Why Jesus and the Law sometimes disagree
I have been a Christian for many years but have always been puzzled that Jesus contradicts God from the Old Testament to the New.
In the OT, there is the 'eye for an eye' revenge thing but then Jesus taught to do good to those who persecute you, and turn the other cheek...etc.
Why did Jesus say the opposite from God?
Hi, Sharon. Great question! It shows you are paying attention.
Since Jesus is God and the full expression of God's will, we will never see Him contradicting God. It is reasonable to assume that the pre-incarnate Christ (God's Son before He became a human baby) is the very Angel of the Lord often spoken of in Scripture, who gave important messages to God's people — including Moses. But whether this is the case or not, we do know that Christ is the eternal Word who has always been with God and who is God (See opening verses in John's Gospel, chapter one).
But now to answer your specific question. Jesus did spend a lot of time explaining to Jewish people the difference between God's will for people and the Law of Moses, also explaining at times why the Law was written as it was (as in the case of divorce and remarriage).
The really big thing to keep in mind when reading the Bible is the what, the who, the where, etc., just as when reading any other book or collection of writings. The Law (or Torah, which also means Teaching) of God given to Israel through the prophet Moses is tied directly to the covenant relationship Israel had (and still has) with God.
These laws, commands, rules for dress, warfare, diet, and so on, are often more of a Constitution for a nation or state than the general expression of God's expectations for all humankind. This is made clear not only in the Law itself, but also in the New Testament, where Paul (a devout student of the Law) and others explain that the Law was given as a kind of tutor (not a means of salvation) to prepare Israel for the arrival of Messiah.
As you study the Law of Moses, you will notice, for example, that it never promises eternal life, heaven, etc. (even though, Job, a much older book, does talk about such things). And Paul, over in the New Testament book of Romans (chapter 4) explains that the gift of righteousness that leads to eternal life is given by God apart from the Law, and not through obedience to a set of commands or rules.
The Law of Moses is not about spiritual salvation or acceptance by God. Rather, it is about the physical and natural blessing of God in the new land that Israel would occupy. Only physical and natural blessings are promised as the reward for keeping the Law in the promised land.
In this age of grace, we do not concern ourselves directly with the Law of Moses, although some Jewish believers do. It is appropriate for Jewish believers to give more heed to the Law, even in our day, than it is for Gentile (non-Jewish) believers. We in the church are not replacing Israel, as some folks think. We are a part of something better. Both Jew and Gentile are members of the church, the Bride of Christ and the Body of Christ. But Israel is still Israel.
Israel has not lost her place in God's plan. Jews have lost nothing of the promises given to them in the Law and by the prophets under the Old Covenant. Every word of God proves true. Every promise of God is good forever. Whatever the Lord has said to Israel is still binding, and all the promises will be fulfilled, just as the warnings and judgments are also being fulfilled to this day.
For both Jew and Gentile, Jesus is the completion, or fulfillment, of the righteousness of the Law. This means that God will one day restore Israel fully to a position of special honor, even though the people of Israel failed in every generation to walk perfectly with God. And Gentiles who never even had a reason to hope, are also eternally saved by faith in the Messiah of God.
The Samaritans (who are not Jews or Israel) that were won over by Jesus Christ (John, chapter 4) declared that Jesus was the Savior of the whole world. They knew because they had already been pulled into the family of God by their faith in Jesus. He made no distinction. He offered them the same living water that He offered the remnant people of Israel in John chapter 12. And Paul writes plenty about how God saves us all, Jew and Gentile alike, in his letters to Rome and to the Galatians.
All of this will make more sense as you continue to spend time in the Bible, making note of who is saying what to whom, and when things are being said, and why and where. While every Bible promise belongs to us (and every warning) as believers in Jesus Christ (everything in Christ is both yes and amen!), we must study the Scriptures in order to understand the historical context.
The Law of Moses was not given to the world or to heathen nations. It was given specifically to Israel because God chose that people (in Abraham) to be His people, the very family through which Messiah Himself would come into the world to save us all.
The Bible makes perfect sense the more we take the time to simply read and understand it. There are no contradictions in God or in His message to us through Scripture. But God has put some things in the Word in odd ways to capture our attention.
You will find that every apparent contradiction in the Bible holds a very special treasure for those who will take the time to dig a little deeper. God gives us these things to stir up our interest and to invite us to take a journey of better understanding in the wonderful things He has said and done, and promises that are still waiting to be fulfilled.
God's best to you as you continue the great adventure.
Jim