I chanced on this piece of wisdom and found it to be very ‘exhorting’ & a wake up call to the world.
This short piece summarizes the consequences of unforgiveness + revenge.
I tried to do a little reading on this and I ‘discovered’ some interesting, insightful, and eye-opening knowledge that I cannot hold to myself alone, but share with others too.
This piece of wisdom is commonly attributed to M.K. Gandhi.
This piece of wisdom references a line from Exodus in the Old Testament, “Eye for eye, tooth for a tooth” which supposedly, allowed people of “old times: to revenge.
But in the New Testament, in Matthew, we’re told that Jesus disagreed with this. From Matthew (5:38-41): “Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 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.”
One may ask, why did God ‘permit’ revenge in the ‘old times’ and later will condemn it?
As early as 2250 B. C., almost a thousand years before the time of Moses, there was a code of Hammurabi, which compared most favourably with the legal systems of Greece and Rome. It is by far the most important document yet found in revealing the high civilization existing in Babylonia. “An eye for an eye” happens to be one of the rules/laws in the Hammurabi code. The Hammurabi code of laws, a collection of 282 rules, established standards for commercial interactions and set fines and punishments to meet the requirements of justice.
Many scholars contemplate whether Hammurabi’s Code predates the Ten Commandments. Of course, the Ten Commandments are not directly dependent on the Code of Hammurabi. However, the Code of Hammurabi and the Law of Moses in the Torah contain numerous similarities.
Interestingly, the main idea of some of the ‘harsh’ rules/laws in the Hammurabi code was to prevent revenge. With regard to the Hammurabi rules/laws, there were some wrongdoings or offences to a fellow that could permit one to kill almost the entire family of another.
Indeed, the laws were to prevent revenge, as one could lose his or her entire family. But when we literally look at some of these laws, they appear to be revengeful.
Yes! God commanded Moses to give laws to the Israelites. But could it be possible that Moses ‘borrowed’ some of the laws from the Hammurabi code?
I buy into this.
Maybe Moses took ‘inspiration’ from Hammurabi’s laws and gave the command “an eye for an eye” to reduce the rate of revenge amongst the Israelites, as one could badly be ‘repaid’ for the ‘evil’ done
Anyway, to the main theme
For An Eye for An Eye Makes Everyone Blind
It is undoubtedly clear that we have all come to know that revenge is not good. Of course, many religions and constitutions do not support revenge.
But the BIG Question is, are we able to hold on to our revenge?
It appears we don’t revenge because perhaps we don’t do the exact ‘evils’ our brethren do to us.
But have we come to the realization that sometimes instead of removing a friend’s tooth as a way of revenge, we rather gouge the eye off?
Imagine a world full of revenge
To be blind signifies ignorance of the truth.
John 8:32
“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
If we do not know the truth, we’ll all be blinded and in ‘captive’
What is the truth about unforgiveness and revenge?
Matthew 6:15
But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
1 Pet 3:9
Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
Even though Moses gave the command an eye for an eye, let’s be reminded that Moses gave this rule too
Lev 19:18
‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbour as yourself. I am the LORD.
For an eye for an eye makes everyone blind
May God bless us all
Beloved, let us love!
#SayNoToRevenge
#SayNoToUnforgiveness
#Let’sDoThisTogether
