you wouldn't backhand strike somebody on the other cheek if they turned it so you would slap 'em with an open hand or punch them. But that would've been seen as a statement of equality. If you slap somebody, if you backhanded somebody in those days it was demeaning, you were of higher social status and you could do it and they shouldn't have any retribution against you. Right? But when you, when you, when you do it differently, when you turn that hand, when you punch them, well that showed equality. They weren't beneath you. And so this person doing it had it a lima. So maybe by saying we should turn the other cheek, was Jesus really saying, should we take a almost passive aggressive, which Jesus at times comes across that way. Not saying he was, but listen to the how he says things. And maybe it's not passive aggressive, maybe that's a wrong word, but like when he's telling, when he is telling people, Hey, you have no sin, cast the first. So he sat around and waited, you know, I mean he, he talks than what we think and not everything's literal. But what if he was demanding equality by doing that in a respectful way?

(09:08):

So it's interesting. And so you can go back and it talks about, you know, that same verse talks about turning over one's cloak in addition to one's tunic. So you have to understand some Hebrew law in that or some Levitical law. You know what God gave the Hebrews and Deuteronomy and, and Leviticus And, and so the debtor has given the shirt off his back. And it's a situation that the Hebrew law stated in deutero 24, 10 through 13 was illegal. So giving the lender the cloak as well, the debtor was reduced to nakedness. So that public nudity was viewed as bringing shame on not just the naked but the viewer as well as seen in Noah's case in Genesis 9 23, 23. And so is Jesus saying to give them the cloak off your back for just for posterity's sake? No, there actually is some Hebrew law behind that. That makes sense. Is it rebellious? I think so. You're putting the person who's trying to persecute you in a bad spot, morally, ethically, legally.

(10:15):

So what Wink and all of this interprets is that from the, from those verses, from the Sermon on the Mount is as a method for making the oppressor break the law. And so we have to think also about Roman law, which allowed a Roman authorities to demand inhabitants of occupied territories, carry messages and equipment from the distance of one mile, but no further. It was prohibited to make them go further in that Romans would suffer disciplinary actions. So in this example, this non-violent interpretation cease Jesus is placing criticism on an unjust and hated Roman laws, whereas clarifying the tension to extend beyond Jewish law.

(11:00):

So the oppressor who made you carry it for one mile, when you say no, I'll do it for two, he would get in trouble. So I think it's important to understand actually what was going on at the time. And then so I started researching cuz obviously what Jesus, when he is talking about an eye for an eye and a tooth for tooth, he's referencing Exodus chapter 21, verse 23. But if there's serious injury, you'd take life for life, an eye for an eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound bruise for bruise. And so I wanted to look at that because I always understood, at least I was taught at an early age that it wasn't a literal eye for an eye. You don't go, somebody pokes you in the eye. You don't go poke them in the eye even though it's interpreted that way by some.

(11:48):

But I wanted to, so I started going back and thinking and reading what is one of the things God's did for the Israelites, for the Hebrews before there were kings, even he set up judges. There were courts. Now they didn't always go well, that's part of why they wanted a king and not a judge. And David came to power, saw, came into power and then David, but God's used a court based system. So obviously there is value to that. And I think that what we call it is God is telling us not to take retribution into our own hands. He's not telling us to take a vengeance, but he's talking about equality under ret or retribution in the eyes of the law. And so we still do that in Western courts and it was done prior to probably Old Testament writings. When you go back and read about Mesopotamian and some of the laws that they had, you would take them to a court of law and receive fair compensation.

(12:51):

But we still do that. The punishment should be commensurate to the crime, right? If you murder someone, should you be put to death? Now I could argue for capital punishment or against all day, but even in that code, like you couldn't be put to death unless there were two witnesses. One witness wasn't enough because it could be wrong, right? So even in that there were checks and balances, but God gave us a court system that allowed commensurate punishment and punitive damages. So actually saying, you caused damage to me punitively, here's your financial reward that we're equal to what happened.

(13:37):

And so I think that it's important to understand that, that I don't think Jesus is telling us that we should not fight back, that we should be pacifist, that we should be nonviolent. I think he's telling us partly to do it the right way. And if you want to evoke change that, you know, peaceful protest, turning the other cheek, maybe that is a way to do it. But we have to understand the context of the law when we turn to the other cheek, it costs the oppressor to break the law. But I think when you look at like even Romans 1219, beloved, beloved never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God for his written vengeances mine. I will rep paste as the Lord. Although for some reason I always wanna say that like in King James English, you know, like a vengeance is mine, say the Lord.

(14:38):

I don't know what movie that's from, but obviously it's in my head that way. Same thing in one Peter three nine. And there's several in the Old Testament as well. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling. But on the contr, bless forward to this, you were called that you may obtain a blessing even God. So we're called to pray for our oppressors. We're called to pray for our enemies. We're called to pray for those who persecute us. That doesn't mean that you can't take them to court, doesn't mean that you can't do the right things, but we don't repay evil with evil. We do it the right way. We don't want a vigilante mob when something happens, even though that may be our first guttural response when bad things happen, is to go get even. But vengeance isn't yours, it's the Lord.

(15:34):

And so I don't think so, I'm gonna wrap it up with this. I don't think Jesus was telling us to be pacifist. I mean there's a lot of indications and you can go and I really thought about getting into the weapons part of like in Luke where he tells him to go, you know, two swords is enough kind of deal. There's a lot of different interpretations on that. Some are basically saying he's being facetious, some are saying he's not worried about weapons. But then, I mean, so you could, there's tons of interpretation and I could back up what I personally believe by interpreting it a certain way. So I'm not gonna do that today. It may be for another conversation. I am a, obviously a very big Second Amendment supporter. Believe that everyone should carry a firearm that is capable and comfortable and can use it appropriately because I think that we should protect those who are not able to protect themselves.

(16:26):

But anyways, I digress on that. I could have pulled up those verses. I think one's Luke two or 25, I'd have to go back and look. 22 verse five maybe. But anyways I could find those not going to today, but like Peter carried a sword, he caught off Roman guard's ear. So it's not like he, Jesus is walking around with guys who weren't armed. No, he told him not to do it. But why is he armed? Well, because sometimes self defense is, you know, totally okay, but he also says like an Exodus or in deutero me when you're talking about it, he, all of those were like the ier and I where it's talking about it, it, if he goes through and it's basically like if somebody harms you this way, you don't have, you can't go back and do something greater than what they did to you in the courts. And so I think the context of that's important, I think you should read Demy. I think you should read Matthew, but read it in its entirety. Don't read that one verse. Try to understand everything that's going into it. And also understand that not everything can be taken literally. And you may have to do outside research on what were the prevailing laws of the time. What were the preparing culture? What would've been a cultural norm for that phrase to have been used or for it to have been thought that way.

(17:43):

So I think that those things are definitely important. But I don't think that Christ was calling us to be past fist. I think he calling us to be just God is just justice. There is justice and th and retribution through the courts. Is there justice in taking it into your own hands? It might make you feel better temporarily, but you know what happens? It causes you to sin. God's telling us not to sin. I mean, I think that's the biggest part of it. Pray for your enemies, pray for those persecute you, but take action. I don't think God's telling us not to take action against people. Now there are some, some parts later that, that God talks about suing other Christians. You gotta take that in context too, because they'd gotten a little bit of Sue happy. Was it late to see you or in Philippi?

(18:40):

I'm not sure which one. I'd have to go back and look. Again, I'm not a Bible scholar, I just read a lot, but they'd gotten a little bit of Sue happy. So they were suing each other a lot. And he's not saying that if there's, if it's just do it anyways. I'm rambling a little. I don't like doing that on the podcast, but it's something that I, you know, I'm passionate about and sometimes it comes across that way when I start going. I hope you got something out of it. Leave us a leave us some comments when you listen to this. Shoot me an email, info liverpool.com if you have any questions or if you wanna talk about it or you want me to expand on something, I'd be happy to open up the dialogue on this. I hope that you have a great week. I hope you have a happy new year. The next podcast will come out in 2023, which will be the third, the beginning of our third year of podcasting, which is pretty crazy. We love you. God bless. I hope you continue to live it full.