#9 Jesus Teaching on Redress or Compensation
Matthew 5:38-42
INTRODUCTION
1. Matthew 5:38 says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.’”
Exodus 21:22-24 says, “If men who are fighting strike a pregnant woman and her child is born prematurely, but there is no further injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman’s husband demands and as the court allows. 23But if a serious injury results, then you must require a life for a life— 24eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,…”
This is a sound principle of civil law, and it is universal (Romans 2:14).
And Christ, by mentioning it here, did not condemn the Law of Moses. And He did not oppose the Jewish and Scriptural belief that the eye, tooth, hand, or foot payment could be literal eye, hand, or foot. He taught equivalency, as did the Law.
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
2. One aspect of redress is capital punishment.
3. The entire Bible supports capital punishment. Genesis 9:5-6 says, “And surely I will require the life of any man or beast by whose hand your lifeblood is shed. I will demand an accounting from anyone who takes the life of his fellow man: 6Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man his blood will be shed; for in His own image God has made mankind.”
a. Exodus 21:15 says, “Whoever strikes his father or mother must surely be put to death.”
b. Leviticus 24:14 says, “Take the blasphemer outside the camp, and have all who heard him lay their hands on his head; then have the whole assembly stone him.”
c. Numbers 15:32, 36 says, “While the Israelites were in the wilderness, a man was found gathering wood on the Sabbath day…. 36So, the whole congregation took the man outside the camp and stoned him to death, as the LORD had commanded Moses.”
d. Exodus 22:18 says, “You must not allow a sorceress to live.”
e. Leviticus 20:10 says, “If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress must surely be put to death.”
f. Deuteronomy 22:21 says, “She shall be brought to the door of her father’s house, and there the men of her city will stone her to death. For she has committed an outrage in Israel by being promiscuous in her father’s house. So, you must purge the evil from among you.”
g. Deuteronomy 22:25 says, “But if the man encounters a betrothed woman in the open country, and he overpowers her and lies with her, only the man who has done this must die.”
h. Leviticus 20:11 says, “If a man lies with his father’s wife, he has uncovered his father’s nakedness. Both must surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.”
i. Exodus 21:16 says, “Whoever kidnaps another man must be put to death, whether he sells him, or the man is found in his possession.”
j. Leviticus 20:2 says, ““Tell the Israelites, ‘Any Israelite or foreigner living in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech must be put to death. The people of the land are to stone him.”
k. Deuteronomy 19:16, 19 says, “If a false witness testifies against someone, accusing him of a crime, you must do to him as he intended to do to his brother. So, you must purge the evil from among you.”
THE PLACE AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF AUTHORITIES
1. The responsibility of a ruler to God:
a. A ruler must terrify criminals. Romans 13:3-4 says, “For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to the bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the one in authority? Then do what is right, and you will have his approval. 4For he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not carry the sword in vain. He is God’s servant, an agent of retribution to the wrongdoer.”
b. A ruler must punish criminals. 1 Peter 2:14 says, “or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.”
c. A ruler must demand that wronged persons are righted – redress. Romans 13:4 says, “For he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not carry the sword in vain. He is God’s servant, an agent of retribution to the wrongdoer.”
2. The origin of government
a. All authority is of God. Romans 13:1 says, “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which is from God. The authorities that exist have been appointed by God.”
b. Even Nero was God’s servant in this sense (Romans 13:4).
3. Explanation of the right to retaliate
TABULAR VIEW OF THE RIGHT TO RETALIATE
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Authority to retaliate is the exclusive right of God |
God sometimes directly retaliates. |
God channels the right to retaliate through His agents. |
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God retaliates Romans 12:19 |
God punishes men and angels. |
Authorities of human government are God’s agents. |
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God gives authority to retaliate to men. Romans 13:1 |
Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. |
Authorities of human government are God’s Agents Romans 13:1 |
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God also dispenses His Goodness through agents. Romans 13:4 |
God also independently dispenses Common Grace. |
Parents/Teachers/Spouses/Employers, police, judges, and authorities are God’s agents for good. Romans 13:4 |
WHY CAPITAL PUNISHMENT?
1. Purpose of Capital Punishment
a. Retaliation (Genesis 9:5-6)
b. To illustrate the more important forms of death, such as “dead in trespasses and sin (Ephesians 2:1,)” which is eternal death (Numbers 15:32-36).
c. To prevent crime as in the destruction of the population of Sodom and Gomorrah.
2. The Jewish Scribes of Jesus’ Day and the Doctors of the Law, from the time of Ezra until the time of Christ, did not always teach “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” properly. People taught it as the responsibility of the individual rather than exclusively the responsibility of a nation and of God. We must never take personal revenge upon anyone. And some of them taught that individuals had the right to retaliate at their good pleasure.
NOT RESISTING EVIL
1. Jesus instructed individuals in Matthew 5:39 as follows, “But I tell you not to resist an evil person. If someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also; 40if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well; 41and if someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.”
2. The Lord Jesus and His Apostles say we must resist the evils of our indwelling sin, of Satan, of false doctrine, or of a burglar. So, He did not mean to not resist all evil. A Christian may defend himself, his family, and property. He can seek compensation in court for injuries. But he must not retaliate personally. Call the police. If someone severs his hand, he must not pursue that person and do the same to him. He must forbear the evil person and seek redress in a divinely designated way. By that, he turns it over to God and His agents.
3. The Scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’s time emphasized that payment for loss of person and property, could be made in money. So, in effect, the rich received justice from the courts, while the poor could not afford justice. Most of Jesus’ disciples were poor people. Jesus advised His disciples to avoid litigation, as they would not win in the crooked courts. He did not always qualify His teachings.
TAKING PERSONAL REVENGE
1. Scribes and Pharisees also allowed their “in crowd” to take private revenge. But God gave the redress right to the government of Israel in the Law of Moses, not to individuals. The Son of God was the original Lawmaker for Israel. He did not change any of His Laws in the Sermon on the Mount. At the beginning of this blog please find a codification of the Law of Moses, which contains 613 original Laws. The wise person should read that Law.
2. Exacting vengeance, compensation, or redress is the exclusive right of God. Romans 12:9 says, “Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.” We leave room for God to repay by turning our matter over to the police, the court, and/or to God. We must use the institutions that He provides and establishes.
THE ANTI-SNITCH RULE OF SOME
1. In our society, there is a misunderstanding of this. Many have an “anti-snitch” rule. They say that to call the police on one’s relative or race member, is snitching. But God instituted government for the precise purpose of dispensing wrath. When we report lawbreakers to the God-ordained authorities, we are obeying God, not snitching.
2. Romans 13:4 says, “For he [the governor, police officer, judge, etcetera, is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not carry the sword in vain. He is God’s servant, an agent of retribution to the wrongdoer.” (Brackets mine)
WHEN THE COURTS ARE RIGGED AGAINST US, WE MUST PRAY
1. Letting a person slap you on the left cheek after he strikes the right one, is how you then pray and turn the matter over to God to repay him or to bless him. Allowing a person to sue you to take your coat does not mean that you may not sue him to get it back. Going the second mile with a bully does not mean that you may not seek payment in court for the work rendered. Remember that our Lord often teaches in unqualified discourse to catch our attention and to solicit meditations and questions from His disciples.
WHEN CHRISTIANS SIN AGAINST US
1. Jesus does not demand that we seek compensation from Christians before unbelieving judges. When dealing with Christian brothers and sisters who wrong us, He advises us to either forbear or to seek compensation before the believers. First Corinthians 6:1 says, “If any of you has a grievance against another [Christian], how dare he go to law before the unrighteous instead of before the saints!” So, God establishes Christian courts as well as secular ones. (Brackets are mine.)
2. Galatians 6:10 says, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. NIV
WHY OUR LORD TAUGHT THESE THINGS
1. Why did the Lord Jesus Christ teach these things? Answer: He demonstrated that the Law of Moses included mercy. He often taught in extremes in opposition to the traditions of the day. But He never taught ungoverned love. 2 Thessalonians 3:10 says, “If anyone is unwilling to work, he shall not eat.”
2. Jesus addressed these legal matters to show that He is the real Messiah. He helped His disciples understand that He is not a renegade Messiah. He did not oppose the true Law of Moses. Rather, He corrected the errors that men brought into it.
3. What is our Lord’s position in these matters? Answer: He is the reigning King of Israel now. As He extends salvation to the entire world, so, He rules the entire world as well. Revelation 11:15 says, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.”
4. Ephesians 4:10 says, “And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself.” NLT
5. 1 Corinthians 15:24-28 says, “Then the end will come, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed all dominion, authority, and power. 25For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27For “God has put everything under His feet.” Now when it says that everything has been put under Him, this clearly does not include the One who put everything under Him. 28And when all things have been subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will be made subject to Him who put all things under Him, so that God may be all in all.”
1 Jesus was the Angel of Yahweh of the Old Testament, who gave the Law via Angels and via Moses.
NOTES
Note that in no way did the Lord Jesus change the original meaning of the Law that God gave to Israel through Moses. Over the years men corrupted the understanding of the Law. Our Lord merely corrected the misinterpretations that doctors of the law had made since the time of Ezra. However, the Lord did give the spiritual meanings of some Laws also.
That does not mean that God saves us because we keep the Law. But the Law, as Jesus Christ interprets it, is our guide. We are disciples of Christ, not disciples of the Law.
Note also: Christians may be incapacitated or feeble or too elderly to perform their entire duties. A Christian woman may reach an age in which she cannot love her husband as she once did. These kinds of failures to perform all the responsibilities specified in the Law of Moses should be interpreted in the light of God’s mercy, which He teaches in other Scriptures.
