Written this week by Alan Lindberg
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’
Here Jesus refers to Leviticus 24:19-20 If anyone injures his neighbor, as he has done it shall be done to him, fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; whatever injury he has given a person shall be given to him.
One of the things these verses in Leviticus do is to define limits to retribution. Revenge has always been an issue for man. What is just and what causes an escalation beyond the original injury? Designating the retribution or justice to be equal to the original crime put a limit to the escalation of revenge. The other part of the law was that the magistrate was to provide the punishment, not the injured.
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.
Jesus again teaches us the godly way to act, as opposed to our interpretation of the Law not through retribution but through forgiveness and understanding. Rather than to seek revenge we are to treat those who seek to harm us with love and kindness. This advice Proverbs 25:21-22 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you. Evil is not conquered by evil in return, but by good. Ultimately the destruction of evil is sure, and is in the Lord’s hands.
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
From early times the message of the Lord has been to love your neighbor and to NOT hate others. Leviticus 19:17-18 says "You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD. The teachers of the time assumed that if you loved your neighbor that you must hate your enemies and taught that precept. Hating one’s enemies is the worldly, carnal reaction.
44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
We should react to evil with good and pray for those who persecute us. Again, in order to please God, we must act as He would have us act. He provides sustenance and life to all, whether good or evil. We should likewise act with love toward others and pray for those in need of His love.
46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
Those who do not follow God love those who love them and are friendly to their brothers. We need to go beyond that norm and love those who are unlovely, those who do not love us. In this way we can please God who loves us. We are also called to show ouw love for God through our love for our brother: 1 John 4:19-20 If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.
48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
We must strive for the perfection of our heavenly father. It is through His leading us and our obedience to His leading that we please God. He is in the process of maturing us toward perfection. We cannot achieve that perfection on our own, being imperfect, but the attitude of our hearts and the actions derived from it can move us closer to that goal. We are assured that this work will one day be complete though: Philippians 1:6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
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