"You have heard that it was said, 'AN EYE FOR AN EYE AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.' But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away. Matthew 5:38-42

The next legal letter of the law v. the spirit of the law that Jesus tackles is the difference between justice v. vengeance. Simply restated, Jesus warned that the letter of the law that says, 'AN EYE FOR AN EYE AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH,' must not be misunderstood as “make sure you get even—and possibly beyond even.” Instead, it is to be understood as a limit beyond which we may never go.

Human nature desires justice. Why? Because we are created in the image of God who is perfectly righteous. Fallen human nature desires more than justice. We often want more than to justly get even. We vengefully want revenge. You hit me once, I want to hit you back twice. You steal a dollar from me, I want five dollars in return. God’s law about an eye for an eye allows justice, but not revenge.

What do you think about a case when a person slips on a wet floor in a restaurant, and sues for a million dollars to compensate for “pain and suffering? More important that what you or I may think, what does God think?

The law did make provision for restitution with interest. We’ll consider that next time.