Just How Sweet Is Revenge?

"Esau hated Jacob because their father had given Jacob the blessing. And Esau began to scheme: 'I will soon be mourning my father’s death. Then I will kill my brother, Jacob.'"

Genesis 27:41

Have you ever wanted revenge because someone did you wrong?  Have you ever dreamed about getting revenge because of the pain someone has caused you by their words or deeds? When you are awake, you are daydreaming about the multiple ways you would punish them.  When you are asleep, you can't help but feel a twinge of glee as you imagine the pain and humiliation you want to inflict on them.  After all, they deserve it....don't they? Jacob had stolen Esau's birthright AND their father's blessing.  Esau was furious! Esau wanted to kill his brother!  Esau didn't want justice, he craved revenge!  

Aren't we like that? We aren't too interest in justice, we want revenge.  OH We'll call it "justice" but in reality we want revenge! And the Deceiver keeps dumping fuel on that fire with his whispering reminding us of the pain, hurt, and humiliation we suffered. 

Somewhere along the line of history, someone invented a symbol for revenge as two interlocking signs for infinity. Why?  Because the cycle of revenge seems to be unending!

Here's the worst part: We, who claim to embrace the love of Abba and pray "Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us", are among those deceived by the Deceiver into believing it's okay for us to seek revenge.  What example are we setting for others?  What example are we setting for our children, spouse, friends, neighbors, people who know we claim to be Christians?  Do we truly love others as we are instructed to?  Do we forgive as we pray to be forgiven?

Let me make a couple of points:

     * First, we can only forgive to the degree that we have been forgiven.  Let that sink in for a minute!  We ask Abba for forgive us, and He does, but are we willing to forgive others in that same loving and restorative way?

     * Second, We can only love to the degree that we have been loved.  Again, let that sink in. Abba loves us so much that He sent His Son to pay our debt.  Are we willing to even pray for those who hurt us?

In Matthew 5:43-48, Jesus instructs us: "You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect."

Jesus is telling us that WE are to be the example to others!  

So let's begin with this: "Abba, You have taught us, and teach us, that we are to be your ambassadors to the earth. Forgive us for failing You with our lack of love.  We fail to love because we fail to rely on You to fill us with Your love.  We think we know better than You.  Return us to You. Teach us how to love. Teach us how to forgive. Teach us to rely on You. Let everyone who sees us see only You."

 

Hello, My Name Is Inigo Montoya...

You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that.

Matthew 5:43-47 

I admit it, all these killings of late have made me extremely ticked off!  Why is it so intolerable for someone to want to destroy so many lives of worshipers?  Is it because they disagree with one groups ideology?  Is it because they simply have been taught to hate others because of their beliefs?  The more I thought about it, the angrier I became!  Then...I realized that I was so angry that I could not pray for anything other than revenge, because my hatred for the perpetrators of these crimes had become my focus.  Because they had become my focus, I had taken my focus off of God and replaced Him with blind anger and rage and desire for revenge.

When we focus on anything more than we focus on God, then we can no longer worship Him because we have replaced Him.  I had to spend a lot of time praying for God to cleanse me and forgive me for my anger and for replacing Him with my rage.  I had given these killers the position in my heart and soul they did not deserve!  I had allowed them to own my thoughts and they didn't deserve that!  

Jesus tells us to pray for our enemies and those who hurt us.  That sounds good when you are just reading it from a distance of the hurt.  But when you are in the midst of the hurt and anger, that becomes a daunting action.  Yet, God is the one who will judge, He didn't give me that position.  Hatred and anger and desiring revenge will only escalate the situations.  I am still bothered by the senseless violence, but I am learning to turn it over to God.  My time on this rock is temporary, I must focus on the eternal.

Revenge

“You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also."

Matthew 5:38-39 

 

When we feel hurt or slighted or insulted by someone, we want REVENGE!  Let's face is, our revenge is usually an act that is escalated to the point that we believe the other person will back down.  Yet when they, in turn, escalate their revenge on our revenge, we begin a war.  A war where there are only losers, no winners.  We lose respect; we lose relationships; we lose credibility...we lose!

 

Now...Jesus is in no way saying we should not protect ourselves from physical or emotional abuse.  You see, in Jesus' time, a backhanded slap was meant to sting and cause embarrassment, it was considered an insult.  No one tried to knock your teeth out with a slap.  However, our human nature has a short fuse and we don't tolerate being embarrassed very well.  Therefore, if someone slaps us, our natural instinct is to punch them which will draw more punches and perhaps even friends will jump into the fray on our behalf.  On and on this will go until weapons are drawn, property is damaged, furniture gets broken and then the police arrive.

 

And what gets accomplished?  Injury, having to pay for property damage, going to jail...is an insult worth that?  Jesus reminds us that we are to be strong enough that we don't feel the need to respond to an insult.  We have the option to simply walk away.

Revenge leads to our desire to do harm to someone else.  Jesus reminds us that revenge is not worth the stress, headache or any other consequence.