Eye For Eye

Opening Prayer

Father God we ask your blessing on this study tonight, that you would open our minds and our hearts to your word.    Help us to realize that we too are vessels that you use to further your Kingdom on this earth. We pray that your peace and comfort be with those of us who are sick or disabled and cannot be here tonight. We ask that you share our blessing with them. Lead us now and give us understanding as we study the teachings of Jesus, The word of God..
In Jesus Name we pray Amen

     Mat 5:38  "You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.'

An eye for an eye ... - This command is found in Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20, and Deuteronomy 19:21. In these places it was given as a rule to regulate the decisions of judges. They were to take eye for eye, and tooth for tooth, and to inflict burning for burning. As a judicial rule it is not unjust. Christ finds no fault with the rule as applied to magistrates, and does not take it upon himself to repeal it.

Q.1 Why was Jesus speaking of such things?
     These matters had gotten to the point where not only the magistrates & judges used the rule as part of the administration of justice, but the people began to act out their own justice and apply the same rule to their domestic issues. Taking the law into their own hands. Amos 5:7  You, Israel, turn justice into poison and throw righteousness on the ground.

Q.2Do we take justice into our own hands in our world today?

Q.3 How do today's laws differ from “Eye for eye”  justice?
Equal justice through our court system today is rendered by judges and juries. And it was so in Jesus day as well,  Amos 5:24  But let justice flow like a river and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

Q.4 Does our present system of justice always let justice flow like a river and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream?
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Q.5 Can you think of other issues where this eye for eye concept is still practiced today? Maybe on a less intensive scale, It carries over in our doing for others. The favors should be equal. If we do for others , they should do for us. (you owe me one)

Q.6 What in the Kingdom of Heaven is different, and negates the need for judicial system?



Mat 5:39  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.

The general principle which Jesus laid down was, that we are not to resist evil, nor to set ourselves against an evil person who is injuring us. The law of nature, will justify self-defense when life is in danger.
In those days, a slap on the right cheek was the ultimate insult. Jesus is saying that rather than contend and fight, we should turn the other cheek, encouraging peace instead of retaliation. Retaliation brings us down to the level of the miscreant who slapped us.

Q.1 What is it  then that Jesus is teaching?
Violence is to be avoided by the righteous, and if by turning the other cheek, one can show love and compassion for the offending person, that is what one is to do. Often a soft answer turneth away wrath,

Q.2 Do you find it that way in our world today?

Q.3 Does this prevent our insisting that justice should be done us, if civil recourse is available.


Q. 4 Are there laws today that conflict with Jesus’ statement?
There are laws of justice whereby if one is accosted, or assaulted one may file charges against the offending person and have them brought into court and charged with a crime.

Q.5 Does this (law suits)seem more prevalent today than in Jesus’ time?

Q.6 Why is it necessary to have gang laws. and curfews that have just recently been enacted?

Q.7 What are our feelings today, if we are subjected to the treatment Jesus mentions?

Q.8 When does “Turn the other cheek” apply”

Q.9 What is there in the Kingdom of Heaven that causes us to believe that this type of conduct will not happen there?










Mat 5:40  And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well.

Jesus is speaking of someone who is litigious and determined to sue us,  Our Savior directs us, rather than to imitate him rather than to contend with a revengeful spirit in courts of justice, go ahead and take a trifling injury, and yield to him. This is merely a question about property, and not about conscience and life. Jesus is speaking about every day incidents which occur to all of us from time to time.

Q.1 Can you recall a time when this has happened to you or someone you know?
There are those in society today that seek settlements for injury, although there is no injury such as frivolous lawsuits over incidents where no harm has been done them, but they sue anyway.

Q.2 Where a settlement is offered, to us in a case, is Jesus saying we should take the settlement?
Most of the settlements offered in such lawsuits are very minimal, as if the guilty party were trying to get by as cheaply as possible.

Q.3Do you agree with the concept of justifiable enrichment in certain cases?

Q.4 Can you imagine a time when this might be an issue in God’s Kingdom?


























Mat 5:41  If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.

Whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile - The word translated "shall compel" is of Persian origin. Post-offices were then unknown. In order that the royal commands might be delivered with safety and dispatch in different parts of the empire, Cyrus stationed horsemen at proper intervals on all the great public highways. One of those delivered the message to another, and intelligence was thus rapidly and safely communicated. These heralds were permitted to compel any person, or to press any horse, boat, ship, or other vehicle that they might need for the quick transmission of the king's commandments. It was to this custom that our Savior refers. Rather, says he, than resist a public authority requiring your attendance and aid for a certain distance, go peaceably twice the distance.

Q.1 Do you feel that Jesus was speaking about such matters, or on a more personal level?
There are times when one may be forced to give up one’s car or home for the good of society, or in the case of an Ebola quarantine one may  lose his home or an animal. Jesus did not explain his comments in any detail.

Q.2 Why might this matter have become controversial?

Q.3 What did Jesus mean by mentioning “force” ?
A matter of force simply cannot be brought against a citizen in our free country, except in rare cases.

Q.4 What are some of these rare cases?

Q.5 How would Jesus words apply today if someone is asking for your help?





















Mat 5:42  Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

A loan is often more beneficial than an absolute gift: first, because it flatters less the vanity of him who lends; secondly, it spares more the shame of him who is in real want; and, thirdly, it gives less encouragement to the idleness of him who may not be very honest. However, no advantage should be taken of the necessities of the borrower: he who does so lacks a conscience The lending which our Lord is speaking of is that which requires no more than the restoration of the principal in a convenient time: otherwise to live upon trust is the sure way to pay double.

Q.1 What does this type of conduct lead us into?
In most matters where this occurs, it is between friends, or relatives. And of course there are times where money is loaned. Do you use a credit card?
And of course there is the fact of our gifting sums of money or expensive items to others.

Q.2 What do you feel is the usual outcome of such matters?

Q.3 Why is Jesus speaking about the act of lending and giving?
In the society of those days, beggars and borrowers were plentiful, and usually very needy and downtrodden, with no one to help them. There was no social welfare, and no charitable rescue missions. There is always that aspect of society, and we as fortunate citizens should always have a heart for charitable giving.

Q.4 This is probably one of the most sensitive issues in society today. So many people take unjust advantage of such situations in our world today. There is the issue of welfare, pensions, rehab programs, Charitable hospitals, and many private programs we know little about.
And such issues as college tuition, high school tuition, and scholarships, etc. can you think of more?

Q.5 should we give to every cause, and loan to everyone who needs it?

Q.6 Do you feel that Jesus is telling us we should not harden our hearts to the notion of giving and lending.

Q.7 Are there deeper meanings to this aspect of charity and giving?



Meditation

An Eye for an eye
Christ is not here pitting Himself against the Mosaic Law, nor is He suggesting a superior spirituality. Instead He continues the same course as He had followed in the context, which is to define that which righteousness demanded of His followers, which was more excellent than the one taught and practiced by the scribes and Pharisees;

Yet the Jewish leaders sought to ingratiate themselves with the people rather than to please God, they pandered to this evil both civil and religious, so to temper things to the depraved inclinations and popular opinions of the people, It was such that true righteousness was overthrown.

This Divinely prescribed rule was a just one: "If a man cause a blemish in his neighbor: as he hath done, so shall it be done to him. Surely it is a most elementary and unchanging principle of sound jurisprudence that the punishment should be made to fit the crime-neither more nor less.

And concerning the rights of "slaves." If their masters, out of brutality maimed them, then the magistrates were required to see to it that they in turn should be compelled to take a dose of their own medicine. And this statute also curbed any judge who in righteous indignation at the cruel injury of a slave was inclined to punish his master too severely: he was not allowed to demand a life for an eye, or a limb for a tooth! Judgment then should remain Just and equal under the law.

Resist not Evil
The statute pertaining to magistrates only had been given a general application, so that the people were allowed to take the law into their own hands, It was in view of this wicked perversion of the Divine Law that our Savior said "Resist not evil." More literally it is "Resist not the evil one," that is, the evil individual who has injured you. Resist not: think not of taking the law into your own hands, Do not seek to do evil to him in revenge, but be actuated by more noble principles and more spiritual considerations.

"But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also" Christ was not here repealing an important Mosaic statute and substituting a milder approach,  but was refuting an error of the scribes and  Pharisees regarding the law and the evil practice of the Pharisees. They had given a promiscuous application to the law which placed strict bounds upon the punishment to be meted out unto those guilty of wronging others or injuring their slaves and servants. Jesus is making an appeal to those who having been injured, to be careful not to take the law into their own hands, thus becoming as evil as those who committed the offense in the first place.

The idea of an unqualified non-resistance to evil is contrary to the example of Christ. He resisted evil, attacked wrong-doers, and when smitten did not turn the other cheek. When He went up to Jerusalem and found His Father's house turned into a house of merchandise and a den of thieves, He made a scourge of small cords and cast out of the temple both sheep and oxen. He scattered the money of the desecrators and overthrew their tables (John 2:13-17). And In the judgment-hall of Caiaphas one of the officers struck the Savior with his hand, but instead of turning the other cheek Christ challenged the smiter (John 18:22, 23). He did not answer force with force and return blow for blow, but He exposed and rebuked the wrong.

 We are not to tolerate misconduct against ourselves, But as Christ resisted Satan in the wilderness, we are to rebuke evil words and evil deeds. This command of our Lord, illustrated by the examples He brings forward, plainly does not forbid us to defend ourselves when we are in danger. To do so is one of the strongest instincts of our nature, the law of God written on our hearts. But with regard to personal injuries, when there is no hazard of life, as in the case specified, it is our duty to repress resentment and to abstain from violence. When the injury received is a personal and private one it is the Christian's duty to bear it in the spirit of meekness, so long as by so doing he is not encouraging evil-doers and thereby rendering them a menace to others.






And if any man will sue thee
"And if any man will sue thee at the law and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also" The first example cited by Christ concerned personal harm and insults. This example sets forth another characteristic of evil men, namely to prey upon others possessions, either privately or under cover of the law. But we should be aware that all who trade upon the innocence of their fellows by means of "shady" tricks, all who are successful in the courts as the result of employing crafty lawyers, no matter what be their reputation for shrewdness in the world, in the sight of God are evil men; and the Christian should have no dealings with such persons. The ruling of our own spirit is far more important than the clothes which we wear. The preservation of inward tranquility is of greater price than a coat or a cloak. Here our Lord teaches us to set lightly by our temporal goods, that our time and strength may be devoted to the concerns of eternity.

"And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile,
"And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain" The Roman troops had power to requisition able-bodied men. They could compel men to act as porters or guides within a certain area or limit: Such service was not popular: often the demand was inconvenient as well as laborious, and was apt to be rendered in a reluctant and complaining spirit. Christ's command is that even when service is constrained and unreasonable, it should never be performed in a sullen and slavish spirit; but cheerfully and in excess of the demand. In society today there remain few occasions when we are compelled into such service, (The draft is no longer) But in every life there are circumstances of unwelcome tasks; every man has duties which are undertaken not of choice but of necessity; they should be performed readily and cheerfully.

"Give to him that asketh thee
"Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away"  This supplies a further illustration of which the righteousness of Christ's kingdom requires of its subjects. That righteousness will not only deter them from standing on every point of individual rights, but it will incline them to do good unto others. Interpreting this precept in the light of its setting, it sets forth the positive side of our duty. Not only does Christ forbid men to requite evil for evil, but He commands them to return good for evil. It is better to give unto those who have no claims upon us and to lend unto those who would impose upon kindness, than to cause strife by a selfish or surly refusal. Our possessions are to be held in stewardship for God and at the disposal of the real need of our followers.
And the real possessions of our life which really matter will be ours in Heaven.

Closing Prayer ………and prayer requests
God our Father, We are so thankful that you Sent Your Son Jesus to be our guide and teacher. We praise you for your Son Jesus who is the redeemer of all who confess, and repent, and take him as their salvation. Be with those of our group__________ who need your healing touch and bring strength and comfort to them. Help us in the living out of our days that we might be willing and able disciples learning and doing according to your word.  Bring us to the realization of those matters that cause sadness and grief, and make us to be a positive influence for truth and peace in our daily walk with thee.  Be with us now as we leave this place, continue in fellowship with us and guide and protect us as we go on our way.
In Jesus Name we pray Amen