Jury Duty

[thrombomodulin]

A friend of mine who read this thread, but does not have an account here contributed the following to me via email, which I thought was worth sharing.
Peter

Concerning "retributive justice" someone on the board observed "If it were a part of God's law or practice, then His Beloved Son, who is Another exactly like His Father, would have told his disciples to do the same. Instead, He told them to do the exact opposite. You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 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 cl oak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Matthew 5:38-41 ESV"

I might suggest that the eye for eye is not about retribution at all. It is a practical rule that limits the extent of a human remedy for wrongs. Moses is not setting the minimum but rather establishing the maximum. To go beyond the maximum--my eye for yours--is the act of a man who is not in the justice business but rather in the revenge business. God strictly forbids men to engage in revenge. " 'Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD." Leviticus 19:17-19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is wri tten: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. Romans 12:18-20 Where is it written? It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them." Deuteronomy 32:34-36. Its also called vengeance.

So how can I draw a practical easy to understand line between proper punishment which is required and revenge or vengeance which is not? Moses tells us take an eye for any eye, etc. If you take more than an eye from your neighbor because he took your eye, then you are engaging in revenge. God says He is in the revenge business, not man. He knows men can always justify revenge, and is wise enough to not give them any such authority.

Now Jesus comes also and says that we have been thinking about the eye for eye as some kind of requirement and minimum, He turns it upside down and says (my interpretation) "Look, can't we exercise some restraint here? Don't we have enough one eyed people? If you can, take no insult for trivial or light offenses (slapping), or for deprivation of simple personal property by force of law (lawsuit), or even short term=2 0forced deprivations of liberty (walk a mile)." Jesus creates no rule that if a man kills you offer your wife too. Jesus does not set aside the law of Moses, the lex talionis.

The whole discussion of retribution is confused today. See Interesting discussion from
http://bible.org/seriespage/jesus-and-l ... hew-538-42

The author shows good balance (and agrees with me!).

Here is a bit but it is well work reasding. I will review in detail and then chat together if you like.
Kerry


The lex talionis is stated explicitly three times in the Old Testament. First, in Exodus 21:22-25, it is cited in a way that protected a pregnant woman and her child from death or injury that might occur if two men were in a fight. Second, in Leviticus 24:17-22, it is applied generally to any case where a crime of murder or intentional maiming occurred. “‘Whoever kills any man shall surely be put to death. 18 Whoever kills an animal shall make it good, animal for animal. 19 If a man causes disfigurement of his neighbor, as he has done, so shall it be done to him – 20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he has caused disfigurement of a man, so shall it be done to him. 21 And whoever kills a n animal shall restore it; but whoever kills a man shall be put to death’” (Leviticus 24:17-22).

Third, in Deuteronomy 19:15-21, it occurs in a passage to prevent perjury and using the court to execute or punish an otherwise innocent individual.
“One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established. 16 If a false witness rises against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing, 17 then both men in the controversy shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges who serve in those days. 18 And the judges shall make careful inquiry, and indeed, if the witness is a false witness, who has testified falsely against his brother, 19 then you shall do to him as he thought to have done to his brother; so you shall put away the evil from among you. 20 And those who remain shall hear and fear, and hereafter they shall not again commit such evil among you. 21 Your eye shall not pity: life shall be for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot” (Deuteronomy 19:15-21).