The OT said “AN EYE FOR AN EYE………A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH……….A LIFE FOR A LIFE.
The NT says “FORGIVE,……..TURN THE OTHER CHEEK,………..GO THE SECOND MILE,………..IF THEY STEAL YOUR COAT, GIVE THEM YOUR SHIRT ALSO”.
How do we reconcile this?
The OT God and Jesus are the same God.
In the old days, if I put your eye out (for no good reason),……..you would often get your whole family, village, nation together, and go to my house,……..and OVER-PUNISH………you would kill me, my family, my village, and my nation.
THAT’S NOT LOVE………..OVER-PUNISHMENT IS NOT LOVE.
and
UNDER-PUNISHMENT IS NOT LOVE.
God REQUIRES us to live in Intense Love,………so, God gave ISRAEL the rule,……AN EYE FOR AN EYE……….which is based on Love and grace, in that,……..God limits the punishment to a reasonable level.…………God does not allow OVER-PUNISHMENT.
ALL of the OT and the NT is based on Love and Grace,………since God is Love.
If you steal my pencil,…….i shouldn’t call the police for that,…….so, in that case, I should forgive.
If you steal my truck, I should call the police, since ,……..if I don’t call the police , you’ll be free to steal other trucks in the future………..
We need a deterrent to crime………and the criminal needs an intervention, so, he can repent and be saved.
And I need my truck back,………the thief needs to restore my truck to me.
So, in small matters (if we don’t call the police), we forgive.
And
In BIG matters, we call the police, and let them handle it,…..and they should operate as per OT rules…….AN EYE FOR AN EYE…………they should not under-punish or over-punish.
And we always forgive those who trespass against us, in both large and small matters………Jesus REQUIRES us to do so.