by Joseph Ho

Editor’s Note: The following is an excerpt from Joseph Ho’s recent sermon of the same name.

This year, we are starting off the Single Life Bible study in Ken Sande’s book: The Peacemaker. We will be looking at the four G’s of peacemaking: glorify God, get the log out of your eye, gently confront, and go and be reconciled. I’d like to share an excerpt from the Bible study on the topic of “Seeing conflicts as opportunities to glorify God.”

Jesus said in Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Peacemaking is characterized by the life of those who profess to know Christ. But peacemaking is hard because it goes against the natural desire of the flesh. In Matthew 5:38-48, Jesus addresses the most difficult aspect of all human relationships, namely, the relationship between a person and his offender. Let’s take a look at verses 38 and 39.

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. (Matthew 5:38-39)

In verse 38, Jesus begins with “You have heard that it was said.” In the Sermon on the Mount, each time when Jesus addresses an Old Testament law by saying, “You have heard that it was said,” Jesus is bringing to light the erroneous understanding of that law as it was understood by the rabbinic traditions. “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’” The rabbinic traditions misapplied this law in two ways. First, this law was not given to encourage retaliation; instead, it was given to limit retaliation. Second, the law was not given in the context of meting out personal revenge in conflict, but the law was given to the magistrates of those days so that the judges may know how to properly administer justice and to keep order in society. We see this law three times in the Old Testament: Exodus 21:23-25, Leviticus 24:19-20, Deuteronomy 19:16-21.

Let’s read Deuteronomy 19:16-21:

If a malicious witness arises to accuse a person of wrongdoing, then both parties to the dispute shall appear before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who are in office in those days. The judges shall inquire diligently, and if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely, then you shall do to him as he had meant to do to his brother. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. And the rest shall hear and fear, and shall never again commit any such evil among you. Your eye shall not pity. It shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

First, we see here that the law was given to show the Israelites that there are negative consequences for breaking the law of God, and that every offender will receive the just punishment for the crime. Second, we see here that the law was not given in the context of personal vengeance, but it was given to the judges of those days so that they would know how to properly administer justice.

This law is a good law because innate in our human nature is the desire to over-retaliate. We see this in Lamech in Genesis 4:23-24, “Lamech said to his wives: “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say: I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for striking me. If Cain’s revenge is sevenfold, then Lamech’s is seventy-sevenfold.” Here, Lamech killed a man merely because that man struck him. He traded a wound for a body! We also see this in David’s life in 1 Samuel 25. When Nabal humiliated David’s servants and did not appreciate David’s kindness, David was furious and was ready to kill him. It was because of Nabal’s wife Abigail stopped David’s personal vendetta; otherwise, David would have done great harm to his witness and character as a future king of Israel.

Human vengeance always wants a pound of flesh for an ounce of offense. Jesus brings this law back to show it is wrong to use this law to carry out personal retribution.
Matthew 5:39, “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.” Here, Jesus is addressing the conflict on the personal level. He is not throwing out a blanket statement that we should not have a justice system that punishes evildoers. We learn in Romans 13:1-4 that God establishes the government to punish evildoers. And in James 4:7 and 1 Peter 5:5, we are instructed to resist the devil. What Jesus is teaching here is that, in times of personal conflict, immediate retaliation should be the last thing on our mind. This idea is repeated again in Proverbs as well. Proverbs 20:22 says, “Do not say, ‘I will repay evil’; wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.” Proverbs 24:29 says, “Do not say, ‘I will do to him as he has done to me; I will pay the man back for what he has done.’” In Jesus’ days, being slapped on the face is the most humiliating treatment of another person, and even in that kind of insult, we are not to retaliate or be quick to defend our pride.

Perhaps, Romans 12:19-21 sums up the best attitude in times of conflict:

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

During the time of the protestant reformation, there was a man by the name of George Wishart in Scotland. He was a contemporary and a friend of John Knox. He was known for his genuine love for the poor and the sick, and his passionate preaching of the true Gospel. Because of his bold opposition against the Catholic Church of that day, Cardinal David Beaton, Archbishop of St. Andrews, plotted to kill him. Beaton was an evil man. He was a Cardinal, and yet he was living in open immorality with a mistress. Seeing Wishart as an opposition to his authority, on March 1, 1545, Cardinal Beaton captured Wishart and sentenced him to be hanged and burned. During his execution, the hangman, knowing the good deeds of Wishart, was remorseful, sat down upon his knees, and said, “Sir, I pray you to forgive me, for I am not guilty of your death.” To whom Wishart kissed his cheek, and said, “Here is a token that I forgive you from my heart.” (Story from Foxe’s Book of Martyrs). Such forgiveness is impossible, unless one has tasted the forgiveness of God through Jesus Christ.

Someone said it well:

To return evil for good. That is devilish.
To return evil for evil. That is human.
To return good for evil. That is divine.