Our scripture this morning is 1 Peter 3:9 (NLT).
Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing.
In this verse Peter reminds us of Christ’s teaching from the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus tells us “You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also” (Matthew 5:38-39). For many of us, this is probably the most difficult thing we are asked to do.
It doesn’t seem right (and it isn’t!) for people to mistreat each other. It offends our inner sense of justice. We want to see people get what’s coming to them. Unfortunately, our idea of justice is not what Jesus taught us. Our selfish “justice” is what has brought us to the need for Christ’s redeeming love.
Jesus commands us to “love your neighbor as yourself” and “love your enemies”. Until we get this right in our hearts, we will continue to have issues here on earth. We must surrender our will to His, believing that the way of Jesus is better than anything we have, and the only hope for our salvation.
Gracious God, forgive us for the times we try to “get back” at each other, living for retaliation rather than reconciliation. Bless us to have the mind that Christ had, and go in Your love to all people. Amen.
