What if you were pushing a shopping cart through a store when out of nowhere someone’s 8 year old child purposely rammed their own cart into you as hard as they could, what you do? Being that the child is not yours, it is highly doubtful that you would “return the favor” or punish that child in any way. Why? Because it is not your place deal out punishments to the children of others; it is reserved for that child’s parents to correct and punish that behavior.
That is what our verse today is about: not avenging yourself when you are wronged, but letting God take care of it.
Romans 12:19-21 “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Vengeance is revenge taken for an insult, injury, or other wrong, the act of avenging. Other similar words are reprisal, retaliation, or retribution.
As Christians, we learn that there will be people that will hate us for our faith and belief in Jesus, and they may treat us poorly. They may do evil to us, but we are not to avenge ourselves in any way. We need to allow ourselves to suffer that persecution, just as Christ did. “Turn the other cheek” is what He taught in Matthew 5:38,39.
“Ye have heard it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.”
There was a similar instance in the book of Luke where a some people did not receive Jesus into their town, and the disciples asked the Lord what He wanted them to do.
Luke 9:51-56 “And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,
And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.
And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.
And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?
But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.”
Jesus, even though He could have because He is God, didn’t allow His disciples to do this. He didn’t punish those people for their unbelief and because they didn’t receive Him into their city. Just as He didn’t avenge Himself by raining fire down on those who crucified Him on the cross, but instead suffered, and allowed it to happen.
Suffering is something that we need to get used to if we want to model our lives after the life of Jesus. It requires that we allow ourselves to suffer wrongfully and not avenge ourselves. It is not our place to punish others when they sin against us. Vengeance belongs to the Lord. He will take care of it.
In Christ,
Andrew
Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 