Overcoming Evil

Today's reading: Luke 6:12-38

“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” - Luke 6:37-38 ESV

At some point in our lives, if it hasn't happened already, we are going to come face to face with evil. At that moment, we will have every justification to harm those who have harmed us. We will be like David and the two opportunities he had to kill King Saul (see 1 Samuel 24:4). Not only will we have the opportunity for vengeance, but we will have others around us encouraging us to do so. "This is your chance!" they will claim.

Jesus claims, in our reading today, that taking your justified shot isn't the best way to live. He teaches that we should "leap for joy" when we are mistreated and that we should return blessing for evil -- forgiveness and kindness for hatred.

Why would Jesus ask us to do something like this? Doesn't He care about justice? Our Savior does care about setting things right. This is why He died on the cross; to set all things right.

I think Jesus is concerned about what hatred and striking out will do to us. At first glance, it seems like vengeance will fix everything. Yet Jesus knows what it will do to us, potentially turning us into our accusers.

This doesn't mean we placate evil or don't let our abusers face natural consequences for their actions, but it does mean that violence and retaliation will not repair what is broken inside of us.

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." - Romans 12:21 NIV