SERMON ON THE MOUNT
LEX TALIONIS: THE LAW OF RETRIBUTION
DR. JIM DIXON
MATTHEW 5:38-42
AUGUST 5, 2001
The oldest law in the world is called the Lex Talionis, which means “the law of retribution.” And it is oftentimes expressed in the phrase “an eye for an eye” or “a tooth for a tooth.” But it means that the punishment must fit the crime. We first see the Lex Talionis in the Code of Hammurabi written in Mesopotamia 3,700 years ago. But, of course, we also see the Lex Talionis in the Old Testament. We see it in the Book of Exodus, the 21st chapter, the 23rd verse, where it is written, “You shall give life for life, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot, burning for burning, wounding for wounding, a strike for a strike.” The Lex Talionis, the law of retribution, the punishment must fit the crime.
Of course, the Lex Talionis has been foundational to criminal justice systems the world over throughout history, and it is true that the Lex Talionis is foundational to our criminal justice system right here in the United States of America. The punishment must fit the crime.
I think it is safe to say that in the New Testament, in the Book of Romans in the 13th chapter with regard to earthly government, the Lex Talionis is upheld. Governments must deter evil and not bear the sword in vain. But we come to the Sermon on the Mount and to our passage of scripture for today. Our Lord Jesus Christ tells us that, as Christians, as His followers, our personal lives and our personal relationships are to be governed by different laws—not by the Lex Talionis, but by two different laws. I want us this morning to examine these two different laws.
First of all, the law of mercy. If you are a Christian, you are called to live your life in accordance with the law of mercy. Now in our passage of scripture for today, Jesus quotes the Lex Talionis. He says, “You’ve heard it said to men of old, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, do not resist one who is evil. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other as well. If anyone would sue you and take away your coat, do not withhold even your cloak. If anyone forces you to go one mile, walk with them two miles. Give to him who begs of you, give to him who asks of you, and do not resist him who would borrow from you.”
We’re reminded of a similar statement Christ made recorded in Luke, chapter 6, in the Sermon on the Plain, where Jesus said, “Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who abuse you.” “If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other as well. From him who takes away your coat, do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs of you. From him who takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. But as you would have people do to you, do so to them. For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much again. But I say to you, do good and lend expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great. You will be called children of the Most High, for He is kind even to the ungrateful and the selfish. So be merciful even as your Father in heaven is merciful.” The law of mercy.
That is how we are to conduct our lives, by the law of mercy. Now, the Greek word in the Bible for mercy is the word “eleos.” The word eleos is a word of compassion. It is one of many Greek words that are words of compassion. The word eleos had a specific application. It referred to compassion that was expressed in forgiveness and in non-retribution. This is how we are to live our lives, in forgiveness and non-retribution.
We see this statement on the Sermon on the Mount and in the Sermon on the Plain where Jesus said, “If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other as well.” I don’t think there’s any statement made by Christ that has been more frequently misunderstood. I mean some people think that Christ is saying, “Just stand there until you’re beaten to a pulp.” But that’s not what Christ is saying at all.
If we’re standing and we’re facing each other and I use my right hand to strike your face, I’m going to hit you on the left side of your face. If I’m going to use my right hand to hit the right side of your face, I have to give you the back of my hand. That’s what all Bible scholars agree that Jesus is speaking of here. He is talking about slapping somebody with the back of the hand, what was called “the slap of insult.” In the Hebrew culture and even in the Greek and Roman world, when a person received the “slap of insult,” when they received the back of somebody’s hand, it was a great insult. Oftentimes, people would retaliate. They might retaliate verbally, or they might strike the other person with the back of their hand. The tensions would escalate. Pretty soon it would lead to conflict that would result in hurt or harm. What Jesus is saying is don’t retaliate. When you’re insulted, don’t retaliate. Be a peacemaker. Humble yourself. Live in accordance with the law of mercy. It’s hard.
Perhaps you’ve heard the story of Bobby, a 5-year-old boy. Bobby’s mother was in the kitchen, and Bobby was playing with his 2-year-old sister. Suddenly the mother heard a scream. She ran into the room. She saw that the 2-year-old sister was pulling Bobby’s hair and Bobby was screaming. She separated them. She could see that Bobby was very angry. She said, “Bobby, don’t be angry with your sister.” He said, “But she pulled my hair.” She said, “Yes, but you see, your sister’s only 2 years old and she doesn’t know that when you pull somebody’s hair, it hurts them.” The mother left the room. A few minutes later she heard another scream. She came back in. She said, “What’s happened?” Bobby said, “She knows now!”
I think we can all identify with Bobby. I think we can identify with Bobby a lot because when we’re hurt, our tendency is to want to get even. That’s the Lex Talionis. When we’re hurt, we want to get even. An eye for an eye. If somebody hurts us physically, we want to hurt them physically. If somebody has hurt us financially, we want to see them hurt financially. If someone has hurt us emotionally, we want to see them experience emotional pain. If somebody has said those words to you, those painful words, “I don’t love you anymore,” there’s a part of you that wants to see them hurt. But that part of you is not from Christ. That part of you does not represent the Spirit of Christ. You see, Christ has called us to the law of mercy, the law of forgiveness.
I know many of you have probably heard of Albert I. Albert I was King of Belgium from 1909 to 1934. For the Belgian people, throughout their whole history, there was no king more beloved. They loved Albert I for his courage and for his mercy.
During World War I, it was Albert I who actually led the armies of Belgium, defending their homeland against the central powers who were led by Germany. When the Germans invaded Belgium, many of the Belgians left their country. A million of them fled—some to England, some to France, some to the Netherlands. Albert I stayed, and he fought for his homeland. He survived that conflict. After the war, he helped the people of Belgium rebuild their country. He knew that they would never be able to rebuild their country unless they learned forgiveness, unless they could forgive those who had been their enemies. He was a Christian man, and he was partly beloved for his Christian faith.
There are many stories told about Albert I, but one of them I want to share with you. It’s about two nuns who were in the city of Brussels. They were with their students. These two nuns were looking up at a cathedral in Brussels that had been destroyed by the war. The Germans had just devastated that section of Brussels, and the cathedral was destroyed.
As these two nuns with their students were looking at the ruined cathedral where once they had worshipped and once they had felt intimacy with God, they were filled with anger, and they were filled with rage towards the German people. They felt like they needed to say the Lord’s Prayer and to lead their students in the saying of the Lord’s Prayer. They began to pray, “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our sins (forgive us our debts, forgive us our trespasses) as we forgive…” and they couldn’t say the words. They were so filled with hatred towards the Germans that they could not say the words. Suddenly they heard behind them a voice, and the voice said, “as we forgive those who have sinned against us.” They turned around and it was Albert I. It was their King, and he was leading them in the Lord’s Prayer, leading them in forgiveness.
Now, of course, we live in America. This is a democratic republic, and we have no king. But if you’re a Christian, if you believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you have a king, and the Bible tells us that He is King of Kings, and He is Lord of Lords. He is Jesus Christ, Son of God. He didn’t just quote the Lord’s Prayer. He created it. He created it because He wants to teach His people that if we do not forgive others, we ourselves will not be forgiven. He calls us to live by the law of mercy. He was beaten and He was flogged, and He was gorged, and He was crowned with thorns, and He was crucified, His body broken and His blood shed. But He cried out, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” The supreme manifestation of the law of mercy. Much is at stake.
I know that many of you have heard of the Bermuda Triangle, sometimes called The Devil’s Triangle, a vast section of ocean 440,000 square miles, south and east of the coast of Florida. Many legends are associated with the Bermuda Triangle. Many ships have gone down in the Bermuda Triangle mysteriously. Sometimes low-flying aircraft have just vanished over the Bermuda Triangle mysteriously. It is true that every day commercial and military craft cross that section of ocean safely. But it is also true there have been an inordinate number of airplanes and ships lost at sea in the Bermuda Triangle, not only in the Bermuda Triangle but also in other sections of the earth’s oceans.
Scientists are seeking to understand why. They’ve come up with a theory that has been explained in a periodical called Science News. In this article, scientists write that they believe the whole problem has to do with gas hydrates, that there are pockets of gas trapped beneath the surface of the ocean, 300 to 400 meters beneath the surface, trapped beneath ice. As the gas builds and the pressure grows, eventually the ice cracks and the gas just floods to the surface. If there’s a ship there, the ship loses buoyancy and sinks. The gas penetrates the atmosphere. If there’s a low-flying aircraft, it can cause the engines to seize up on that craft. It’s the theory proposed by the scientific community.
But, you see, Christian psychologists would tell us there’s a human application here. There’s a human application because you harbor resentment deep beneath the surface. If you allow anger to build up, bitterness, even hatred… if you allow that to fester and grow, it begins to cause destruction. First of all, it becomes like a cancer within you. Ultimately you may crack, and it may have devastating results for you and people around you if you don’t forgive, if you don’t live by the law of mercy. Even more is at stake because the Bible says our eternal future is related to the law of mercy. The Bible says judgement will be without mercy for those who have shown no mercy.
As Christians, as believers in Jesus Christ, we seek to live by the law of mercy but not only the law of mercy. There’s a second and final teaching this morning. In this passage of scripture, Jesus also tells us that we are to live by the law of grace—not just mercy, but grace. The Greek word, the biblical word for grace, is the word “charis.” It’s often said that this word charis means “unmerited favor,” and it does. It means unmerited favor. In that sense, grace includes mercy because when you forgive somebody, that’s unmerited favor. But, you see, normally in the Bible, the word grace, the word charis, has even a more profound meaning than this. It means not only to forgive, but having forgiven, to give. It means to give. In fact, the word charis is the root word of charisma, which is the biblical Greek word for gift. As Christians we’re called to be givers and forgivers.
Of course, you see this in our passage of scripture where Jesus said, “You’ve heard it said to men of old, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, do not resist one who is evil. If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other as well. If anyone would sue you and take away your coat, give him also your cloak. If anyone would force you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to him who asks you and do not resist him who would borrow from you.” We are givers and forgivers.
There’s a story I love. It’s a true story. You may have heard it. It took place a little over 5 years ago. It was February 13, 1996. A stretch limo pulled over to the side of the highway on the New Jersey Expressway. It had a flat tire. The limo driver got out. He thought he would just take the spare and put it on the car and everything would be okay, but he was stunned when he opened the trunk and saw that the spare was also flat. He got his phone and began to make a call. He wanted to get some help. Suddenly, as he was calling, a pickup truck came up behind the limo.
A guy got out and said, “What’s going on? Can I be of any help?” The limo driver says to the truck driver, “Yeah. I’ve got two flat tires here, both on my car and the spare.” The truck driver said, “That’s no problem.” He said, “I have all the stuff for tire inflation and to repair tires. I can repair both of your tires.” The truck driver went to work, and he repaired both of the tires. When he was done, he said to the limo driver, “I was glad I was able to help.” The limo driver said, “Thank you very much.” The truck driver started to go, but suddenly the window went down in the limo. A voice called out, “Hey, Mister, thank you very much for helping us.” The truck driver turned and was stunned to see Donald Trump in the limousine. Donald Trump said, “That was awfully nice of you to stop and help us like that.” He said, “Is there anything I can do for you?” The truck driver said, “No, I was just glad to be of some help.”
He started to walk back to his truck and then he stopped. He came back and he said, “You know, Mr. Trump, there is something you can do for me. Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, February 14. My wife would absolutely love it if she could get a dozen roses from you with a little note.” Donald Trump said, “That’s no problem. What’s your address?” The truck driver gave Donald Trump his address. The next day the truck driver is at home with his wife. It’s Valentine’s Day. There’s a knock at the door. The delivery person delivers two dozen roses. The truck driver’s wife is stunned to see this note from Donald Trump and these roses for her. Then there’s a little P.S. with a note for her husband. It said, “Thanks again for stopping to help me. I just want to let you know I just paid off the mortgage on your house.”
An amazing story. Of course, the Bible says we are all created in the image of God, what theologians call the imago Dei. The Bible also tells us that we’re all fallen and we’re all sinners, but the image of God is still there residual in us and there is some good in all of us including Donald Trump. But if you stop to think about that story, I mean would the truck driver have stopped if the limo had just cut him off? Would the truck driver have stopped if someone in the limo had flipped him off? What if that had just happened and then the limo got a flat tire? Would the truck driver have pulled over behind him to help? That would have REALLY been grace. That would have been a full expression of grace. To forgive and give, that is grace.
The world doesn’t understand that, but that’s how Christ has called upon us to live. When we live like that, we’re not always rewarded on earth. When we give and when we show compassion, we’re not always rewarded on earth, but it is the call of Christ.
On September 1, 1923, there was a devastating earthquake in Japan. It was one of the largest earthquakes in world history. It registered 8.5 on the Richter Scale. The city of Tokyo was destroyed. The city of Yokohama destroyed. One hundred and forty-three thousand people were killed instantly, and ultimately 200,000 people died. Incredibly, 2,500,000 Japanese people were left homeless. It was, for that nation, truly a national disaster.
America reached out. We responded with compassion. In the next six months. this nation sent 150 ships to Japan laden with food and clothing and medicine because we wanted to help. The Japanese were grateful. Emperor Hirohito, who was then Crown Prince, sent a letter of gratitude to President Calvin Coolidge. The letter said in part, and I quote, “Thank you. Thank you with undying gratitude. The people of Japan are eternally grateful. We will never forget.” But, of course, it was just eighteen years later, December 7, 1941, that the Japanese Imperial Navy launched 360 airplanes from 33 ships, bombing Pearl Harbor, declaring war on the United States of America.
I think it’s safe to say they forgot. They forgot… Don’t we live in a world like that? Nations and people forget. But, you see, with regard to our life in Christ, it doesn’t matter. We’re just called to give and forgive. We’re just called to be people of mercy and people of grace, and our reward is in heaven. This is the call of Christ upon us.
As we conclude, I want to tell you a little story about a woman named Dora. Dora lives in Texas. Dora is a Christian. She accepted Christ five years before the incident I’m telling you about and loves Christ very much. Dora’s husband named Jack is not a Christian, and really is kind of an agnostic. Jack’s mother, Louise, had cancer. She was dying of cancer. The cancer was really very serious. Jack really didn’t want to go visit his mom. He didn’t want to visit his mom because he just didn’t like being around cancer. He didn’t like being around illness. He didn’t like being around pain. He didn’t like being around suffering, so he just didn’t go see his mom. He’d come home from work and just turn on the TV. He watched a lot of sports, and sometimes he’d get together with some buddies and have a few beers, but he didn’t want to have anything to do with his mom. He loved her but he didn’t want to deal with her pain.
Every couple of weeks he’d give her a call, but that was it. It was Dora, Jack’s wife, who reached out to Jack’s mom. Dora went over every day to her mother-in-law’s house. As the illness progressed and her mother-in-law became weaker and weaker, it was Dora who ministered to Louise. Dora cleaned her house. Dora cleaned the kitchen. Louise had planted a garden in the backyard with flowers, and she loved to just sit and look at it, but she could no longer work on it. It was Dora who went and worked in the garden and kept it going and planted flowers. She would help Louise, her mother-in-law, into the wheelchair and take her out into the backyard so that she could enjoy the flowers each day. It was Dora who cooked her meals.
There came a point in time when Louise knew that she was going to die. Now, Louise, just like Dora, had become a Christian and this was part of their bond. Louise loved Christ. Louise said to her daughter-in-law, “I’m going to die today.” Dora said, “No, Mom, not today. You’re not going to die today.” Louise said, “Dora, I can feel it. I’m so weak. I’m going to die today. As I die, I want you to hold me. I want you to hold me in your arms until I fall into the arms of Jesus. I want you to hold me and I want you to sing Christian hymns to me.” That afternoon, Dora held her mother-in-law in her arms. She had her mother-in-law sit in her lap, and she just held her. She sang Christian hymns to her, from The Old Rugged Cross to Amazing Grace, until her mother-in-law passed into the arms of Jesus. When I read that story, I thought to myself… It’s a true story… I thought to myself, “There aren’t enough Doras in this world. There are too many Jacks and not enough Doras.”
You know at this church we have a Pastoral Care Department headed up by John Patterson. Folks in the pastoral care department go to the hospitals to visit you when you’re there and to your homes to visit you when you’re sick. They do this with love and compassion and mercy and grace. We have another department called the Department of Counseling and Recovery, headed by Ron Chew. People in that department also minister in mercy, sometimes at the hospital and in homes. But, you see, it’s not just professionals who are called to demonstrate mercy and grace. This call is upon all of us, all of us who take the name of Jesus Christ. We’re called to be people of mercy and grace, giving and forgiving people of compassion. This is to characterize the people of Christ.
If you’re a Christian, you have received mercy, unbelievable mercy. As Christians we have been forgiven a massive debt we could never have repaid. By His body broken and by His blood shed, our sins have been forgiven us. That’s mercy. As Christians, we have received incomprehensible grace as we have been promised all the rewards of heaven itself. God is willing to give and forgive, but He’s called upon us now as we live life in this world, as long as we draw breath, to demonstrate that same mercy and grace to others. It’s the call of Christ upon His people. Let’s close with a word of prayer.