Happy slap EVERY-day ~ Cross reference of Matthew 5:38 to Exodus 21 & Exodus 22

 

In Matthew 5:38-42 Jesus teaches that one needs to live a life where one seeks non-violence & peace. Does this teaching make sense in the world we live where the strong exploit the weak and there is injustice all around.

Was Jesus saying that if Christians start doing this the offending people will get a change of heart and stop doing these things.

All Images are links to Google Images. Copyright violations not intended.

All Greek Text references are from NIV and Tanakh references are from Chabad.

This post is not intended to offend anyone's faith but for those people who are Seeking the truth of THE ONE TRUE G-D of the universe to who we owe all our love, gratitude & devotion.

My encouragement to you is that you read the whole chapter of Tanakh that the Greek text quotes so you get the context and understand what G-d actually said.

G-d Bless and Seek THE Truth.

Matthew 5:38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’[h] 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.

Matthew 5:43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[i] 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.

Exodus 21:23 But if there is a fatality, you shall give a life for a life, 24 an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot, 25 a burn for a burn, a wound for a wound, a bruise for a bruise.

Leviticus 24:20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. Just as he inflicted an injury upon a person, so shall it be inflicted upon him.

Deuteronomy 19:19 then you shall do to him as he plotted to do to his brother, and you shall [thus] abolish evil from among you. 20 And those who remain shall listen and fear, and they shall no longer continue to commit any such evil thing among you. 21 You shall not have pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

• Most religions teach non-violence but turning the other cheek to others even if it is not your fault does not work in a fallen world.
• I have not come across many Christians who turn the other cheek when they are exploited.
• The way I read the ordinances in the Torah is that they are not a tit for tat but G-d setting a limit on the harmed person on what he can avenge from the offender. Put another way, G-d says you cannot kill someone because that person knocked off your tooth.
• In case of extreme offenses like murder, rape, blasphemy Torah prescribes capital punishment so it acts as a deterrent for other so they do not do such things.
• Torah prescribes in many situations compensation for damages done especially when the offended person's livelihood is taken away.

So below are some passages that you can read for yourself and see if G-d's ordinances makes sense or what Jesus taught makes sense.

Below are some offences that G-d said requires the offender to killed. Most countries still have these good old G-d's laws to have sane country right? Good they did not create laws in line with what Jesus preached.

Exodus 21:12 One who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death.[Intentionally]

Exodus 21:16 And whoever kidnaps a man and sells him, and he is found in his possession, shall surely be put to death.

Exodus 21:15 And one who strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.

Exodus 21:20 And should a man strike his manservant or his maidservant with a rod, and [that one] die under his hand, he shall surely be avenged.

Below are some practical ordinances against offences that do not deserve capital punishment but require the offender to recompense the offended as his livelihood was impacted. Try applying Jesus teaching to the offended person and see if you will have a sane and just world. All I see in these ordinances is that G-d is just, fair and wishes that we all live with love and dignity respecting one another. As for those who refuse to live by G-d's ordinances these punishments should apply. I don's think this is Tit for Tat as preached by Christians.

Exodus 21:2 Should you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall work [for] six years, and in the seventh [year], he shall go out to freedom without charge.

Exodus 21:18 And if men quarrel, and one strikes the other with a stone or with a fist, and he does not die but is confined to [his] bed, 19 if he gets up and walks about outside on his support, the assailant shall be cleared; he shall give only [payment] for his [enforced] idleness, and he shall provide for his cure.

Exodus 21:26 And if a man strikes the eye of his manservant or the eye of his maidservant and destroys it, he shall set him free in return for his eye, 27 and if he knocks out the tooth of his manservant or the tooth of his maidservant, he shall set him free in return for his tooth.

Exodus 21:33 And if a person opens a pit, or if a person digs a pit and does not cover it, and a bull or a donkey falls into it, 34 the owner of the pit shall pay; he shall return money to its owner, and the dead body shall be his.

Exodus 21:37 If a man steals a bull or a lamb and slaughters it or sells it, he shall pay five cattle for the bull or four sheep for the lamb.

Exodus 22:1 If, while breaking in, the thief is discovered, and he is struck and dies, [it is as if] he has no blood. 2 If the sun shone upon him, [it is as if] he has blood; he shall surely pay. If he has no [money], he shall be sold for his theft.

Exodus 22:4 If a man leads his animals into a field or a vineyard, or lets his animal loose and it eats in another's field, the best of his field or the best of his vineyard he shall pay.

Exodus 22:5 If a fire goes forth and finds thorns, and a stack of grain or standing grain or the field be consumed, the one who ignited the fire shall surely pay.

Exodus 22:25 If you take your neighbor's garment as security, until sunset you shall return it to him, 26 for it is his only covering; it is his garment for his skin. With what shall he lie? And it shall be [that] if he cries out to Me, I will hear because I am gracious.