Description
Choosing Forgiveness Over Revenge: A Meditation on Hebrews 10:30
This episode compares revenge with justice through the… (visit YouTube for more)
Transcript
Often, if I’m watching a film and there’s a bully in it, I find myself wanting that bully to have his comeuppance. And now I have to ask myself, is it justice I’m thirsting for, or revenge? Because today’s verse that we’re meditating on has something to say about revenge.
It’s Hebrews 10 verse 30. For we know him who said, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay." And again, "The Lord will judge his people."
If someone sins against me, they are also sinning against God. And that is a greater sin, because God is of so much more consequence than I am. So ultimately, we should be asking for God’s justice to prevail, for his will to be done, including in the matter of punishment.
We don’t need to be taking revenge. Actually, we need to be forgiving. Love your enemies, Jesus said, and pray for those who persecute you.
This is not to say that justice is unimportant. By no means. We want justice. We want justice right now in our lands, in our nations, in our communities. But we must not thirst for revenge.
Instead, we can take comfort from the fact that ultimately all debts will be settled, all injustices cleared and dealt with by God Almighty when Jesus returns and judges all the nations.
Thank you, God, that we can trust you when it comes to justice. Thank you, God, that we don’t need to harbour bitterness or revenge in our hearts. Instead, we’re free to love, and we can rely on you to perform your justice.
Thank you, God, that you have forgiven us when we actually deserved vengeance ourselves. Thank you that the blood of Christ covers all our sins, and so there will be no further judgment of us. Please help us therefore to forgive as we have been forgiven. Amen.
