In our yesterday’s devotional, we could see how the law of tit for tat was grossly misused by the ancient people who have created a very ugly situation hard to resolve in our present age. The ancient Israelites introduced their personal views into it. Same is for the Muslims and the Christians of the earliest centuries. The Christians dwelt on the law and killed so many Muslims during the Crusade of the 11th to 13th centuries. The Muslims have been using it till date killing Christians who never had hands in killing their predecessors during the Crusade Wars of 1096-1099; 1147-1149; 1187-1192; 1208-1271 respectively. This tells one how erroneously people had used the law of tit for tat.
Jesus Christ, the Spiritual Head of Christianity came to put the law of tit for tat in the proper perspective. No Christian can justify his or her action to revenge using the law of “An eye for an eye” scriptures. Anyone killing Christians on the basis of these laws today will not be justified by God either. Jesus told Christians how wrong it is for believing on evil for evil, using the law of retaliation in the Old Testament today. Jesus said whoever kills any human beings shall surely be judged. He told Christians to turn their second cheek to whoever slapped them; instead of operating on the retributive law of “an eye for an eye” or that of the “tooth for the tooth.” See Matthew 5: 21, 25, 38 – 39, 43 – 44. Jesus stands for peace with all men and not returning violence for violence. Retributive actions have greatly magnified hate for one another in the world and extended wars from coast to coast of the world.
Jesus Christ saw love for one another; endeavour to protect people’s lives and avoiding any action of retaliation as the surest way to live together. One Pastor William J. Stewart, when writing on what “An Eye for An Eye” really means, said: “God has never permitted, let alone commanded people to take personal vengeance” as ways to resolve crisis. He further stressed that, reading through the context of the law in Exod. 21; Lev. 24 and Deut. 19 would make the readers see that “The purpose of the law is for equitable justice, not personal retaliation.”There are supportive passages in the New Testament where Jesus and His Apostles admonished Christians to desist from using laws of retaliation, retribution and violence for violence. Next series of the devotional will look into these areas. The Beloved, hope things are getting clearer? We will definitely win the world with love and not by violence. This sounds funny but is just the truth.
PRAYER:
JEHOVAH NISSI, I pray you pour upon my heart the loving heart of Jesus Christ, your Son, who forgave those nailing Him to the Cross. Give all Christians the hearts to bear pains and willingness to return love for hate in Jesus name.
POSITIVE DECLARATION:
I call upon my heart, the dew of heaven that will sooth my burning heart due to what people have done to me. Hallelujah!!
bishopubaudenyi@hopealivechurch