Sunday, February 5, 2012

Retaliation or Forgiveness?

On Wednesday nights since the beginning of September 21, 2011 a show would appear on television that would pick up as one of the greatest drama shows of all time.  This show would be called Revenge where a young girl will seek at nothing to take revenge on those who framed her father for murdering people.  One by one she would either kill or run them out of town to narrow down the top prospect.  As the days and weeks went by of her vengeance, she would soon come to realize that this was getting out of hand and she needed to stop before someone she cared about would get hurt.  Emily knew she was a leader in her own ways of taking revenge, but she had no idea that she was unaware of being the kind of a leader that would not strike back at nothing.  Just like in this example, anybody will do something to you that you did not deserve in the first place.  They will always keeping pestering you or bullying you around until you strike back.  The people who keeping bothering you are looking how your going to respond their actions.  Do you remember what Jesus said If this kind of situation would occur in your life?  In the Sermon of the Mount, Jesus talks about retaliation in verses 38 through 40.  It says, "You have heard that it was said, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.  But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right check, turn the other to him also.  If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also."  Let's break down these three verses.  In verse 38 in the bible, the phrase is italicize because the term was used in the Old Testament.  So what did this phrase mean in the Old Testament?  It meant that anybody who bulled or bothered someone, the person who was being pestered would retaliate because of what he or she was doing to them.  There was no law for anyone not to seek revenge on someone at all.  It was legal or permitted.  But then all of sudden,  Jesus comes to this earth and has brought us this new law to live under by His standards.  He says in verse 39, do not resist or take vengeance on a person who does evil on you. 


In Romans chapter 12, explains a lot more If you get into this kind of situation.  In verse 14, it says, "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse."  So what did Paul mean when he said this?  Paul was a man who persecuted the church and followers of Christ back in his day.  When he became a disciple and apostle of Christ, he is telling us this very thing because he did the exact same thing and he wants us to learn from his example.  In verse 17 through 19, Paul simplifies the whole point of retaliation.  It says, "Never pay back evil to anyone.  Respect what is right in the sight of all men.  If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.  Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord.  Before you think about taking revenge on someone, remember to "leave" room for God to repay vengeance on them.  We get so got up on what he or she did to us and we just take it into our own hands.  The next time your about to take vengeance on someone, remember that "The Battle Belongs to the Lord."  Remember that this is the Lord's fight and leave it in hands of God.  Another common verse in this subject matter is found in Matthew 5:10.  It says, "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  You will be persecuted or bullied for doing what is right no matter what.  In Matthew 5:40, says if anyone slaps you on your right check, turn the other to him also.  If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also.  So keep turning your check to them.  This is the right thing to do in this kind of situation your dealing with in your life.  Your no better than the person who is taking vengeance on you.  So keep giving your coat to them.  To finish up this thought for today, the last verse in Romans 12:21 says, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Do not retaliate of their evil actions towards you but fight their actions with forgiveness!  Your probably asking yourselves, what do you mean by that?  I mean when they do evil towards you, pray for them and ask for forgiveness on their behalf.


Did not Jesus do the same thing when he was on the cross?  When he was hanging there, he looked up towards the heavens and said, "Forgive them Father, for they do not know what they are doing."  He was right!  We were hanging and killing the Son of God who died but also saved us from our sins.  He was asking for forgiveness for what we were doing to Him.  This is how we are suppose to act when someone is either bullying us or bothering us instead of retaliating to their actions.  Jesus did not retaliate when we did not know what we were doing.  We should take Jesus' example and not retaliate on the people who do not know what they are doing.  It will come to them in their own lives when they think of the person who they bullied in their life and realized that they should not have done that at all.  So instead of retaliating back, forgive them at all costs no matter what they do!  So I will leave the question up to you.  You can either choose to retaliate or forgive the person that is doing evil towards you.  Choose your decision carefully!  I will end with this, in Luke 6:36, it says "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."  If your Heavenly Father can be so forgiving of all yours sins that you have committed in your life, can you not forgive someone If they did evil towards you?  I encourage you to make the decision to forgive and not retaliate to seek vengeance on someone.  Be a forgivable leader to those who have sinned against you so that you may lead from the inside out.