“If a bull gores a man or a woman to death, the bull must be stoned to death, and its meat must not be eaten. #Eye for an eye scripture freeAnd if he knocks out the tooth of a manservant or maidservant, he must let the servant go free to compensate for the tooth. “If a man hits a manservant or maidservant in the eye and destroys it, he must let the servant go free to compensate for the eye. But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise. “If men who are fighting hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands and the court allows. “If a man beats his male or female slave with a rod and the slave dies as a direct result, he must be punished, but he is not to be punished if the slave gets up after a day or two, since the slave is his property. “If men quarrel and one hits the other with a stone or with his fist and he does not die but is confined to bed, the one who struck the blow will not be held responsible if the other gets up and walks around outside with his staff however, he must pay the injured man for the loss of his time and see that he is completely healed. “Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death. “Anyone who kidnaps another and either sells him or still has him when he is caught must be put to death. “Anyone who attacks his father or his mother must be put to death. But if a man schemes and kills another man deliberately, take him away from my altar and put him to death. However, if he does not do it intentionally, but God lets it happen, he is to flee to a place I will designate. Amen.“Anyone who strikes a man and kills him shall surely be put to death. Help me to be someone who turns the other cheek with freedom, trusting you for justice, protection, and blessing. May your Spirit enable me to do what I could not do on my own. Help me, dear Lord, to live according to your way of peace in all of my key relationships: at work, at home, in church, in the community. So forgive me when I have returned hurt for hurt. Your way of nonretaliation doesn’t come naturally to me, as you know. I can fool myself into thinking that this will make me feel better. When somebody hurts me, I want to get even. PRAYER: Gracious Lord, though I thank you for your elaboration upon the Lex Talionis, I must admit that I find your teaching difficult. QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: Have you been tempted in your relationships to get even with those who have wronged you? When? How? What helps you to turn the other cheek? What makes it hard to turn the other cheek? God’s grace alone will give us the ability to do what Jesus asks of us. We will not advance the kingdom of God by applying the Lex Talionis in our relationships, but by deciding not to return evil for evil. Yet those of us who follow Jesus are called to a costly, countercultural, counterintuitive way of living. Turning the other cheek is not instinctive. In our relationships, whether with our colleagues or family members, our friends or political opponents, it’s natural for us to want to get even when we’re wronged. But I want to underscore the personal relevance and challenge of Jesus’ teaching. There is a place for such theological and ethical conversation, to be sure. Sometimes Christians get so wrapped up in an intellectual debate about the implications of Jesus’ teaching on nonretaliation that they neglect simple application. Jesus takes the principle of nonvengeance to a whole new level. If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too” (Matt. He did this by citing a portion of the Lex Talionis, and then calling his followers to a radical new way of living: “You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus underscored the notion that we are not to get even with those who wrong us. Nevertheless, it’s easy to see how the “eye for an eye” principal might be misused to bless personal vengeance. The Lex Talionis was not intended to encourage individuals to get even with those who had wronged them so much as to guide legal proceedings. In yesterday’s reflection, I examined the Lex Talionis in Exodus 21:24: “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” I explained that this law was meant to limit punishment or compensation for crime to that which fit the crime itself. “n eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot. #Eye for an eye scripture how toLearning From the Psalms How to Pray Through Your Work.Beyond Rank and Power: What Philemon Tells Us About Leadership.Evangelism - Sharing the Gospel at Work.10 Key Points About Work in the Bible That Every Christian Should Know.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |