When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats.
This is a test: Someone you know well is angry and they express that anger by insulting you.
Question: How do you respond?
Our response to this test says a lot about who we are. The same is true for a similar test: How do we respond to suffering at the hands of someone else?
Suppose you work for a business, and your boss or manager is rude and condescending. Every day you come into work you are met by a surly face and insulting remarks. This person insults your appearance, the way you talk, your work, … everything. You are trying to do your best, and you are frustrated because your boss seems intent on doing things that hurt the business and hurt you. What do you do?
The normal non-Christian thing to do if someone insults you is to respond in kind. When I was a kid, there was a popular comedian whose shtick was insulting people. As teens, the people I knew copied that behavior. It became a game to see who could come up with the best insult. The problem was that insults made in jest are not any different than insults made in anger. They can still hurt. The “game” often took on a bitter edge. Who could hurt the other person more?
I eventually realized that hurting people was not a joke. No matter how funny the insult, hurting someone causes pain and emotional damage. Jesus’ teaching, “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Luke 6:31) was starting to sink in.
As adults, we have to be more careful about what we say. There are usually consequences for bad behavior. If a boss gets angry enough, they can fire you. If someone gets mad enough, they might strike you. Retaliation is a bitter game but is often the only recourse for those who do not believe in God.
In this verse, Jesus sets the example for the believer. He does not retaliate. He does not make threats. What other options are there?
If a person does not know about God, they might feel a strong need to see that justice is done. We decide what is fair and what is not fair. We put ourselves, blind spots and all, on a pedestal and declare that we will be judge and jury. Jesus does something else. He knows something we need to know. He does not put himself in the judgment seat. Instead, he shows us how not to respond.
Application: Think about how you feel when someone threatens you or insults you. How do you respond? How should you?
Food for Thought: What is the danger of retaliation?
Retaliation can escalate intI a vicious cycle that leads to horrific consequences. I think we probably have all heard several stories about this, especially with road rage. In personal relationships, this can create a root of bitterness that ends up defiling many (Hebrews 12: 15).
Rich,
The “vicious cycle” aspect of retaliation is an important point. I remember the names “Hatfields and McCoys” as being representative of a feud that escalated out of control and became a generational hatred. “One good turn deserves another,” is a good old saying. The opposite is true, too. One bad turn leads to another. Something we need to avoid if at all possible.
Right Rich,
Sin will dig into our hearts like a needle sharp barbed hook. Easy to take hold and darned tough to get out.
What is the danger of retaliation?
We serve God as we allow His Son Jesus Christ “in us” to be seen in our lives. We accomplish this by living in humble obedience to God. We cease living to the worlds standards, die to our old self, and allow the transforming power of the Holy Spirit to rule our hearts and lives.
Christ did on one occasion display righteous anger and cleanse His Fathers house, He also correctively confronted the false teachings of those who were misrepresenting Gods will for mankind.
God, our King came to serve His creation by showing His love and kindness toward all mankind. In the end He willingly gave His life for our unrighteousness so we could receive life in His righteousness. This is the message of He came to live, and the message He seeks to convey to others through each believer as we allow Him to sit on the throne of our lives.
We are called to proclaim Love and Repentance, not Self-reliance and Retaliation.
“Retaliation” is not only NOT part of our calling, but nothing occurs without Gods approval. Therefore retaliation is an act of rebellion against our Sovereign God and His will for our lives.
Psalm 115:3, OUR GOD; HE DOES WHATEVER PLEASES HIM. Romans 9:20, BUT WHO ARE YOU, TO TALK BACK TO GOD?
Accept and live Christ who suffered verbal and physical abuse including death for our sakes, and as our example in true humble obedience to our sovereign God. Know God is in full control of all things, we now live in faith knowing full understanding will come at the appropriate time.
Romans 8:28, GOD CAUSES EVERYTHING TO WORK TOGETHER FOR THE GOOD OF THOSE WHO LOVE GOD. Ephesians 1:11, HE MAKES EVERYTHING WORK OUT ACCORDING TO HIS PLAN.
Ron,
You make some excellent points! Thank you! I especially appreciate the point you make about retaliation being an act of rebellion against our God. That is powerful, and it is a great answer to today’s question.
As Ron mentioned God is Sovereign,..so if we retaliate we are taking the position of God,..because vengeance is His,..He is the judge, jury and redeemer,..and so because of that I know I can always go to Him in prayer and He will give me the peace to live with those that threaten or insult me,..I can’t say that thoughts don’t run through my mind about those that threaten or insult,..but that’s what Jesus does for me,..He give’s me the peace of mind to go on with the life He has called me to live and endure the threats and insults,..after all they are just words that threaten and insult,..beside’s His word is way more powerful that words that threaten or insult.
The words in the Bible may be condemning but the words of Jesus bring life and light to all who believe and that’s where the transformation takes place,..because Jesus didn’t show up to condemn us but to give us life to the full,..and that I believe is what we call Salvation,..life to the full,..nothing threatening or insulting about that,..
John,
You bring another great point to the table. Retaliation is God’s job. If we take that task on, we are stepping on God’s toes. That is not really a place we want to be.
Thank you!
I thought vengeance belonged to me. After all, Romans 12: 19 says that “vengeance is mine…….. saith the Lord.” 😉
Nice try Rich 🙂
👍🏻