Matthew 5:17
17 Think not that I am come
to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Jesus is emphatic. Any change in the Law would destroy the Law. And He
is right. Any change in the Law of Moses would certainly destroy the Law of
Moses because it was, as we say, written in stone. One cannot take an eraser and
make deletions, or cross something out and make a footnote, or even add
something else to what is already written by the finger of God. But as
Christians, some of you change the Law of Moses and even teach that Jesus
changed the Law of Moses Himself in your interpretation of these verses:
Matthew 5:38-39
38 Ye have heard that it hath
been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
39 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.
The statement of Jesus saying "Ye have heard it hath been said..."
is referencing an instruction in the Law of Moses. Here is the original
command:
Exodus 21:24-25
24 Eye for eye, tooth for
tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
25
Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
This is called the Law of Retribution. Here, Jesus Christ brings up this law
and continues in His discourse...
Matthew 5:39
39 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.
Obviously, there is a confrontation taking place between two people. Jesus
adds, "But I say unto you..." which may appear to be a change, but take a closer
look. It was Christ who gave the Law to Moses at Mount Sinai to give to the
people. And since it is Christ Himself who is speaking in Matthew 5 without a
prophet, who usually would say, "Thus saith the LORD," It is the LORD Himself
who is speaking and it takes the form of the first person: "But I say unto
you," is Christ, who is The Prophet like unto Moses, using language in the First
Person. But what does it mean to "turn the other cheek? There's a little
symbolism and imagery involved so take a read:
Two people in confrontation will be standing directly in front of each other.
For person 1 to strike the right cheek of person 2 requires the use of the open
palm of the left hand to strike the right cheek of person 2. In the Bible, the
left side and left-handedness play a distinctively negative role. The word
"sinister" derives from the Latin term that means “on the left side.”
The "right" or "right side" finds representation of "righteousness" and
"honor" or "blessing." The conotations are positive opposite of "left." So, here
is person 1 using his left palm to strike the right cheek of person 2. This
strike is "sinister" in action as well as motivation. Why do I say it is the
left palm and not the back of the left hand? Mainly, because the left palm is
the way slaves were struck by their masters for punishment and disciplinary
action. It is a degrading way to be struck. The back of the hand is the way
nobles or "gentlemen" were struck in physical disputes. Jesus Himself during His
capture and appearance before the high priest was struck in a disrespectful way
with the palm of the hand by one of the officers:
John 18:22
22 And when he had thus
spoken, one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his
hand, saying, Answerest thou the high priest so?
Person 1 has unrighteously struck person 2 on the right cheek. The left arm is now at the
left side of person 2 and the back of the hand is now facing the left cheek of
person 2. Christ's instruction to "turn to him the other also" is is in keeping
with the Law of Retribution of strike for strike. In other words Christ is
saying that a person that unrighteously strikes you on the right cheek must now
bring the arm in reverse arc and strike you with the back of the hand as a
noble and a social equal. It is eye for eye, tooth for a tooth, and cheek for a
cheek. Christ does not change the Law of Retribution. He fulfills the Law. He establishes the Law.
17 Think not that I am come
to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Jesus is emphatic. Any change in the Law would destroy the Law. And He
is right. Any change in the Law of Moses would certainly destroy the Law of
Moses because it was, as we say, written in stone. One cannot take an eraser and
make deletions, or cross something out and make a footnote, or even add
something else to what is already written by the finger of God. But as
Christians, some of you change the Law of Moses and even teach that Jesus
changed the Law of Moses Himself in your interpretation of these verses:
Matthew 5:38-39
38 Ye have heard that it hath
been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
39 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.
The statement of Jesus saying "Ye have heard it hath been said..."
is referencing an instruction in the Law of Moses. Here is the original
command:
Exodus 21:24-25
24 Eye for eye, tooth for
tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
25
Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
This is called the Law of Retribution. Here, Jesus Christ brings up this law
and continues in His discourse...
Matthew 5:39
39 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.
Obviously, there is a confrontation taking place between two people. Jesus
adds, "But I say unto you..." which may appear to be a change, but take a closer
look. It was Christ who gave the Law to Moses at Mount Sinai to give to the
people. And since it is Christ Himself who is speaking in Matthew 5 without a
prophet, who usually would say, "Thus saith the LORD," It is the LORD Himself
who is speaking and it takes the form of the first person: "But I say unto
you," is Christ, who is The Prophet like unto Moses, using language in the First
Person. But what does it mean to "turn the other cheek? There's a little
symbolism and imagery involved so take a read:
Two people in confrontation will be standing directly in front of each other.
For person 1 to strike the right cheek of person 2 requires the use of the open
palm of the left hand to strike the right cheek of person 2. In the Bible, the
left side and left-handedness play a distinctively negative role. The word
"sinister" derives from the Latin term that means “on the left side.”
The "right" or "right side" finds representation of "righteousness" and
"honor" or "blessing." The conotations are positive opposite of "left." So, here
is person 1 using his left palm to strike the right cheek of person 2. This
strike is "sinister" in action as well as motivation. Why do I say it is the
left palm and not the back of the left hand? Mainly, because the left palm is
the way slaves were struck by their masters for punishment and disciplinary
action. It is a degrading way to be struck. The back of the hand is the way
nobles or "gentlemen" were struck in physical disputes. Jesus Himself during His
capture and appearance before the high priest was struck in a disrespectful way
with the palm of the hand by one of the officers:
John 18:22
22 And when he had thus
spoken, one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his
hand, saying, Answerest thou the high priest so?
Person 1 has unrighteously struck person 2 on the right cheek. The left arm is now at the
left side of person 2 and the back of the hand is now facing the left cheek of
person 2. Christ's instruction to "turn to him the other also" is is in keeping
with the Law of Retribution of strike for strike. In other words Christ is
saying that a person that unrighteously strikes you on the right cheek must now
bring the arm in reverse arc and strike you with the back of the hand as a
noble and a social equal. It is eye for eye, tooth for a tooth, and cheek for a
cheek. Christ does not change the Law of Retribution. He fulfills the Law. He establishes the Law.
