An eye for an eye ∙∙

An eye for an eye ∙∙

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth . . .. – Exodus 21:24

Exodus 21:23-25

23 But if there is further injury, the punishment must match the injury: a life for a life,
24 an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot,
25 a burn for a burn, a wound for a wound, a bruise for a bruise.

In June 2017, Kieran Healy, a resident of Orange County in central North Carolina, got the shock of his life one summer afternoon. Kieran couldn’t believe his eyes when he opened his water bill for the month. The total water usage cost was $189.92, which is pretty standard for June. But the service charge was totally absurd, just under $100 million. That’s right, one hundred million dollars.

Staring at the figure, Kieran couldn’t help but laugh at its sheer impossibility. Maybe the Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA) thought he was secretly operating an ocean inside his backyard. Fully aware of the error but unwilling to miss an opportunity to inject some humor, Kieran proposed to pay off the mammoth bill from OWASA in “installments.” After all, what’s a hundred million between utilities and the people they serve?

Thankfully, sanity prevailed. Stephen Winters, a representative from the utility company, assured Kieran it was all a giant clerical mistake. He would never owe OWASA that astonishing amount of money. The error would be corrected, and his “debt” would be completely forgiven. Relieved and perhaps a little amused, Kieran’s account was adjusted, and life continued onward.

For most of us, a $100 million debt is not just excessive—it’s unthinkable. But while fiscal debts like Kieran’s are rare, other kinds of debts—moral, emotional, and relational—are far more common. And much like an out-of-control water bill, they must be addressed before they overwhelm us.

This brings us to a well-known phrase from Scripture found in Exodus 21:24: “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” While familiar, this phrase is often misunderstood. Many interpret it as a call for revenge, a green light to “get even.” But that couldn’t be further from its true meaning. If we all followed that interpretation literally, society would crumble into chaos—a land where everyone is blind or toothless. The confusion stems from taking the phrase out of its biblical context.

Exodus 21:23-25 provides the clarity we need: 23 But if there is further injury, the punishment must match the injury: a life for a life, 24 an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot, 25 a burn for a burn, a wound for a wound, a bruise for a bruise.

This principle, often called the Law of Retaliation, is better described as the Law of Limited Retaliation. Its purpose wasn’t to encourage vengeance but to ensure justice remained proportional. It placed firm boundaries around punishment to prevent excessive and unjust retribution. The guiding rule? The punishment should fit the crime—no more, no less.

This law was particularly significant in ancient times when the rich and powerful frequently retaliated with brutal overreach. A minor offense could provoke a wildly disproportionate response, as extreme as using a cannon to kill a mosquito. God’s Law, handed down through Moses, counteracted this societal imbalance by enforcing fairness and moderation.

Later, the Romans developed their own version of this concept, and it became known as lex talionis, meaning “law of retaliation” in Latin. The Latin word talis translates to “of like kind,” giving us the English term “retaliate.” The law formalized the idea of “paying back in kind,” ensuring justice was rooted in equity, not excess or personal vendettas.

But it’s important to recognize that the Father’s heart has always been about redemption, not revenge. The law wasn’t designed to satisfy our desire for payback—it was a protective mechanism to maintain harmony and prevent a spiraling cycle of violence.

Scripture reiterates this in Romans 12:19: “Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, ‘I will take revenge; I will repay,’ says the LORD.”

This verse reminds us that the Father is the only one qualified to settle ultimate accounts. If revenge is necessary, He will handle it in His perfect way, but His overarching intent is always to redeem, restore, and renew. The Father is not in the revenge business. He is in the redemption business. But if revenge is required, He takes responsibility for settling accounts.

Just as Kieran’s absurd $100 million water bill was forgiven in full, the Father offers the same kind of grace. He wipes away our debts—whether moral, emotional, or relational—offering us relief, redemption, and a fresh start. And that’s a gift beyond any measurement, far greater than we could owe or repay.

REFLECT & PRAY

Regret and shame are universal human emotions. We often find ourselves carrying the heavy burdens of anxiety, sadness, depression, and guilt. These emotions can weigh us down, what can we do?

Father, thank You for forgiving us. Encourage our hearts to forgive and not seek our own revenge.

INSIGHT

What occurs when the injury or debt resulting from sin is so extensive that no one on earth can make amends for it?

The Father God, in His holiness, righteousness, and goodness, finds sin utterly repugnant. Sin is not just a mistake—it creates a sin debt between us and the Father. Every wrong thought, word, or deed adds to this negative balance, like a snowball rolling downhill, growing larger and heavier over time. Throughout a lifetime, this spiritual debt becomes unpayable, a burden too great for anyone to shoulder. Imagine owing $100 million to the water company—a crushing, impossible debt. But unlike an accounting error, our sin debt is no mistake. It’s real, and it demands resolution. It cannot simply be ignored or left unpaid.

It weighs us down spiritually, erodes our sense of worth, and leaves us drowning in guilt, shame, and frustration. It nags us with a persistent feeling of failure and hopelessness. Eventually, we realize that such a humongous debt can never be paid through anything we do. No amount of effort or personal sacrifice can pay it off. The question remains—how could such a debt be forgiven?

There is Good News: the Father, in His infinite love, devised a plan alongside the Son to cancel this towering debt forever. They conceived a way to erase it completely, to wipe the slate clean for each individual. The logic behind their divine solution is both simple and profound. Someone with no sin debt of their own—someone blameless and pure—could step forward to pay the debt for someone else.

This is where the Lord Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God, comes in. He lived a perfect, righteous life, free of any spiritual debt. With no debt of His own to settle, He was uniquely qualified to take on the debt of others. And not just one person’s debt, but the collective weight of sin from all of humanity, spanning all of time. It was a transaction not bound by earthly limitations and standards. It was carried out by the infinitely creative and eternal mind of God.

Through His sacrificial death on the cross, the Lord Jesus Christ bore the full penalty for our sins. Every ounce of sin debt—past, present, and future—was laid upon Him. He endured the unimaginable weight of this burden so that we wouldn’t have to. In doing so, He paid in full the collective sin debt of all humanity throughout all the ages. At a moment in time, He paid the price for all sins simultaneously.

The apostle Peter captures this incredible act of love and sacrifice in 1 Peter 2:24: “He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds, you are healed.”

The Lord Jesus Christ took upon Himself the burden of our sin debt. The debt was paid through His death, and forgiveness was available for all who received it. All who accept Him as their Savior and Lord can live for what is right and die to sin. The Father’s gift of forgiveness for our sins and debts is life-changing. Rather than retaliation for our wrongdoing, we were offered forgiveness and the gift of life.

1 Peter 2:21-23

21 For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.
22 He never sinned nor ever deceived anyone.
23 He did not retaliate when he was insulted nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.

Retaliation and revenge should be removed from our vocabulary once and for all. We have a higher calling. The Lord Jesus Christ refused to return evil for evil.

Instead, He prayed for His tormentors.

Luke 23:34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”

The Lord Jesus Christ is the model. Are you willing to follow in His steps? Is it time for you to cancel all the accrued sin debts of others owed to you?

¯_(ツ)_/¯10-03-1

© Dr. H 2025