By Charles Pogue
In the sermon on the mount Jesus
said: “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them
that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for
them that despitefully use you” (Matt.5:44). The fact that
our culture is geared to watching out for old number one
in,no way modifies, tempers, or sets aside Jesus’
instruction. A young woman known to me was heard to say she
would lie if it gave her some kind of advantage. One problem
with lying to gain an advantage is that the lie despitefully
uses someone else. Another consequence of the lie is that it
makes the one suffering the wrong an enemy to the liar. The
liar will sooner or later face the consequences of the lie,
but what about the individual who suffers thewrong brought
on by the lie? That is the person Jesus is speaking to in
the mountain top discourse. Do good to your enemy, pray for
them; bless not curse!
It isn’t enough to restrain one’s self from
picking up a 2x4 board and knocking the liar upside the
head. We must bless not curse, and do good to theone who
demonstrates hate. Paul wrote to the Romans: “Therefore if
thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink:
for in so doing thoushalt heap coals of fire upon his head”
(Rom. 12:20). The apostle doesn’t mean for us to render good
for the evil begrudgingly either, because in the very next
verse he writes: “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil
with good.”
When one has been wronged, there
are two things to be on guard about: the actions; do not
avenge yourself (Rom. 12:19), and the attitude; bless not
curse (Rom.; 12:14). With regard to the former, it may not
be too difficult to resist picking up the 2x4. It may not be
so easy to have the right attitude toward being wronged, but
we develop it, because that is what the Lord commands.
A friend of this writer, a man who
served many years as a deacon in the church recently passed
away. Some of the past words and deeds by a number of his
relatives suggest a war over material possessions may arise.
Some of his kin may cheat and defraud other family members.
If they do, they will have their reward. But what of those
who are mistreated? They will have the difficult task of
keeping their actions and attitudes consistent with the
teachings of Christ and Paul. However, they have a
consolation. It is the same consolation the beggar Lazarus
had. The faithful are carried to Abraham’s bosom, and the
sinful who have made themselves better off through fraud
will have the same end and eternity as the rich man. The
difference in where we spend eternity should make all the
difference between whether we seek vengeance and harbor a
grudge or take wrong joyfully, knowing by returning good for
evil, we will have a greater reward than material wealth.
- via the Belvedere
Beacon, the weekly bulletin of the Belvedere Church
of Christ, Belvedere, SC. Ken Chumbley preaches for
this congregation, and he may be contacted at their website:
http://www.belvederechurchofchrist.org
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