An Eye For An Eye

Last Sunday we looked at the famous eye for an eye passage from Leviticus 24. This has been seen by many people as a barbaric teaching that encourages vengeance. Ghandi said that an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. Some would say that Jesus himself contradicts it in Matthew 5.

I believe this is all based on a misunderstanding of the text. In that culture, it was very easy for a small offence to turn into a blood feud. This passage says that the punishment must be limited to the severity of the crime. In that way, this law was remarkably compassionate. So when Jesus in Matthew 5 reinterprets this passage, he is not contradicting it but strengthening it. He is not taking it from vengeance to compassion but from compassion to greater compassion.

For the next few weeks, this message in text and audio can be found on www.meafordbaptist.ca. Make sure to check out www.stephenjbedard.com as well.