02/10/2022
One of the hardest things we can do, especially for a man, is to walk away from a fight, or to let the law handle a conflict. Yet that is exactly what God tells us to do in Romans. This becomes even harder when there is absolutely no doubt that we are in the right. However the Lord tells us to leave vengeance to him. Are we faithfully doing this in our lives today? Are we strong enough, confident enough in the Lord, and obedient enough to obey Him in this? Can we relinquish control of our wrath, and possibly the need for it altogether?
“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.””
Romans 12:19 ESV
The instruction regarding vengeance that we receive in this verse isn’t meant to squelch constructive debate, or to stop arguments that are meant to settle civil disagreements between ourselves, no, vengeance is the act of retribution, or seeking to hurt someone who has hurt us.
“But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.”
Exodus 21:23-25 ESV
Exodus 21 expounds on what we should fairly expect of someone who has hurt us, or the price we can expect to pay others when we have hurt them. We call this Justice, but when we take it into our own hands then more often than not it is neither fair, nor just, and when unmasked it reveals itself as unadulterated evil.
When I was a young boy there was a bully in my school, and he picked on people constantly. Unfortunately he was in my class, and he took great pleasure in picking on me. Well, I took this for quite some time, until one day he hit me hard in the arm, and I burst into a rage. I don’t recall how many times I hit him because my rage had blinded me. The first thing I remember about that fight was me sitting on top of him with my hands around his throat as I strangled him, and the teacher pulling me off of him. As we walked to the principal’s office my teacher asked me why I didn’t just hit him back, and why I had pummeled him so violently, and was choking him to the point that he might have been seriously harmed. My senses had returned to me so I answered him honestly… because I wanted to kill him.
That was rage, it was evil at its heart, and it frightened me beyond belief; so much so that I remember that feeling to this very day, and still tremble at the thought of it. Thankfully the teacher was there, and he interceded.
God realizes what rage is, and because He understands it, He defends us against it by taking vengeance into His own hands, and by telling us unequivocally that it is His. He sent Jesus to teach us to take control of ourselves by giving us something good to do while God handles the situation for us… He tells us not to lash out when we are harmed, but to do something constructive…
“To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Romans 12:20-21 ESV
We need to know that rage hides in each of us, and that once it is released from its fetters we can rarely control it. We also need to realize that nothing can unlatch the shackles from this beast like our need for revenge. The retribution we want when we seek our revenge is rarely an eye for an eye, it is much more, and far exceeds Justice. This is the danger police officers face when they answer domestic dispute calls, and what turns a group of people seeking Justice, or revenge, into a lynch mob, or to rage in the streets as they burn cities down.
These are extreme examples and we like to think that they don’t represent us, and that we are always fair and in control, but are we so certain of that? I can tell you from my grade school experience that it can happen suddenly, and without forethought; even to the humblest, and meekest, of people. So, will we be able to hand our vengeance over to the Lord when we feel the urge for revenge? Well, to insure that we can, we need to think on this often, pray about it, and turn the small harms we receive nearly every day over to God. In this way, when the larger hurts come along we have a well-travelled road to follow… we have faith in God’s ability to give us the Justice we desire, and confidence that our rage will remain imprisoned in its cell.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for taking our need for vengeance into your hands, and giving us an escape from the wrath that unleashes the rage that lurks inside us. Thank you for Jesus who demonstrated in His life how we are to lean on you in times of such pain, and when harm is inflicted on us by our enemies. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who’s vengeance and wrath, are always just. Praised be your name for lifting this burden from us, and smoothing the path before us. You are merciful Father, and we pray you have mercy on our enemies, loved ones, and all those who harm us over the course of our lives. We pray that our desire for vengeance will diminish, and be overcome as we hand it to you, and find shelter from it. Spread the salve of your grace upon us Father, and give us the faith of Christ as we hang from our crosses asking you to forgive all those who have driven nails into our bodies, or broken our hearts. Wash us clean of sin, and the evil of rage, with the blood of Jesus, and on that day of our judgement find us righteous in Him, and worthy of your eternal love, and not the objects of your disappointment, nor deserving of your wrath. Hear our prayers as we say “Forgive them Father for they know not what the do!”, and bless us as we give up our claim to vengeance, and relieve you of your promised wrath for our enemies, and for ourselves.
“For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.”
Matthew 7:2 ESV
Rich Forbes