Ceuti67's Blog

“See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.” 1 Thessalonians 5:15

Vengeance is one of the primal urges of human beings. When someone wrongs us, quite often our first thought is usually related to the designs we have on paying back the person who has in our eyes; done us wrong. Our lust for retaliation in kind has even entered our everyday vernacular, appearing in phrases such as “Revenge is Sweet.” OR “Revenge is a dish best served cold.”

The Christian faith, however, stands against this urge for personal vengeance.  In the passage above, Paul says that no one should repay anyone “evil for evil”.  This is a natural outflow of his instruction that we show patience to everyone as he states in the preceding verse (v. 14), for it takes a great deal of patience with wrongdoers not to seek to avenge ourselves when we have been sinned against.  Paul’s teaching essentially summarizes what Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount, especially when we see the emphasis from Paul to do good to one another…to everyone really.  Jesus himself exhorts His disciples to turn the other cheek and to go the extra mile even for our enemies (Matt. 5:38–42).

Jesus made these statements to remind those who would be His disciples not to expect divine justice from an unregenerate society. All justice ultimately is in the hand and the heart of God. As long as human governments prevail, justice will continue to be limited by man’s finite abilities. The believer is to place their total confidence in the ultimate sovereignty of God above the affairs of their individual life. The life of the believer is to be lived with such a quality of spiritual veracity and justice that there is no need for physical or other retaliation in order to defend or justify one’s position.

It is important to understand that neither Paul nor Jesus ever suggested that Christians should never seek the punishment of evildoers or that we should simply apathetically invite people to abuse us. Instead, when we feel that our honour has been assaulted by others, when we have been insulted or otherwise harmed in ways that fall short of criminal activity, we are not to seek revenge. However, it is appropriate to take matters to the civil authorities in the case of abuse and other criminal offenses.

In 2021 I fear too many churches at times are stuck with a narrative that bemoans what society at large is doing to “US”. This mindset has no place in the church for it comes from a place that would suggest that the church should expect more when the reality is the church has it all already. Instead of fretting about being victims and the negative momentum such a place inevitably takes the church to….it is imperative that the church place it’s focus where it belongs and that is it’s essential mission and calling. If we are to pray for the church, the prayer must not be to be saved from harm or persecution (be they real or imagined)….NO, the prayer must be a prayer for humility and a focus of the church’s energy and spirit to tend to those who we are told to tend to – the poor, the widow, the orphans. The church absolutely must get this right. Not only must we refrain from personal vendettas, but we are called to do more than that. We are called to do good to everyone, even to those who are against us. Christians are called to go out of their way to do good to all people, even those who plot against us. There is no greater example of this truth than the life and death of our Savior, Himself.

Let us ask the Lord to give us the strength this day not to repay evil with evil.