Exodus 21:22-27: a reflection

22“If men fight and hurt a pregnant woman so that she gives birth prematurely, and yet no harm follows, he shall be surely fined as much as the woman’s husband demands and the judges allow. 23But if any harm follows, then you must take life for life, 24eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25burning for burning, wound for wound, and bruise for bruise. 26“If a man strikes his servant’s eye, or his maid’s eye, and destroys it, he shall let him go free for his eye’s sake. 27If he strikes out his male servant’s tooth, or his female servant’s tooth, he shall let the servant go free for his tooth’s sake.

Among these laws is one that protects the dignity of the servant, even against a master. If a master strikes his servant and destroys the servant's eye, or knocks out a tooth, the servant is to go free, for the eye's sake, for the tooth's sake. Even a servant, in a society where servants had little power, was protected by God's law: a master could not injure his servant without consequence, but must set him free. God's law defended the dignity and worth of even the lowly servant.

Notice God's concern in this law: the protection of the vulnerable servant. In the ancient world, a servant had little standing, and might be thought to have no recourse against a master's abuse. But God's law defended even the servant: a master who injured his servant must set him free, bearing the cost of his cruelty. The servant, lowly as he was, mattered to God, and was protected by his law. God's justice reached down to defend even the weak and the lowly against the strong.

That God's concern reaches to the protection of the vulnerable and lowly is worth taking to heart. We can overlook or disregard those with little standing or power, the servants, the vulnerable, those who seem to have no recourse; and the strong can be tempted to mistreat them, thinking there will be no consequence. But God's law defended even the servant; the weak and lowly matter to God, and he watches how they are treated. Do not disregard or mistreat those with little standing or power, thinking they do not matter or that there will be no consequence; God defends the vulnerable, and watches how the weak are treated. Treat the lowly, the servant, the vulnerable, with the dignity God accords them, remembering that they matter to him, who defended even the servant in his law. God's concern reaches to the weak and the lowly; let yours reach there too, treating even those with little standing with the dignity and care God requires, rather than disregarding or mistreating them because they seem to have no recourse.

Lord, among these laws is one that protects the dignity of the servant, even against a master: if a master injured his servant's eye or tooth, the servant was to go free; even a servant, with little power, was defended by your law. Show me your concern in this law: the protection of the vulnerable servant. In the ancient world, a servant had little standing, and might be thought to have no recourse; but your law defended even the servant, and the lowly one mattered to you. Your justice reached down to defend the weak against the strong. Take to my heart that your concern reaches to the protection of the vulnerable and lowly. I can overlook or disregard those with little standing or power, the vulnerable, those who seem to have no recourse; and the strong can be tempted to mistreat them, thinking there will be no consequence. But your law defended even the servant; the weak and lowly matter to you, and you watch how they are treated. Keep me from disregarding or mistreating those with little standing or power, thinking they do not matter; you defend the vulnerable. Help me treat the lowly, the vulnerable, with the dignity you accord them, Lord, remembering that they matter to you, who defended even the servant. Let my concern reach to the weak and lowly, as yours does.