Nougat 1

She was offended, it stung, and her offense was justified. Her one desire was revenge. ‘Lord,’ she thought, ‘can I just deal with this offence please?’ Was that prayer necessary, and what was the Lord’s response? Consider Today’s Holy Nougat, which assures us she was not the first person needing revenge for an offense.

‭Matthew 5:38 NLT‬

[38] “You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’

Blind Saints

Before we look at Jesus’ response tomorrow, let’s unpack this for ourselves a bit. The concept of ‘eye for an eye’ is first mentored in Exodus 21. It’s one of the sundry instructions Moses gave to the Children of Israel as they prepared for life in that Land of Promise. I suspect that the thought of reprisal would deter some folks from committing wrongs against each other. I can’t say whether it worked or not, but I know that in many contexts where that ‘law’ prevails, it has been the justification for multiple deaths.

Perhaps you’ve heard of reprisal killings? Well, one need not look far. The current Israel-Palestine war is justified by some using the premise of reprisal. Where did I get that from, you ask. Think about the arguments that Israel’s action is a response to the October 7 attack. Justified or not, the chosen response was reprisal killings. That is ‘eye for an eye’ on the macro level.

At our individual level, it’s also called, ‘tit for tat’. Unfortunately, it still has the potential for prolonged suffering. I recall hearing the story of a boy who was humiliated in a fight in 7th grade. Several years later, the victor was preparing for exams when the one who was humiliated entered the class, stabbed him with a sharpened pencil. One died, the other was imprisoned. All because of a fight from the past.

Lastly, as we think about our own responses to the girl in her angst, let’s ask ourselves if we also mean that God is to retaliate in like manner every time we sin. I believe the world would be filled with blind, one-armed saints. And we’d most likely be among them. Not my desired lifestyle at all. For I’d like God to overlook my wrongs, even when I ask that someone else’s lesser offence must be punished.

What if there was another way?

See you tomorrow.

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May all we seek be found in Christ