Matthew 5:38-48
Eye for Eye
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
Love for Enemies
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Luke 23:32-43
Forgive Them for They Know Not What They Do
32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”
36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”
38 There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the jews.
39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Jesus teachings about forgiveness are like no other one’s teaching on forgiveness...What man, or who ever has went around and told people I forgive you?...Do you know of any men that go around forgiving others of their sins?...Those following Him saw His deeds of forgiveness in action...Jesus’ followers would have heard and seen much on forgiveness, because He is full of grace and truth, and mercy...Grace and Truth and Mercy are words of love and forgiveness...And forgiveness is a large part of love as we follow Jesus’ teachings...
In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, when He tells us to turn the other cheek, that is a form of forgiveness...When He tells us to love an enemy that is also a form of forgiving...Forgiving is the opposite of hurting the party that has harmed you and forgiveness is the opposite of revenge...
Jesus was about teaching the Truth, even to the teachers of the law, the Pharisees, and the Sanhedrin.Jesus did not seek revenge or to do harm to these groups, He sought to teach them the Truth about God...And the Truth is that God forgives and is always forgiving...He has to, or we would all be in hell...
When He was arrested and killed on the cross, one of the first things He did was to forgive those taking part in this injustice against Him...There is this injustice in forgiveness in that it lets the harming party off the hook for their injustice against us...But when we look at how we killed Him on the cross, we can see the injustice we had done, and yet He still is there to forgive us...He said to those watching Him hang from the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”...And then He promptly forgave one of the criminals hanging on a cross beside Him, who ask Him to remember him when He went to His Kingdom...