How did the Mosaic Law prepare humanity for perfection in Christ Jesus?

The Law of Moses was in place as a tutor for humanity because of the sin into which they fell. This law was moderate, somewhere between other primitive systems which allowed for people to take revenge by causing greater harm than they had suffered, and the system taught by Christ whereby He taught His disciples not to resist evil.

Over the course of time, there was a transformation in great human desire for revenge and for being recompensed more than one had suffered. Instead, revenge came about by agreement according to the law and in the same measure as the suffering that had been endured.

A primitive person begins by assaulting his brother.

A person who does not start the evil but responds to it with a greater evil has not yet reached the level of the Mosaic Law.

In the Mosaic Law, a person is asked not to take revenge by committing an evil that exceeds the evil he suffered, and thus he gives up a part of his rights, since justice requires punishment of the initiator more than the initial victim. Therefore, this law did not use force against those who did evil but used justice along with mercy. This law was perfected by the One who came to fulfill the law, not to destroy it.

There are still two intermediate levels left (the fourth and fifth), before we can speak of the perfection of the highest level of mercy (the sixth level). There are some people who have

not yet reached the greatness of Christ’s commandment and so they go by the following intermediary levels:

Not returning evil with a greater or equal evil, but with a lesser evil and so one responds to two strikes with one strike.

Whoever exceeds the previous level does not return evil for evil, making him even closer to the next commandment of the Lord.

This is the degree of Christian perfection, in which the Lord of glory commands us not to resist evil saying, “I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also” (Matt. 5:39), which means that if he wants to slap you a second time, allow him to do so. Those who serve their children, dear friends, infants, or people who are sick, realize the value of bearing other people’s weaknesses joyfully, despite the harm they may be causing. If they are to benefit those whom they serve, they will surely increase their service and tolerance towards them until their weaknesses are healed. So, what does the Physician of our souls, our Lord Jesus command us to do with our relatives? He asks us to tolerate their weaknesses for the sake of their salvation.