READ: Matthew 5:38-48
Ye have heard that it hath been said, AN EYE FOR AN EYE, AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH: But I say unto you, that ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. – Matthew 5:38-39
God will reward and God will repay. God has a formula for judging people. Scripture bears witness to this reality and shows how God fairly and squarely metes out judgment to people. You cannot fail to see the clear pattern of God’s formula for judgment being an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
In a sense, the principles for judgment are the principles for sowing and reaping: Galatians 6:7. God has set in motion amazing principles of seedtime and harvest time. The seedtime will always come on, and the harvest time will always follow. You sow one little corn seed, and you receive several corn cobs which carry many seeds of corn.
For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind…
Hosea 8:7
You have sown the wind, and you shall reap the whirlwind! Why would you have a whirlwind coming at you? Because you sent the wind out! That is God’s formula for judgment: Hosea 8:7. What you send out is going to come back at you with a stronger force. Watch out when you speak strong and terrible words that destroy someone’s life and ministry. Very strong and terrible words will also be spoken against you. Words of blasphemy will boomerang in your direction. You may not be able to recover from the effects of the boomerang of your backbiting and slanderous words!
Jesus introduced the element of mercy into God’s formula for judgment. Mercy can be introduced so that an eye does not have to be given for another eye and a hand does not have to be given for another hand.
Jesus threw a new light on this scripture (Matthew 5:38-39) when He recognized it as truth and law. He however brought in the aspect of love and mercy.