The apostle Paul revisited this concept in the New Testament book of Romans, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. However, Jesus says that this vengeful attitude is not the attitude of His followers. We want to get even with them make them pay for what they did. This is the exact opposite of the reaction we have as humans when someone does us wrong. Not only are we to avoid seeking revenge on our enemies, but we are to show them love (Luke 6:27). The follower of Christ lives by the law of forgiveness. Jesus was telling them that the mandate of ‘an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth’ was not the standard by which the Christian life is lived. Israel was God’s chosen people, and God intended them to live according to His standards. These rules for punishment were also meant to be carried out by the nation of Israel, not by individuals. The “eye for an eye” saying appeared in the section where God was laying out punishment for one who injures another person in a physical way. These punishments were for the purpose of deterring anyone thinking about doing harm to another (Deuteronomy 19:20-21). He also specified the punishments for anyone who broke those laws. When God set about to create a special people to represent Him, He gave them laws to live by. Let us take a closer look, so next time you hear it used, you will know what it really means. However, this is not the intended meaning of this phrase as found in Scripture.
They believe that its message is, “whatever they did to you, you are justified in doing to them”. Too many people, when they hear the phrase, “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth”, immediately associate it with revenge.
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