FOXNews.com reports, "Friday's twin attacks in Norway that killed 76 people have sparked growing outcry at the country's penal code, under which even the man now accused in the mass killings would face a maximum penalty of only 21 years in prison if convicted. If found guilty in the massacre and given that maximum sentence, Anders Behrin Breivik, 32, would serve roughly 100 days in prison per killing." This ruling has sparked an outcry all over the world, especially in Norway, where people are calling for the accused to at least serve life in prison.
What does the Bible have to say about a scenario like this? We can turn to Exodus 21:23-25 to answer that question. It says this: “… you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe” (also in Lev.24:20 and Deut.19:21). Many people have wrongly interpreted and applied this passage. This is not saying, “If someone does you wrong, you’re allowed to pay them back”. This passage does not concern trivial, personal quibbles. Rather, it is addressing civil issues related to criminal activity. God is simply saying, “The punishment must fit the crime. I don’t want you to under-punish a criminal, nor should you over-punish a criminal.” This code was actually put in place for the protection of criminals as well as societies.
God cares about mercy, but he also cares about justice. Some cultures and time periods have placed too much of an emphasis on justice; they over punish criminals out of a vengeful spirit. Other cultures and time periods have placed too much emphasis on mercy; they under punish criminals. I believe we live in a time period that is guilty of the latter. It’s a perversion of mercy and it does not reflect the true character of the God of the Bible.
Inevitably someone will point to Jesus’ statement in the Sermon on the Mount: ““You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.”
There are two things one must understand about this verse. First, Jesus is not speaking against the former verses I quoted above from Exodus, Leviticus and Deuteronomy. He’s not repudiating the laws of the Old Testament! Jesus embraced and advocated everything written in the Old Testament (Matt.5:17-18). No. That’s not what Jesus is doing. Jesus is speaking against the Pharisaical interpretation of those civil codes. As Jesus makes clear all throughout the Sermon on the Mount, the corrupt religious leaders of his day had wrongly interpreted and applied many of the Old Testament laws and principles. And in this case, the corrupt religious leaders of first century Judaism had applied a civil law to interpersonal relationships. They taught that you were allowed to return evil for evil in your personal relationships. Of course they didn’t call it evil, they called it justice.
The second thing we need to understand about this statement by Jesus is this: Jesus is not advocating passivism here. He’s not saying, “If someone hits you, just sit there and let him pummel you to death. Let him hit you again.” Notice that Jesus says, “If anyone slaps you on the right cheek…” Why does he say “right” cheek? Why not just “cheek”? Because if you were slapped on the right cheek, it’s because someone had given you a back handed slap. Most people are right-handed. If a right handed person gives you a back handed slap, you would receive that slap on your right cheek. A back handed slap was not a threat to your physical security. It was an attack on your personal dignity. Jesus wasn’t prohibiting us from defending ourselves if we’re attacked physically. Jesus is prohibiting us from trying to return evil for evil and demean someone who has humiliated us. If someone slanders you in front of someone else, for example, Jesus would say, “Don’t slander them back. Take them out for lunch and show them love.”
When the Bible is ignored, societies end up with unjust laws, like Norway. Additionally, when Scripture is wrongly interpreted, it is wrongly applied, and societies (and liberal Christian voices) end up placing more of an emphasis on mercy than God ever intended.
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