Retaliation

We all know what retaliation is. 

 One night my daughters were fighting and it got carried away.  My oldest hit her sister and the youngest is supper feisty and took off after her sister to hit her back.  I am yelling at them to stop, to only hear “SHE hit me first!!”

In another setting in the Middle East, there was an interfaith dialogue going on between a Christian leader and a Muslim cleric. They were discussing the differences between Islam and Christianity. The cleric stated that the difference is simple: “Christianity teaches that when struck you should turn the other cheek; however, Islam teaches than when you are struck you strike him back – this is better for you and him.”

Too much of the world’s ethic is to: 1) If they hit you first hit them back; 2) get even. Many times the justification for retaliation is that ancient law, “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” And this retaliatory ethic to right an injustice is appealing to me, especially initially when I feel I have been wronged.

So is it wrong?

Matthew 5:38-42 reads:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41 And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.”

Jesus’ teaching here is confronting the popular misuse and abuse of the Old Testament law, known as the law of retaliation, in Latin, “the Lex Talionis.” The law of “life shall be for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth,” etc.

Why is He doing this?  We need to ask ourselves some questions.

 

       First – What does the Old Testament law say about retaliation? What was the purpose of the Law?

Second - Who is Jesus speaking too? Does His teaching contrast with that of the Jewish leadership and culture? Jesus stated earlier that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Third – How are we to re-act to violence or terrorist acts in this day and age? 

Does the teaching go beyond what we as Christians are able to realistically do?

1st - Imagine yourself for a moment in ancient times in a situation where you and your family lived in a place with no police force, no courts, no government – no king or other authority ruling over you. Then one day as you are going about your business, you are shocked that one of your neighbors had intentionally hit your daughter so hard that four of her teeth are permanently knocked out. What would you do? There is no authority to report it to – to seek justice. What if the situation was worse, and your child was intentionally killed? You would probably want to take the matter into your own hands and seek revenge. Maybe you would even want to punish him in greater degree than his offense. After you take revenge, the other family may feel that they have been mistreated and may want to respond, setting up a cycle of retaliation and revenge between you and them – the Hatfields and the McCoys.

Genesis 34 records an actual incident like this between Jacob’s family and the family of Shechem. After Jacob’s daughter Dinah is physically abused, Dinah’s brothers, Simeon and Levi, seek revenge by first deceiving Shechem’s family into getting men circumcised, and then they take the retaliatory action of killing all the males. Of course, it is clear from later in Genesis 49:5-7 that God did not approve of this action.

So God knew this and instituted the law of retaliation into the Mosaic law for the nation of Israel, designed to prevent personal acts of retaliation and revenge. The injured person or relative of the injured person could go to the governing judicial authority in Israel to seek justice. The appropriate punishment in the case of murder or maiming is where the law comes into play: “a life for a life,” “an eye for an eye,” “a tooth for a tooth.” The punishment must fit the crime – no more than the crime but also no less. It was strict but fair. It was designed to prevent and deter such crimes. It was there to remove punitive actions for crimes from the hands of the victim and his family and put them into the hands of the governing judicial system. It was designed to appropriately punish the offender.

Yet this is the irony and abuse of how people misunderstand this law. It is misunderstood now the same way it was misunderstood at the time of Jesus. A very law that was designed to prevent actions of personal retaliatory revenge is used to justify it!

The misunderstanding of the law would say if someone slaps you on the cheek, slap him back (after all “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”). If someone sues you, sue him back. If you are forced to go a mile by a Roman soldier, resist and fight back.

 

So what was Jesus view on the Eye for Eye Law.

Matthew 5:38-42 reads:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41 And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.”

Notice that unlike the three Old Testament passages, the first part of the formula “life for life” is not cited; rather “eye for eye” is the first element. 

Jesus is dealing with issues of insult, offense, inconvenience, and bother not murder or life threating actions.

 2^nd - So who is Jesus speaking to?  Jesus was talking to his disciples and the crowd that gathered to hear him. 

What should the disciple do?   He told them that the call to discipleship goes beyond a passive response. He further calls us to take a positive action: 1) turn the other cheek; 2) give your cloak as well as your tunic; 3) go the extra mile; and 4) give or lend to the person who asks you.

 

But someone might say “No one has ever given me a backhanded slap, sued for my clothes, forced me to carry a pack for a mile, or asked me for a loan as a really needy person.” But the point is these are just examples of offending situations.

Let me give a modern example. One day I was driving in to work and all of a sudden, this car came whizzing alongside and quickly cut in front of me causing me to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting him. The next thing I know I floor the gas pedal, catch the guy who cut me off, and starts to tailgate. Then after about a minute of that, I realize what I am doing and back off.

When we are confronted with situations like this, when we are offended, when we are insulted, we have two choices: we can escalate the conflict with retaliation, or we can de-escalate the conflict. We can be a “war maker” or a peacemaker. Jesus said in the beatitudes, “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9). We are peacemakers when we de-escalate these situations of conflict and extend a blessing instead.

When we turn the other cheek, we are a peacemaker.

When we forego the lawsuit, we are a peacemaker.

When we go the extra mile, we are a peacemaker.

When we give to our brother in need, we are a peacemaker.

Too much of the world’s ethic is to: 1) If they hit you first hit them back; 2) get even. And not one of a peacemaker. 

So Jesus is trying to confront that type of teaching and mindset. He addresses the issue on what you should do if offenses of conflict or insult happen to you.

 God wants us to take actions of personal revenge out of our hands. We can turn them over to the governmental authorities if appropriate, and even if that doesn’t work, we need to turn them over to God Himself. As Paul states in Romans:

Repay no one evil for evil… . Beloved do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord (Romans 12:17, 19).

3^rd – So how are we to re-act to violence and terrorist acts today.  How are we to feel about people who have committed heinous crimes against innocent people?  Do we look at what Jesus says here in Matthew and say we need to turn the other cheek?  Do we pray for these people that do these acts?  Do we or should we seek revenge?

We now know that the Law - “life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth…..” was established by God for the judicial system and not the individual.   These capital punishments are to be determined by our judicial system.  Our Government should seek to uphold what God has established for Jesus said “5:17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish these things but to fulfill them. ¹⁷  5:18 I ¹⁸  tell you the truth, ¹⁹  until heaven and earth pass away not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter ²⁰  will pass from the law until everything takes place. 5:19 So anyone who breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others ²¹  to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever obeys them and teaches others to do so will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” 

But as disciples we should never seek revenge on an offence committed against us.  For God promises vengeance is Mine.  We do need to pray for those that hurt us whether physically or verbally.    We need to always show them Christ. 

III. Conclusion

It is difficult to determine Jesus’ teaching on this regarding its scope of applicability.

But in some church groups today, these verses are used to argue for governmental pacifism in relation to war or even capital punishment. This is where I feel it does not extend.  He is not addressing the Roman government or even the Jewish judicial authorities. See Matthew 5:1, when He is seated, that “His disciples” come to Him. The teaching is what a disciple of Jesus should do when personally confronted with these types of situations. It is more of a bottom-up approach to diffusing conflict and more than that, giving a blessing instead.

 

Struggling with Sin?

We have all struggled with sin.  Throughout history people have struggled with sin.  Here is just a small assortment of some of the more famous People;

·         Abraham – self-reliance (Genesis 12: ¹⁸ So Pharaoh summoned Abram. “What have you done to me?” he said. “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife? ¹⁹ Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!”)

 

·         Jacob- deceit (Genesis 27: ¹⁹ Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me. Please sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may give me your blessing.”)

 

·         Aaron -

·         Moses –

·         Joshua – Numbers 11: ²⁸ Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses’ aide since youth, spoke up and said, “Moses, my lord, stop them!”²⁹ But Moses replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” ³⁰ Then Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.

·         David - lust

·         Peter - Denial

·         Thomas - doubt

·         Paul

·         Luther

·         ME

·         YOU

 

 

It has been thought throughout the centuries that there was two kinds of sin;

·         Original sin – Satan/Pride

·         Actual sin – the act itself

 

But I believe though that after one reads what Paul says in Romans 7, we have to think there maybe one more. 
Romans 7: ²¹ So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. ²² For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; ²³ but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. ²⁴ What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? ²⁵ Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature^[d] a slave to the law of sin.

How can Paul, who has confessed that he has sinned against God, that Jesus died for him and has been resurrected to eternal life, who has been on mission trips spreading the gospel, baptizing and making disciples, thus living a sanctified life still be struggling with this matter. 

 

Don’t these struggles ever stop?

 

First we need to define what we are trying to overcome.  Let’s define the other type of sin.  As Steve Deneff has in the book “the 7 Saving Graces” we have;

 

Three kinds of Sin;

·         The original sin – (the snake – Satan/pride-putting yourself in the center of your world)

·         The actual sin – (the bite – the act of doing or not doing, addictive behavior)

·         The residual sin- (the venom – the affects that the original & actual sin has on our habits, personalities, behavior, worldviews.)  Examples; laziness, low self-esteem, stubbornness, flippancy, restless spirit.

   

We know when the original Sin came into play – Adam and Eve.  Satan tempted their pride with His own and there we have it.  He continues tempting us but there is hope. 

 

The actual sin can be seen in so many places in scripture but here are some examples;

 We can see the complaints that Israel had in the book of Numbers were driven by Original sin and then Actual sin occurred.

1.       Complaints about their hardships (sin- not relying on God and instead complaining what he has not done for them)

2.       Complaints about lacking in their wants  (sin- Lusting/Greed)

3.       Rebelling against God’s leaders (sin- lack of trusting God)

4.       Not willing to take responsibility for their actions (sin- lying/disobedience)

5.       Refusing to believe God would provide (sin- lack of Faith)

 

So what complaints do you have today?  Examine your complaint.  If, your complaint is about how someone is being mistreated by another than I would say that this would be an acceptable one.  But if your complaint fits into the ones just mentioned then we need to seek forgiveness. 

 

We need to have a sensitivity to sin in all of its form.  We need to be confessing the specific sin so we can be restored.  To rid ourselves of the Original and Actual sin is to be sanctified; to rid your-selves of the residual sin is called the “way of holiness”.  

 

So are you working on being Sanctified? 

·         This starts with confessing that you know in your heart you have rebelled against God.  This means in your heart you know Christ died for you so you can live forever with Him.  Then know that He will return to judge the living and the dead. 

·         After confessing this are you allowing God to show you the things you need to change.  Are you making these changes?  Ridding yourself of making “yourself” the center of the world.  Stopping the behavior that is causing harm to your relationship with God. (drunkenness, lewd gestures, foolish talk, lies, etc)

 

Are you on the path to holiness?  This path is the same one to be sanctified, you are just on it for a while longer……

·         This starts with knowing that at any moment our vulnerabilities maybe used against us.

·         We need to confess these sins and abandon them.

·         We need to produce and practice virtue

 

Are these the same sins we already confessed?

They are the template we need to examine ourselves against;

1.       Lust

2.       Gluttony

3.       Sadness

4.       Greed

5.       Anger

6.       Envy

7.       Pride

 

“The end of our faith, the salvation of our souls, is the actual conversion of our whole nature into the image of Christ.  The end is a person that esteems others as more important than self.  It is a content and generous heart.  It is a soul that has taken ownership of the spiritual climate in his or her church; that has learned to wait on God; to see with faith, to rejoice in suffering, and to suffer with the world.”

(Steve Deneff)

 

Can this be obtained?  I believe all things are possible through Christ.  Can I do this on my own? NO!  We have a lot of hard work ahead of us to become all He has asked us to be.  We can do all the input – that is read and study and discuss but if we are not willing to perform the output - examine ourselves truthfully and make the changes in our behavior, attitudes, and thoughts then we have done nothing!

 

It is not going to be easy!  But I can persevere knowing this promise “John 14:21 - ²¹ Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

 

Do you Love Him?  This is what it really boils down to if you can make your way down the “Path to Holiness”.  How much do you really Love God!  Love covers a multitude of sins remember….