Exodus 21: 24 "eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise."
Moses and the Israelites are receiving the law at Sinai. God tells them that if someone wrongs someone else, they are to be punished in an equal way. This was different from many of the surrounding nations. In other tribes, villages, and nations people would seek out revenge and usually the punishment would be much more severe than the crime.
God shows his fairness and justice here at Sinai. Thousands of years later, Jesus goes a few steps further and teaches we should not seek equal vengeance. In fact, we should be quick to turn our cheek, and forgive our enemies. God wants me to be patient and kind to other people-even when they wrong me. My heart should never be set on vengeance or getting back at someone. It's so easy, and possibly human nature to want to "get someone back" and make them hurt for what they did to me. That is not the way of Jesus.
Dear Jesus, help me forgive and turn the other cheek. Amen.
