# Eye for an Eye - Non Resistance - Matthew 5:38-42 - Vine Abiders

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/vine-abiders-podcast-7468317/eye-for-an-eye-non-resistance-matthew-5-38-42-vine-abiders
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/vine-abiders-podcast-7468317/eye-for-an-eye-non-resistance-matthew-5-38-42-vine-abiders.md
Podcast: [Vine Abiders Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/vine-abiders-podcast-7468317)
Published: 2025-10-22T23:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://vineabiders.substack.com/p/eye-for-an-eye-non-resistance-matthew
Audio file: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/176518542/84d1f9dbc9172dee7ad0d309f57885eb.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/vine-abiders-podcast-7468317/episodes/eye-for-an-eye-non-resistance-matthew-5-38-42-vine-abiders
Duration seconds: 1915

## Resource

Introduction Welcome back to Vine Abiders , where we study the words of Jesus verse by verse and learn what it really means to live as His disciples. In this study, we’ve come to one of the most misunderstood teachings in all of Scripture — “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” For many of us, that phrase immediately brings to mind vengeance or retribution — the idea of getting even. But as we’ll see, that’s not what the law originally meant at all. Jesus wasn’t overturning the Old Testament here; He was deepening it , revealing the heart behind it. This section of the Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew 5:38–42 , teaches something radical: the way of non-resistance — not retaliating when wronged, not clinging to our rights, and trusting God to be our defender. The Pattern of the Sermon on the Mount Throughout this section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus follows a clear pattern. He quotes a command from the Old Testament — “You have heard that it was said…” — and then amplifies it to reveal the deeper heart behind the law: * “You shall not murder” → Don’t even be angry. * “You shall not commit adultery” → Don’t even lust. * “Love your neighbor” → Love even your enemies. In each case, Jesus affirms the law’s moral foundation, but then intensifies it. He takes it from the realm of outward compliance to inward transformation. So when He says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,’” He isn’t contradicting Moses. He’s revealing the spiritual principle beneath it — and pushing it further. What “An Eye for an Eye” Really Meant The law of “eye for eye, tooth for tooth” comes from Leviticus 24:17–20 and similar passages in Exodus 21 and Deuteronomy 19 . “If a man injures his neighbor, just as he has done, so it shall be done to…

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## Transcript

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