Day 4
How much happier the world would be if
Believers were not to demand their personal rights.
Who does not know that quarrelling, strife,
selfishness and unkindness, cause half the miseries
of the world? Who can fail to see that nothing would
tend to increase happiness in the world, as does the
spread of Christian love? Let us all remember this:
those who think that true faith has any tendency to
make men unhappy, are greatly mistaken. It is the
absence of true faith that does this, and not the
presence of it. Real faith tends to promote peace,
and charity, and kindness, and goodwill among men.
The more men are brought under the teaching of the
Holy Spirit, the more they will love one another, and
the happier they will be. What are you spreading?
When an ambassador from America goes
into another country, he or she can go alone into
harsh, even dangerous meetings, knowing they not
only represent America in that relationship, but are
backed by the full power and authority of that
country. They are not only one person, but are the
entire country, vested in their presence in each
meeting. Think of yourself in this vein, as you deal
with difficult relationships. You do not go alone if you
are a Believer. Your relationship to Christ is your
power and authority. You can go with confidence
into difficult relationships as an ambassador of the
Kingdom.
Children of the Father. “What do you do
more than others?” We must measure ourselves not
by others, but by the Father. This includes our
words (vv. 33-37), our responses to injuries (vv. 38-
42), and our dealings with our enemies (vv. 43-48).
NKJV
Day 5 Volume 2 Number 13
Read Genesis 4:23-24
Let’s contrast Lamech's vindictiveness with the
ENGAGED
forgiving attitude taught by Christ, who urged Peter to March 27-April 2
forgive his brother seventy times seven (Matthew
18:22).
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; and if
he is thirsty, give him water to drink; for you will heap
burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward
you (Proverbs 25:21-22).
Similarly, in Proverbs 24:29 we read…Do not say, "I'll
do to him as he has done to me; I'll pay that man
back for what he did."
The practice of personal revenge or personal payback is
not what the Scripture teaches. God is to be the
avenger, not us (Deut 32:35, Psalm 94:1, Ro 12:19, He
10:30). It is important to understand that this proverb
(and the related Proverbs) lifts up a high, ethical
principle, which is not opposed to “an eye for an eye”
(Ex 21:24; Lev 24:20; Deut 19:21), because the Law
was intended to be overseen by judges, and it required
that the penalty fit the crime. These proverbs are Matthew 5:38
addressed to individuals and describe the heart attitude “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for
one should maintain when wronged in any way. There eye, and tooth for tooth.’”
should be no personal retaliation or revenge. Nor should
there be the continuation of grudges. Have you truly
been set free from the ‘right to be right’ attitude?
Do you really believe in what this week’s
verses say? Do you really believe in going the
second mile unforced? Or do you come to a point of through
asking, what’s in this relationship for me? Remind
yourself of your responsibility today, by reading
Philippians 2:5-15. If you can, read it in the NIV,
where it starts by saying “in your relationships with
one another…”
“Here’s another old saying that deserves a
second look: ‘eye for eye, tooth for tooth.’ Is that
going to get us anywhere? Here’s what I propose:
‘Don’t hit back at all.’ If someone strikes you, stand
there and take it. If someone drags you into court
and sues for the shirt off your back, gift-wrap your
best coat and make a present of it. And if someone
takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to
practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff.
Live generously.” Matthew 5:38-42. THE MESSAGE
Day 1
Thoughts and words such as these are
found nowhere but in our Scripture. The ‘law of
retaliation’ has in every nation been labeled the
right thing to do, but in the Christian conduct, it is
expressly forbidden.
The ‘law of retaliation’ will ultimately lead to two
things:
1. A rigid maintenance of our rights – this line of
thinking leads to a sense of entitlement…
2. Keen resentment of wrongs – this line of
thinking leads to a complaining/victim/martyr
outlook from one’s own life…
Both of these views focus on the wrong
things…self. They both also remove God from
the equation, as if He is not able to defend you.
Which do you more often line up with: The ‘law
of retaliation’ or the ‘Christian conduct’?
This week’s passage is where the
relational “rubber meets the road”. We all like
relationships that benefit us, that stroke our ego,
and enhance our enjoyment of life. But what
about those “draining” relationships that sap our
energy? Today, assess the relationships you
have in your life, and ask yourself which of those
relationships are with “takers”. Do you avoid
them? Do you begrudge the time? What does
this passage say about relationships with
“takers”?
In Exodus 21:24~ Eye for eye, tooth for
tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn,
wound for wound, bruise for bruise. The lex
talionis (law of retaliation) did provide for the
ending of feuds, but Christ showed another way
to do the same in verses 39-42. Together, as a
family, go back and read Exodus 21 and Matthew
5:39-42. NKJV
Day 2
Well the Pharisees had it right. God did say
‘eye for eye/tooth for tooth’. Read Ex 21:22-27;
Leviticus 24:19, 20; Deuteronomy 19:19, 20, 21.
However, this is not speaking personally but
nationally. In the Old Testament, God was giving the
law to the people, communally. He also set up
judges and court systems to make sure everyone
was treated equally. The Pharisees perverted this
part of the law and ultimately gave every man the
right to defend themselves, however they wished, if
they had been mistreated. They gave every man the
freedom to be unforgiving, demanding and
revengeful. This, however, goes against the teaching
of our Father. We have our Lord’s rules for our
conduct towards one another. Whoever wants to
know how he ought to feel and act towards his fellow-
man, should often study these verses. This teaching
from Jesus has been praised even from the enemies
of Christianity. Let us mark well what they contain.
The Lord Jesus forbids everything like an unforgiving
and revengeful spirit. Why do you think we struggle
so much with desiring revenge and fairness?
Today, look for opportunities to give, in your
relationships. Whether you are spending time with a
spouse, children, co-workers, etc., look for
opportunities to spend your energy for their benefit.
God’s purpose for this law was Mercy. It was
given to judges and said, in effect, “Make the
punishment fit the crime.” It was not a guide for
personal revenge. Together, as a family, talk about
Mercy.
Day 3
If these verses (listed in Day 2) were
more often followed by true believers, they would
promote Christianity to the world far more than
they do. There is no small part of this verse. It is
giving proper attention to the spirit of this
passage which makes our faith beautiful. It is the
neglect of these things which makes our faith
deformed. Unfailing courtesy, kindness,
tenderness and consideration for others, are
some of the greatest accessories to the character
of the child of God. The world can understand
these things, even if it can not/will not understand
its doctrine. There is no faith in rudeness,
roughness, bluntness and incivility. The
perfection of practical Christianity consists in
faithfulness to the smallest duties of holiness as
well as to the greatest. Do you properly promote
Christianity by the way you deal with unfairness
in your own life?
How does one survive in one-way
relationships? A one-way relationship is where it
seems all the giving is on one side, and all the
taking on the other. Consider this today as you
think about surviving those relationships in which
you only give. Your fulfillment does not come
from mutual human relationships. Only a
relationship with Christ ultimately fulfills. All other
relationships are an outgrowth of the quality of
this relationship.
These laws were given to limit vengeance
and help the court mete out punishment that was
neither too strict nor too lenient. Some people,
however, were using this phrase to justify their
vendettas against others. People still try to
excuse their acts of revenge by saying “I was just
doing to him what he did to me.” How many
times in your own family have you heard the
phrase “I was just doing to him/her what he/she
did to me?” Go back and read Exodus 21:23-25.
Also read Leviticus 24:19-20 and Deuteronomy