Matthew 5:38-42
An Eye for an Eye
38"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' 39But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
Jesus show us through His teachings, who we are and what we really value...He overemphasizes in His eye for an eye teaching, to teach us that pain, resistance, cloaks, clothes are not what is important in life...There is more to life than this...
Getting back at someone through lawsuits and the legal system is not always the best justice...Loving your neighbor, working together, forgiving him is a better system...
Jesus wants us to look at ourselves...Look at our selfish ways... Are we always thinking about ourselves or are we really helping and loving and forgiving our neighbors?...
When we turn our other cheek, we are forgiving, and we are letting God do the vindication work for us...We may lose some honor in this slapping of our cheek, but is that important?...In God we trust... Jesus is teaching us that our faith should be in God, no matter the circumstances...In God we respect and honor, not our honor or personal fame...When we follow the Master it is He who gets all the glory and not us...
When someone takes our tunic or clothes, Jesus says give them more...This teaching goes beyond our normal thinking, but makes a point...How tough it is to sometimes love your neighbor and to be able to forgive him...
Jesus words here are about being meek, and being a pacifist...He wants us to value His kingdom above earthly pleasures, glory, honor, and material things...
Many conflicts have been fought in the past over honor and material things, and how far has those conflicts and the winners of those conflicts advanced humanity and societies...A cycle can start and we sometimes struggle to get out of these cycles of retaliation...Traditions and emotions are passed on to our children that can last for generations...The cycle continues...Stop and look at these traditions, the oaths, and the reason for conflict and disagreement...If our focus was on heavenly things and not on earthly things, wouldn't this be better...
Jesus gives us much to think about, because He teaches us to resist the evil one...But here He wants us to give pause and look at what is around us and think about these things...Still these teachings are very tough...
We must love God first...Then we must be able to forgive and love our neighbor...This is more important than honor or material things...The rules and traditions of man get so important (in our lives) that we cannot see things they way Jesus wants us to...We are so caught up in organized rules that what really matters is sitting down with people and searching for justice and not revenge...
Wouldn't it truly be great if there was no need for law, because man was sincerely loving his neighbor, with an inherit power of forgiveness with justice being served at a level before retaliation...
If our hearts are truly valuing the Kingdom of Heaven, our pride and our material things are of less importance...