Our scripture this morning is 1 Thessalonians 5:15-18 (NLT).
See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people. Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
Paul writes this to a congregation experiencing persecution, warning against retaliation, “paying back evil for evil”. Jesus gave us this instruction in Matthew 5:38, saying that the old law of “an eye for an eye” that forbade an excessive response to an attack was not God’s will for us but a restraint on our human anger.
Defending ourselves from physical attack is one thing. Where we fail as humans is letting another’s words spark us to a violent response – verbal or physical. Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount “But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell” (Matthew 5:22).
I understand how difficult this can be. I spent twenty years on military active duty and once worked as a corrections officer. While violence was not taught as our primary response, it was often a requirement to prevent injury to other innocent people. Resolving that with Christian faith requires self-examination and prayer. Paul tells us to “never stop praying”, and this connection to God will guide us to peace.
Loving Lord, we are sorry that we allow our anger to overcome our patience and faith. Forgive us and in every circumstance may we be the peacemakers You have called us to be. Amen.
