Scripture: “Whoever takes a human life shall surely be put to death. Whoever takes an animal’s life shall make it good, life for life. If anyone injures his neighbor, as he has done it shall be done to him, fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; whatever injury he has given a person shall be given to him. Whoever kills an animal shall make it good, and whoever kills a person shall be put to death. You shall have the same rule for the sojourner and for the native, for I am the LORD your God.” So Moses spoke to the people of Israel, and they brought out of the camp the one who had cursed and stoned him with stones. Thus the people of Israel did as the LORD commanded Moses.
Leviticus 24:17-23 ESV
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Observation: Recapping Yesterday’s Daily Focus, Moses tells us that the son of a Danite mother and Egyptian father fought with an Israelite man and blasphemed God’s name during the altercation. So, witnesses brought him to Moses under custody until the Lord revealed his will. Following Yahweh’s directive, they escorted him out of camp, called all eyewitnesses to lay their hands on his head, and then stood back to let all the congregation stone him. Continuing to follow the Lord’s directive, Moses warns Israel that whoever curses God or blasphemes his name shall be stoned to death by the congregation, regardless of whether he is a native or a sojourner.
For today’s reading, Yahweh expands on Israel’s laws regarding justice for wrongful harm: the law of retaliation (lex talionis). As familiar to many outside the Christian faith, it cites an “eye for eye, tooth for tooth” (v.20) and even applies to the loss of animals that impact livelihood. While this form of justice lacks any notion of mercy and forgiveness, it emphasizes the sanctity of humans made in the image of God (imago Dei) and the importance of restitution.
Takeaway: Christ quotes verse 19 of this law amid his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:38) to advance its underlying principle to include godly attributes of mercy and grace: “But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you” (Matthew 5:39–42 ESV). The godly mindset here is to overcome evil with mercy, grace, and generosity (i.e., kill evil with kindness).
Our takeaway? To gain perspective on this radical teaching, we must look through the lens of Christ’s sacrificial death that atoned for our sins, not just outward behavior, but that of the heart. Indeed, as Jesus also taught in this pinnacle sermon, we face judgment when harboring hate toward others (Matthew 5:21-22). But, thanks be to God, Christ fulfilled lex talionis when he bore our sins in his body. Indeed, “By his wounds [we] have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24 ESV).
Our Part? While the consequences for violating civil and criminal laws remain under the jurisdiction of our secular judicial system, our Lord forgives and forgets as long as we confess our sins against him and others and repent (seeking restitution when possible). And there remains one added element of this advancement of the law: For the injured party, we not only refrain from retaliating but respond with mercy, grace, and generosity toward our offender. Indeed, our gracious, godly responses will reflect the imago Dei in us to a revengeful world that desperately needs a sign of divine mercy, grace, and generosity.
Prayer: Father God, we thank you for extending mercy, grace, and generosity to us through the priceless sacrifice of your Son, who turned the other cheek and went the extra mile for us to reconcile us to you. So, please help us follow your Holy Spirit’s lead in responding to those who have wronged us with godly mercy, grace, and generosity that glorifies your Son and reveals your divine image in us. Amen.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling