You Have Heard
“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 someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.”
Matthew 5:38-39
Those who know little about the Bible are still likely to know these verses, at least in their original, Old Testament form.[1] In fact, it can come as quite a shock to them when they are introduced to Jesus’ teaching which appears, at first glance, to be a total contradiction of the Law. Often, the phrase, “an eye for an eye” is used to justify some act of vengeance. A veneer of religiosity can, apparently, reduce guilt. The problem is that, even in the Law of Moses, these words were never intended to justify revenge. Those who use them in this way, asserting that some injury received requires injury in return, take a law that was intended to limit and turn it into a command to retaliate.
This interpretation is far from new. The original intention of the Law was to reduce the type of feuding that would become commonplace among the Hatfield’s and the McCoy’s. The Law was an attempt to limit retaliation, not to encourage it. Once again, Jesus stresses the inner intention of the Law, not the legal niceties. He uses the same, characteristic hyperbole to overstate His case. Jesus discourages retaliation of any kind. In place of retaliation, Jesus advocates peace. We should not take His words lightly.
However, we should note that Jesus’ words do not advocate total pacifism or socialistic shared ownership. There is no suggestion that Jesus includes criminal acts within this remit. He seems to be speaking only of personal injury – the malice of a disgruntled neighbor, not the calculated evil of a terrorist, or the mass-murder of a totalitarian dictator. Some Christians take these words and apply them to international relations, but there is really no justification for doing so. There may be arguments to be made in support of Christian pacifism, but they cannot be made from this text. There is a world of difference between a decision not to ratchet up an argument, and a decision to appease Adolf Hitler. Faced with the inflated ego and the psychopathic tendencies of a Hitler, Jesus would surely have reminded us of our need to protect those who cannot protect themselves.[2] Once again, it is important not to build an interpretation of Scripture around isolated texts – that is the way taken by the cults. Our responsibility is to see Scripture as a whole, and to respond with intelligence, imagination, and love.
Merciful Savior,
Don’t let me escape from the plain meaning of the text.
In a world that is, too often, violent and cruel,
draw me back to the way of peace.
Make me more ready to forgive than to condemn.
Turn aside my anger.
Don’t let me be the accuser.
May I find my strength and my security in You alone.
Amen.
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