I am a Jesus pusher!!! “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” (Matthew 5:38) is a quotation taken directly from the Old Testament (Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20; Deuteronomy 19:21). It reflects one of the most ancient codes of law. It simply requires that the punishment exactly match the crime. We use this same principle in our day when we say, “Tit for tat.” The expression of this law comes from a heart of revenge. There is a “get even” spirit in its essence. The good factor of this proposition is its limitation. You could “get even” with another individual, but only to the extent they injured you.
Jesus internalizes and intensifies the old standard. The state of the Kingdom of Heaven is the heart of Jesus. There is no revenge. It is a redemptive heart. Because I know the pain of the loss of an eye, I would not want to inflict that upon another. The cross is present in the beginning statements of Jesus’ preaching (Matthew 5:38-42). It was not an event in the future for redemption; the cross style was the motive of His heart. The expression of God’s heart is always redemptive. How should I respond to the misdeeds of another? I must always be redemptive. How do I handle arguments? I must always be redemptive. What is the will of God for my life? I must always be redemptive. This is the nature of Christ; we are partakers of the Divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). I never want to imitate Jesus; I want His nature to flow through me! I am a Jesus pusher!!!