EXHORTATIONS (PART 10)

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.”

“Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord. On the contrary:”

“’If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’”

Romans 12:17, 19-20

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Have you ever wanted to payback someone who has done you wrong?

I think everyone may have felt this way at one time or another. It seems to be a natural human response when someone violates them in some way.

It’s also a response the world would encourage and approve. Getting even is completely appropriate and anyone doing it would find more than their share of support for doing it.

But what about God and the way He wants us to handle these situations where retribution seems to be okay? Wouldn’t you agree that this should be our number one concern?

As we look at our passage from today from verses, 17 and 19 through 20, we find the Word of God providing guidance that runs completely counter to the world’s suggestions in regard to reprisal after wrongdoing. Look again at His words here:

“Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.”

“Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord. On the contrary:”

“’If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’”  Romans 12:17, 19-20

Note how God’s commands are 180 degrees out from what the world would propose.

The world says take an eye-for-an-eye. God says to “not repay anyone evil for evil” and to do “what is right in the eyes of everyone”.

The world would say to invoke vengeance on someone who does you wrong. God says to let any judgment up to Him, to let Him repay.

The world would say your enemy deserves nothing from you except hatred. God says that you are to treat your enemy with kindness. In other words, we’re to give our adversaries the exact opposite of what they gave us.

What happens when we do this?

We find Paul sharing an excerpt from Proverbs, the Bible’s book of wisdom.

In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. Proverbs 25:22

In other words, a person who sinfully wrongs another person would expect the person who was wronged to treat them badly if given the opportunity. What they wouldn’t expect is for the victim to treat them with goodness and kindness.

So what could be the possible outcome of treating an enemy like you would a friend?

They might feel remorse for what they had done, their conscience blazing with guilt and conviction. Perhaps, they may even come to repent and turn to the Lord for forgiveness while committing themselves to Him so to be led to a better way of living, a way grounded in righteousness and not wickedness.

Sin, the immeasurable wrongs of God’s people, placed Jesus on Calvary’s cross. It was the greatest injustice in history, an injustice that led to the killing of an innocent man.

And yet, God didn’t seek revenge on people for their sins. Instead, He loved them and gave them an opportunity to change, to turn from transgressions and move toward the kind of life He wanted them to live, a life grounded in His Son that would not only last for the present but for an eternal future.

Wrongdoing is going to happen to us. We can’t avoid it and, most of the time, we don’t have any choice in the matter. But what we can choose to do is to react and respond to our foes as Jesus would, using His goodness and greatness to overcome the evil that has come upon us.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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