Links for today’s readings:
Read: Exodus 21 Listen: (4:44) Read: Luke 3 Listen: (5:24)
Scripture Focus: Exodus 21.23-25, 30
23 But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.
30 However, if payment is demanded, the owner may redeem his life by the payment of whatever is demanded.
Proverbs 21.15
When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers.
Reflection: Both Parts of Justice
By John Tillman
Does your definition of “justice” have more to do with Batman or the Punisher than the Bible?
Batman and the Punisher operate as laws unto themselves, punishing evildoers. Batman brutally beats criminals but never kills (at least not intentionally), leaving captured criminals for the police. If the police ever find the criminals the Punisher targets, they need bodybags not handcuffs.
The “tooth for tooth” and “bruise for bruise” description of justice in Exodus sounds like Batman’s vibe. “Life for life” sounds like the Punisher’s.
Is biblical justice a beating? An execution? Is this a biblically consistent definition of justice?
Proverbs tells us that justice is terrifying to evildoers and brings joy to the righteous. (Proverbs 21.15) Tearing out the eye of someone who harmed another’s eye satisfies the terrifying part but does it satisfy the joy-bringing part? When Micah says the Lord expects us to “do justice,” did he mean beating and killing? If so, how can “love mercy” have any meaning? (Micah 6.8)
There are several important things to remember about these “eye for eye” commands. “Eye for eye” was a limitation, not a demand. The command was about proportional punishment, not mandated mutilation. Reasonable substitutions for these penalties were allowed and normal. (Exodus 21.30)
Biblical justice goes beyond retributive violence. The principle of biblical justice is taking responsibility for the good of others and restoring damage that you cause or fail to prevent. It is not about beating the bad guys but about being the good guys.
Seven out of eight mentions of “justice” in the Pentateuch are warnings.
The first mention is about the tribe of Dan providing justice for the people. (Genesis 49.16) Justice must be established and provided.
Three mentions warn about not “perverting” justice with partiality, bribery, or mob rule. (Exodus 23.2; Leviticus 19.15; Deuteronomy 16.19) Justice can be perverted and must constantly be examined and maintained.
Three warn against denying justice to foreigners or the poor and vulnerable. (Exodus 23.6; Deuteronomy 24.17; 27.19) Justice must aid the disadvantaged, vulnerable, and impoverished.
One warns that “justice and justice alone” will allow the people to stay in the land God was taking them to. (Deuteronomy 16.20) God judges us by the justice we enact.
Sometimes protecting or establishing justice necessitates violence. However, justice is not about doing violence but doing good. Justice isn’t knocking out teeth. It’s making sure mouths are fed. Justice isn’t putting out eyes. It’s seeing needs get met.
Justice initiates good and corrects evil. Do both parts of justice
Divine Hours Prayer: The Refrain for the Morning Lessons
“Because the needy are oppressed, and the poor cry out in misery, I will rise up,” says the Lord, “and give them the help they long for.” — Psalm 12.5
– Divine Hours prayers from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime by Phyllis Tickle.
Read more: A Rebellion of Repentance
Rebellion out of hate only destroys. John’s rebellion of repentance is motivated by love that longs to restore what is right.
Read more: Revenge to Redemption
“Eye for an eye” and the Golden Rule aren’t in conflict…The old law of reactive justice points to the new law of preemptive grace.
