Message #305805

[Sam Adams]

Frank is right. The ancient Middle East (and for that matter, the present-day Middle East) loved revenge. If one member of one family commited murder, then the survivors would not only kill the murderer, but the murderer's whole clan. Such excesses went far beyond God's will. The Old Testament's "an eye for an eye" actually limited punishment to what was appropriate.

I would only add that we should distinguish between the love two private individuals should have for each other, and the administration of public justice. The Jews made an "eye for an eye" the rule for person-to-person relationships, but Jesus corrected that. The Old Testament laws are still a good guide for modern societies. If I were a judge charged with deciding a murder case, I would sentence the murderer to die, because that's what the Bible requires. But I should still pray for him, and do whatever other kindnesses I could for him--and his family.