I was on Facebook this morning and I saw a post. It was a screenshot of this picture. I’ll have the transcript below if you have difficulty reading from the picture.
Brittany Venti @BrittanyXVenti · 12m
I see a lot of people saying don’t do “An eye for an eye” and stoop to their level. No this isn’t an eye for an eye.
Eye for an eye would be we shut down their businesses for a cold virus, loot & vandalize their business and then call them bigoted when they point out who did it.
Eye for an eye would be injecting them with a lab experiment vax into their bodies and threaten their ability to play pro sports or work if they don’t take it, ban them online for even questioning it, and gaslight them when people start getting health issues or dying from it.
Eye for and eye would be murdering one of their moderate political figures in cold blood in front of his toddler children and wife to stop them from speaking - the ultimate form of censorship. Doing all of that, would be eye for an eye.
I’m unsure if Kirk’s wife and child were there when he was killed. I’ve heard that’s not true, but obviously I’ve heard from a lot of people that it is.
But, otherwise, yes, what she is describing would be “eye for an eye” behavior. I saw people in the comments saying, “Yes, let’s do that.” One said we should go back to YHWH’s commands and do that “eye for an eye” stuff. But…
Did YHWH Command Eye-For-An-Eye Behaviors?
But did YHWH actually command us to do “Eye for an Eye” revenge punishments? Since Jesus is the image of the Father1 and has to be in total agreement with the Father, YHWH, let’s see what Jesus had to say about that. Matthew 5 is amazing!
First, Jesus gives the beatitudes:
He said:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
He goes on about salt and light. Then he says YHWH’s law and what the prophets (who spoke for God) said will never pass away.
Matt 5:17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
From the Clementine Homilies:
Homily 3 Chapter LI. His Teaching Concerning the Law
…And also that He said, 'I am not come to destroy the law,' and yet that He appeared to be destroying it, is the part of one intimating that the things which He destroyed did not belong to the law. And His saying, 'The heaven and the earth shall pass away, but one jot or one tittle shall not pass from the law,' intimated that the things which pass away before the heaven and the earth do not belong to the law in reality.
Well, for one, an “eye-for-eye” so-called “justice” has disappeared and thus is not part of YHWH’s law to begin with. But let’s go on in Matthew 5 and see what Jesus says about that so you have biblical proof.
Matt 5:21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, a and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment.
That so-called righteous anger that leads to murder is subject to judgment. And…
Matt 5:38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not oppose an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.2 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
If Jesus’ Father actually commanded “eye for an eye, and tooth for a tooth” don’t you think he would have said that differently? He’s basically saying, “Someone told you eye for an eye was from God, but I tell you differently…”
The words Jesus speaks are the Father’s words… if you believe Jesus. So God was telling us that “eye for an eye” is not accurate. It doesn’t exist any longer which shows it was not part of God’s law that never goes away. God showed through Jesus that He wants mercy given to those who repent, and wants the “evil” people to repent, so He gives them much more time than any human nature would make us wait, as I just wrote about.
Jesus “fulfilled” the law by embodying it. He was merciful to his death. He prayed for his enemies. He rebuked followers who had a revenge desire3. He never called for his followers to kill his murderers. And Jesus was the image of God. YHWH never commanded people to treat others with an eye-for-eye mentality. No, Christians should not just go back to that. You’d be directly disobeying Christ and the One who sent him.
If you’re new to my Substack you’ll find that I trust the Clementine Scriptures more the bible, and they say that Jesus told them (the first followers) that there are lies in scripture. The scribes wrote excess things about God that were not true. You can check out the rest of my work and read the Nazarene Acts for more information. I have an Early Christian Resources link so you can find a bunch of writings and videos to learn more.
Early Hebrew Christian Resources List
Because we were all born in a CULTure that spreads lies like wildfire, we need to do our own studies. On this page, you’ll find various resources so you can study like the Bereans did and see if these things be so.
John 14:9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.
Colossians 1:15 The son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross (see my article/video on Philippians 2)
There is more history about turning the other cheek, unclean hands, and disrespecting people in this video clip.
Luke 9:54 When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do You want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?” 55 But Jesus turned and rebuked them.